Response

[Guest guest]

Thank you for your responses!

Right now I think getting information about who it is

that has the power to change this would be helpful. I

think Dani is in Hong Kong right now and I don't know

what lobbying options she has explored.

I would like to also know who is in the same

predicament. I think there are more people than we

think and numbers are important to have. I formed an

Alternate Route Yahoo Group, but dont know who is

practicing in NY. It also didn't include other CATs.

Here is the email just in case:

ardmt-subscribe .

For Joan Ingalls, who asked what my situation was, I

received my DTR last april, have the 1500 hours, and

my master's is in Dance Education. Grandfathering is

not for CATs who have been in the field for long only,

because those who graduated last year from approved

programs and have the 1500 hours will receive their

licenses.

The only provision for Alternate Route CATs practicing

for less than 7 years is Alternate Pathway 1. I copied

it in this email for review:

[Alternate Pathway One. You must verify that you have

completed a master's or higher degree in creative arts

therapy or a related field, from a college registered

by the Department or the equivalent, with the course

content specified in regulations (Form 2 and

transcript) and submit evidence that you have

completed 1,500 hours of post-degree experience in

creative arts therapy, acceptable to the department

using Form 4 and Form 4B or 4C.] Link:

http://www.op.nysed.gov/mhp-apply-faq.htm ]

The one thing we can lobby for is that the Alternate

Route centers are approved as equivalents. I don't

think there are any approved by the Department and I

don't know why this is. Exploring the equivalent

requirements gives us some leeway. I received an email

that my educational requirements were approved, but

that they didn't qualify for an equivalent so I had to

submit under Pathway 2, which is the one that requires

7 years experience.

But again, who has the power to do this? What is the

procedure?

Well, that's all for know. Keep the discussion going.

Thanks again,

Thania Acaron, MA DTR

--- Joan Wittig wrote:

> Dear CATS,

>

> I am pleased to see this dicussion on the listserve.

> Some of you know that

> I have had very strong feelings about this. The 3

> CATs on the mental health

> professionals board (myself included) fought hard to

> get alternate route

> education recognized. I can tell you most assuredly

> that we who worked

> toward licensing made sure the legislation was

> drafted in such a way to

> recognize alternate route training. However SED has

> opted to interpret the

> bill differently, and I have been informed they are

> within their rights to

> do so. I encourage the CAT community to continue to

> pursue this issue, and

> any others that are important to you. As board

> members we will support you

> in any way we can; and we will do what we can from

> our perspective. But at

> this point it will mainly be up to you, the CAT

> community, to actively

> pursue what is important to you. The board exists

> to protect consumers and

> SED puts some definite limits on what we can do

> without creating a conflict

> of interest. Stay active in NYCCAT. Nothing is

> permanent.

>

> Yours,

> Joan Wittig

>

----Original Message-----

--- " Joan S. Ingalls "

wrote:

> Date: Tue, 09 May 2006 08:35:37 -0400

>

> Subject: Re: [nysadta] Inaction is not an option

> To:

>

Thania,

I am sorry to hear about how you feel.

Maybe this will help: Do you understand that this

is, right now, is

a

grandfathering process only? I don't hear that in what

you are saying.

You

are saying that you are not eligible for

grandfathering but does that

mean

that you can't earn a license once the grandfathering

period is over?

Is

there a reason why you can't continue to work under

supervision or take

another course - whatever is required for the license

after the

grandfathering - so that you do qualify under what

will become a normal

licensing process?

Grandfathering is for those of us who have been in

the field for

over

seven years and for which more training would be a

hardship, and not

necessary because in our years of experience, it is

assumed (my guess),

we

have learned something.

What do you think? I'd like to know more about your

situation.

Joan

> Re: Inaction is not an option

>

>

> Thania,

>

> I wrote to you and to the list in April about

> receiving by LCAT

> and LMHC as an alternate route ADTR. Have you been

> rejected

> outright? As far as I know, you do not have to have

> practised in NY

> for 7 years, but have had to be in the field for at

> least 7 years.

>

> I do think that something is off about their

> approval process for

> education. The LCAT licensing people do not seem to

> be recognizing

> the Masters level education of alternate route

> people, but the LMHC

> Educational approval committee did. I was approved

> on Alternate Route

> I for LMHC, but Alternate route 2 and 3 for LCAT.

> This was very

> weird for me and the LCAT people couldn't really

> explain it.

>

> What suggestions do you or Dani have in terms of

> lobbying? Have you

> or anyone else spoken with people on the Licensing

> approval

> committee? How about Joan Wittig? She is the ADTR on

> the committee (

> I think).

>

> If you, or other folks think there are ways we can

> help, I would be

> glad to try.

>

> Pamela Faith Lerman

>

>

> >As the Licensure talk slows down, I imagine most

> of

> >the CAT field is in the process of receiving their

> >licenses throughout the year. I wanted to bring

> some

> >attention to the people who are sure they are not

> >receiving their licenses: the alternate route CATs.

> >

> >I am one of those people and this email also

> gathers

> >others in my same position. This also applies to

> Art,

> >Drama and Poetry Therapy as well.

> >

> >We are the people who had so much passion for this

> >field that being a bystander was not enough, so we

> >went beyond our master's degrees to gather

> additional

> >courses anywhere we found them. We are the ones

> that

> >didn't have the protective bubble of an university,

> >who paid for this career with our own money because

> >student loans wouldn't cover it, who don't have an

> >university reunion to go to in conferences, who

> >struggled to find their own internships and

> contacts

> >and who traveled to become a part of this field.

> >

> >But if you are in NY and have practiced for less

> than

> >7 years, you will NOT get licensed. For most of us,

> a

> >change in career is not an option.

> >

> >So I ask, what is being done? Where are the

> >credentials committees that approved us, the

> lobbyists

> >for this license, the Alternate Route Centers that

> >taught us? Dani Fraenkel from Kinections can't do

> it

> >alone. Why have we not heard these voices? I don't

> >think we really understand that there are some

> >people's careers and homes at stake. And sitting

> back

> >and saying " those poor Alternate Route CATs wont

> get

> >it " or brushing us under the rug is not a way to

> show

> >support to professionals who have fought to be a

> part

> >of this field.

> >

> >I thank the people who have listened and gave their

> >time to our emails and applications. But going back

> >and getting a master's in CAT or a different field

> is

> >not an option for many. I invite anyone who has an

> >interest in this issue to come forth with options

> and

> >solutions. I know all of us worked really hard to

> get

> >those applications together, which was a

> nightmarish

> >process. But the work is not over. Let's not

> forget

> >there are some of our colleagues left behind.

> >

> >Inaction is not an option.

> >

> >Thania Acaron, MA DTR

> >

> >

> >

> >__________________________________________________

> >