[visionrehabtherapist] Re: Case in point: An inquiry I received about VRT programs
- From: Anisio Correia <ACorreia@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: "visionrehabtherapist@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <visionrehabtherapist@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 19 Oct 2010 00:23:21 +0000
Roberta,
I of course agree with most of your points. However, I just wanted to correct
one of your statements. You wrote:
(...) yet we average less than $15 per hour. This is what Medicare has us
listed as making based on the national average of what VRT's were making when
the Demonstration Project started.
I'm sure you meant to write $15 per unit which, according to Medicare, is 15
minutes, resulting to something like $60 per hour (with fluctuations from
region to region). Obviously, even $60 per hour is not commensurate with the
critical nature of our work. It also is significantly less than what an OT
gets as reimbursement, somewhere around $130 per hour.
Anisio Correia
Center for the Visually Impaired
Atlanta, Georgia
From: visionrehabtherapist-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:visionrehabtherapist-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of McCall, Roberta
(DELEG)
Sent: Monday, October 18, 2010 7:45 PM
To: 'Maduffy@xxxxxxx'; visionrehabtherapist@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [visionrehabtherapist] Re: Case in point: An inquiry I received about
VRT programs
Maureen (et al.),
You bring up several astute observations in your two email messages. It comes
down to "there ain't nobody but us" "we be it"
When it comes to recruiting, speaking for our profession, and making our
presence felt, there is no one to do it except those of us who are members of
this listserv. So everyone who is reading these messages, talk to one person,
get on a board, write a letter, betteryet-write an article, step up to the
plate.
I hear many voices clamoring at this precise moment-"I don't have the time-my
clients need me!", and to this I say "rubbish". There will ALWAYS be clients,
they will never go away, and you will never catch up. But the profession, I
believe, is in jeopardy of doing just that-going away if each of us doesn't
step up and take action to make sure it stays viable.
I have been wondering recently if part of the long-term issue is that VRT is
neither part of the medical nor the educational system. As a result, we do not
have strong funding for what we do. We are specialists doing what no one else
is trained to do, yet we average less than $15 per hour. This is what Medicare
has us listed as making based on the national average of what VRT's were making
when the Demonstration Project started. This is also not good.
Recently, I spoke with a woman who was considering a choice between VRT and OT,
and she told me that she was leaning to OT even it wasn't her first choice
emotionally because it was more stable for employment.
Just my thoughts.
Roberta
Roberta McCall
Certified Vision Rehabilitation Therapist/Rehabilitation Teacher
________________________________
From: visionrehabtherapist-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:visionrehabtherapist-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Maduffy@xxxxxxx
Sent: Monday, October 18, 2010 10:22 AM
To: visionrehabtherapist@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [visionrehabtherapist] Case in point: An inquiry I received about VRT
programs
Dear Listers:
Not to belabor my previous point (Who, me?), but I received an inquiry just
this morning from a woman (a TVI) who was seeking information about VRT
university programs. She wrote to me at VisionAWARE, and I provided a listing
of programs along with an offer to help with any additional information she
needed.
Two things strike me:
First, she wrote to me at VisionAWARE with this request. Of course I can help
her, but it's only coincidental that I could. What if she wrote to any of the
other thousands of web-based organizations out there? I'm guessing that she
would not have received a prompt or helpful answer in many (but not all, of
course) cases.
Second, if I directed her to AER, she would not have received current
information, as I noted yesterday. Also, if she wrote to ACVREP, for example,
the staff there would also (correctly) have referred her to the AER web site.
My admittedly highly speculative guess is that she wrote to me at VisionAWARE
because we are a strong web presence and because we provide solid information
about VRT, O&M, and LVT.
It is a circuitous and unhelpful route that we are asking potential recruits to
follow in order to get even basic information about our profession and existing
university programs. A free standing (not AER-hosted) web site, with a search
function and discussion board would be much more functional and effective, IMHO.
But that is not for me to decide. It is AER's decision and responsibility. But
right now, it seems that VisionAWARE is acting as a de facto recruitment body
for our profession. What that says to me is that something is not quite right
within our professional organization.
Maureen
Maureen A. Duffy, CVRT
Editorial Director
AWARE (Associates for World Action in Rehabilitation & Education)
Phone: 914-528-5120
E-mail: maureen.duffy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Are you aware of our web site?
www.visionaware.org<http://www.visionaware.org/>
"Self-Help for Vision Loss"
www.twitter.com/visionaware<http://www.twitter.com/visionaware>
www.facebook.com/visionaware<http://www.facebook.com/visionaware>
www.visionaware.blogspot.com<http://www.visionaware.blogspot.com/>
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