To
All NAAP State Contacts and NCCAP State Reps.
By
Kathy Wright Moore, TRS/CTRS, ACC, Executive Director
of COAP-NC
Just
imagine for a moment that the number of NATIONALLY certified
Activity Professionals doubled by the end of 2006.
Might
we finally become more recognized as a profession? Might
we finally have more lobbying power to work on behalf
of our clients, residents, and the people we serve?
Stop
imagining and take some action now!
The
clock is ticking on ADC Track 5. This limited "window
of opportunity" ends on 12/31/06.
The
Coalition of Activity Professionals in North Carolina
(COAP-NC) is issuing a challenge to the other 49 states.
Our website is: www.coap-nc.org
We
really expect to win this challenge. Why? Right now,
we have the fastest growing percentage of newly certified
professional in the country. So what are we doing in
NC? We got "out of our box" and created a
game plan. This is one giant activity!
At
our January conference to celebrate NAP Week, we offered
a "hand-on session for new applicants. Yes, we
encouraged our membership to bring their files. Cindy
Bradshaw, NCCAP Executive Director, was on hand and
along with other professionals we took folks by the
hand and helped then work through the certification
application. The process is not as intimidating as one
would think.
At
each of our conferences and regional meetings, we're
doing the same thing. We were quick to realize that
a component required for ADC Track 5 was six hours of
Activity Documentation, a CE requirement. We have created
a six-hour activity documentation workshop; NCCAP pre-approved
and will be making a distance learning workshop available
later this year to the entire country. We have already
done one workshop and have more scheduled around NC
this year.
The
Board is committed to national certification for all
of our members. Many state approved instructors are
pulling out their lists of students that they trained
between 1991 and 2001. Instructors are reconnecting
with their former students and spreading the word.
We're not going to give away any more of our secrets
right now, because we plan to win this challenge.
All
you have to do is take a look at your list of NCCAP
certified Professionals in your state. If you don't
have a list, get one from NCCAP. You can purchase a
set of mailing labels to get the word out. If each certified
professional were to mentor someone eligible for ADC
Track 5, then the national numbers would double. Better
yet, mentor two professionals and we can triple in number.
Don't
even try to tell me this is expensive! You can't put
a price on your certification or your professionalism
and supporting your chosen profession. The fee is only
$65.00, which is 63 cents per week.
A
renewal is $45.00, a mere 43 cents per week. So are
you up for the challenge? I hope so!
What's
the prize? You could win A $500 donation to your state
association and recognition at the NAAP conference in
April of 2007. No prizes will be awarded until 2007
because ADC Track 5 closes on 12/31/06.
We're
still working on prizes for 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th place.
Updates on the challenge can be found on the NCCAP website
and in the NAAP Newsletters. If COAP-NC can assist you
rise up to this challenge, please contact me at 919-547-4405.
Contest begins June 1, 2005 and ends 12/31/06. GOOD
LUCK! NN
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