Team Member FAQs
Team Member FAQ
- When should I plan to arrive on-site?
- How do I make my travel arrangements?
- Who pays for our travel expenses (e.g., hotels, meals, transportation) while on-site?
- Should I claim per diem or submit meal receipts?
- What about rental cars?
- Can I get CEU credit for going on a visit?
When should I plan to arrive on-site?
Generally, team members should plan to arrive at their destination by mid to late afternoon on the Sunday before the visit starts. This allows for the team chair and team members to arrange for a meeting and dinner together before the visit starts the following day. Please be sure to check with the team chair before making your travel arrangements to insure that you know approximately when the chair would like to hold the pre-visit meeting.
How do I make my travel arrangements?
CACREP uses Liberty Travel for its air travel arrangements. When team members use Liberty Travel for an air ticket associated with an on-site team visit, Liberty charges the ticket directly to CACREP and the team member has no out of pocket expenses.
Who pays for our travel expenses (e.g., hotels, meals, transportation) while on-site?
Team members usually pay for their hotel and meals while on site and then are reimbursed by CACREP at the completion of the visit and submission of an expense report form. Receipts are required for the hotel, but not for meals if per diem is claimed.
With regard to transportation, CACREP will reimburse for travel expenses to and from the site. This includes taxis to the airport, luggage fees, airport parking fees, and airfare when our travel agent is not used. Team members who drive their personal vehicles to the location of the on-site visit may put in for mileage at the rate set by the federal government. If, however, the distance is such that it is cheaper to fly than drive, CACREP will only reimburse up to the cost of an advance air fare ticket. In all cases, a Mapquest or other route should be submitted to document the mileage being claimed.
Since transportation to and from the airport, hotel and clinical sites is usually arranged by the program faculty, there is often no cost associated with this . When developing the agenda, the team chair should request that the program provide this transportation whenever possible.
Of course, there are always exceptions. For example, occasionally a team member’s hotel bill will be paid by the university or college. When this occurs, CACREP reimburses the institution for the cost of the lodging. There are also times when the closest airport is two or more hours from the university. In these cases, the team members may need to coordinate their arrival and departure times for ease of transportation.
Should I claim per diem or submit meal receipts?
Per diem is the easiest way to get reimbursed and no receipts are required. CACREP requests, however, that you claim meal per diem costs only for those meals that you eat at your expense. There are times when an institution hosts a lunch for the team to meet with faculty or students. When this is the case and the university has paid, you should not submit a per diem request for that meal.
If you decide to use receipts, your costs per meal should be within the per diem rates quoted on the web site.
What about rental cars?
Team members may not rent cars at CACREP’s expense without prior approval from the CACREP Staff. Since institutions usually provide transportation to and from the airport, hotel, and clinical sites, the only time a rental car may be necessary is when the airport is so far away from the institution that it would be a hardship on faculty. If this is the case, the team should try to coordinate their arrival and departure times so that they can travel together.
Can I get CEU credit for going on a visit?
CEU credit is available through CACREP for the didactic portion of your training (the session you attended at a conference), but CACREP cannot you CEU credit for the actual visit. The National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC)gives credit for leadership positions held, and it is possible they would give team visitors up to 20 hours in a five-year period under this category. If you are interested, you should contact NBCC for more information on how to obtain these CEUs.