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MEPAP
Part One Requirements
By Kathy
Hughes, ADC
NCCAP Vice-President
The
Modular Education Program for Activity Professionals
(MEPAP) Part 1 (Basic Education Course) as of July 1,
2002, will be added as a required component for certification
for all activity professionals applying for their ADC
or ACC. This step toward NCCAP certification continues
the goal of raising the standards of the activities
profession as a whole. The National Certification Council
for Activity Professionals is proud to be an innovative
force in the field of activities.
Most
professions require that students take "mandatory"
theory courses concerning their profession. These college
courses serve to identify the profession and give the
professional a base of knowledge about their chosen
career.
The MEPAP Part One is designed to give those in the
field of activities a base from which the profession
is defined. For instance, when one decides to become
an Occupational Therapy Assistant, this individual will
be required to take OT Theory courses throughout their
college career. These particular courses cover the reason
behind OT and the various methods of OT service delivery
to clients in the entire OT spectrum. The various modules
that are included in the MEPAP course are designed to
lead the students through the regulatory process, the
aging process, and documentation process, eventually
through that actual planning, implementing, and evaluating
process of activities delivery systems. There is also
room to meet the needs of the entire spectrum of activities
delivery in long-term care. The Modular Education Program
emphasizes the modular aspect of the program and the
need for instructors to meet the needs of their students.
The MEPAP Part 1 gives the activity professional the
tools to augment their jobs with a basic knowledge of
the profession. MEPAP has been able to adapt to the
ever-changing health care delivery system.
The
re-engineering process that is currently underway will
further the requirements and design of the course to
meet the needs of the profession and to develop standards
in the field of activities delivery and in the field
of aging. We will be calling on the experts in the field
of activities delivery to develop the new MEPAP Curriculum
in the next year. These individuals will be contributing
to the next step in the evolution of the profession.
Their expertise and information that they include in
the development of the MEPAP Part 1 will serve as the
next addition to the foundation created by the original
MEPAP designers.
This
change in the NCCAP Standards will not affect those
already NCCAP certified. This will mean that regardless
of educational background we will all have the same
basic knowledge of the profession and the theory behind
the delivery of activities to the long-term care population.
All health care professionals have a theory component
in their education, however none are specific to the
activity needs of the long-term care individuals. We
are looking toward a standardized test in the future,
but need a core of knowledge from which to base the
test upon.
If
you have any questions or concerns regarding the MEPAP
courses, you can find this information on the nccap.org
website or e-mail us at info@nccap.org.
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