Stephanie makes some really great points here. I know for me, I am not much of a great leader, but like working behind the scenes. I do love presenting, but as this is my first job I don't feel I have anything to present about. My one question to you all is what do you say a CVRT does? How do you sum up our profession? Shelley L. Rhodes, M.A., VRT And Guinevere: Golden Lady Guide Dog guidinggolden@xxxxxxxxx Guide Dogs for the Blind Alumni Association www.guidedogs.com The people who burned witches at the stake never for one moment thought of their act as violence; rather they thought of it as an act of divinely mandated righteousness. The same can be said of most of the violence we humans have ever committed. -Gil Bailie, author and lecturer (b. 1944) ----- Original Message ----- From: Van, Stephanie To: 'Maduffy@xxxxxxx' ; visionrehabtherapist@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Sent: Friday, January 16, 2009 8:59 AM Subject: [visionrehabtherapist] Re: ACVREP Announcement 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