[visionrehabtherapist] Re: ACVREP Announcement
- From: Patty Arnold- Rutkoff <parnold@xxxxxxxx>
- To: aer vision rehab therapist listserve <visionrehabtherapist@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 16 Jan 2009 08:19:52 -0700
Hi Stephanie,
You make some good points. It is true that I'd rather have direct
contact with clients than just do administrative work. It does seem
that by presenting at conferences, teaching college classes or
workshops (still a kind of direct teaching, but to our colleauges),
mentoring, developing new classes for our clients, writing for
newsletters or journals, and getting involved in professional
activities, we can take leadership roles. Some will not want to do
this, as they feel their life is busy enough, but others of us have
and will do some of these types of things.
By your comments I got the idea that you thought that most private
agencies are not concerned with hiring certified people, but some of
the private agencies hire certified/certifiable people, and some of
the state agencies hire and do their own agency training. It really
depends on each individual agency, and is not related to whether it
is a state or it is a non-profit agency.
Thanks for your thoughts!
Patty Arnold
On Jan 16, 2009, at 6:59 AM, Van, Stephanie wrote:
Maureen,
Thank you for the leadership you have, and continue to provide to
the VRT profession.
I have been thinking and reading all the comments posted over the
past two days and I still cannot make a definite decision.
Nonetheless, I would like to participate in this very important
discussion. Lisa-anne raises some very valid issues concerning the
shortages in our field and the demand for service. Judy, Janet,
Shelley, Deanna, Jennifer, (if I omitted anyone, I do not mean any
disrespect), have also shared passionate views.
It seems clear to me that we have as many opinions as we do
techniques for teaching any particular skill. I have been in the
field longer than any of you. I graduated from a college prep
program when there were 15 nationwide college prep programs,
graduate and undergraduate. I have worked in private agencies
where even the directors had no idea what VRTs do, nor how to
define us. This includes the state agency where I work now. (Do
you believe the supervisor in charge of the "Rehabilitation
Teaching" looked at me with a quizzical expression followed by
"What? why would we do that?" when I suggested we get on board with
the rest of the blindness field and call ourselves VRTs!!!) Thus,
through these many years my job duties have run the gamut from
activities coordinator, social worker, case manager, teacher, and
program planner, developer, budget monitor. Oh, yes, I even
started my first paid job after my masters with the request and
expectation of teaching sewing in a manufacturing setting to blind
and vision impaired employees! I give you this by way of
illustrating the problem of identity through all my professional
career. This debate also has roots prior to the Comstac report.
We owe alot to those "teachers" who led us from Home Teacher,
Rehabilitation Teachers, Vision Rehabilitation Therapists. Yet, we
still have the same issues. It is a fact we are in an
unidentifiable, underpaid, underrespected, and understaffed
profession. We can easily be "replaced" by OTs, nurses, TVIs, and
COMS when job postings come around. With few exceptions, (VA and
some state agencies) hiring practices also run the gamut. The
Medicare Demonstration Project seems to make this chasm greater
rather than better.
So here we are, still divided in the age-long debate of agency-
trained vs similarly-trained vs professionally-trained. This will
be there as long as non-profits and medical models have the bottom
line of economics to deal with. Administrators in these private
agencies are naturally going to hire the person to do the job at
the lowest salary they can.
I also observe that the same personality types who take on this
wonderful profession are also the same personality types who are
not apt to be promoted, or just plain like the direct service they
give rather than sit behind a desk all day. We have very few
leaders in our field now. We have very few VRTs in positions of
power and "visibility". I ask each of you to look inside
yourselves and ask why. I have a couple of theories, I won't rant
about here.
I recall the old AAWB going through this from single certification
to Provisional Certification and Permanent certification levels, A
and AA Certification levels, and back again to one certification
when ACVREP began in 2000. My point here being, the same.
Historically we continue to be challenged by the same stuff. Let's
get over it and move on!
So after all this, you ask, so what are you trying to convey. I
think we need to take on pride in our own profession. Wear it
proudly. Talk to everyone about what we do.
Now, as far as dual certification. We need to get people into our
field. If we have representation on how to create a hierarchy of
profession, I think we owe it to ourselves to explore it. If we
dig our heels into the sand and not allow well meaning people to
seek some kind of training, then I think we cut off our noses to
spite our face. We need qualified people but even a lower
certification level is better than none. Where do we go from here?
I cannot say. But I am pleased this dialogue is stirring up this
discussion. It demonstrates there are VRTs out there who care
enough to comment.
Keep them coming.
Maureen, as our ACVREP Board spokesperson, you have a daunting
task. Keep the profession alive! We shall support you and keep
involved, won't we, everyone?
Stephanie Stephens Van
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