Southwest District, Acute Care SIG, and Geriatric SIG presents:

Brief Action Planning – Possibly the “Secret Sauce” in Changing Behavior

May 12, 2026 at 6:00 - 8:00 PM 

Location: Hybrid Chatham University- Chatham Eastside 6585 Penn Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15206 Room 290

Hosted by the Southwest District, Acute Care SIG, and Geriatric SIG

Discussing results from standardized testing in physical therapy practice presents an opportunity for clinicians to work towards effecting change in patient behavior. This educational session is dedicated to introducing Brief Action Planning (BAP), an evidence-informed tool that can be used to support patient self-management.

Speaker: Michelle (Missy) Criss received her initial physical therapy training at Virginia Commonwealth University, transitional DPT from the University of Pittsburgh, and a PhD in Physical Therapy from Nova Southeastern University. Dr. Criss is board certified in geriatric physical therapy and is Associate Professor and Assistant Director of Curriculum in Chatham University’s DPT Program. She is proud to have developed the UPMC Rehabilitation Institute’s Geriatric Physical Therapy Residency program in which she continues to serve as a faculty member. Her clinical experience spans 30 years and several practice settings (SNF, IRF, HH, adult day program), but her expertise is in SNF.  Her research interests encompass ageism, attitudes about aging, and quality of life in an intergenerational living facility and the use of tests and measures with older adults including work on a national task force exploring a standardized Annual Mobility Assessment for aging adults to identify preclinical mobility limitations. Dr. Criss has served and presented at the local, state, and national levels. In 2023, she was deeply honored to receive the APTA Geriatrics Joan M. Mills Service Award.

Contact Hours: 1 General (pending approval)

Registration is free for members and a $10 fee for non-members. After registering, be sure to save your confirmation email, as it contains the Zoom link needed to join the event on the day.