2005 Chapter Mentoring, Support and Supervision Working Group
This working group was chartered in July 2005 and held meetings with the purpose of composing a recommendation to the Board of the AMTA Virginia Chapter regarding the chapter’s potential support to mentoring, supporting, and supervising services to certified massage therapists in Virginia
Final submission to the board:
Attending: Karen Rockwell, Nancy Steller and Lucia Kaestner
This recommendation is to be used as a guideline. We feel that there are multiple types of mentoring groups in the business world and would like to “tailor” our groups to be massage therapy specific. We feel that each state, due to their regulations and laws, should be able to “tailor” the group for their locale but still have a “governing” body to go to for Mentoring, Supporting and Supervision that would stay within AMTA’s ethics and boundaries
List of Goals:
- To define mentoring, support and supervision
- To form subcommittees within units/state chapters, (either one on one, email/electronically, chat rooms), where a CMT can go for assistance.
- Establish a questionnaire for both parties to fill out.
- To register on AMTA website as a mentor, listing your “qualifications”. This allows the therapist seeking help to be able to seek someone with a mutual sense of balance and structure
Mentoring: a deliberate, conscious, voluntary relationship that is sanctioned or supported by the corporation, organization, or association that occurs between an experienced, employed, person and persons. Typically takes place between members of an organization, corporation, or association or members where the outcome of the relationship is expected to benefit all parties in the relationship for personal growth, career development, lifestyle enhancement, goal achievement and other areas mutually designated by the mentor and partner.
* The client is to define why they are seeking out a mentor so that these goals can be obtained.
Support: The mentor will get support from AMTA and a subcommittee that will be formed of other CMT to run thoughts, troubles, and concern through on an “as needed” basis. This subcommittee can be one on one, small groups, or by electronic (in the form of a “chat room”) or telecommunications. The support will be focused on the interpersonal guidance, mutual exchange, sharing of wisdom and coaching.
Supervision: An updated list will be kept of Category A providers, schools and other groups/people affiliated with the AMTA. Supervision when needed will interface with the mentoring teams.
Site of reference: www.mentors.ca/mentorprograms.html
It is also this working group’s suggestion that Mentors would list their skills/training on the AMTA web site. Mentors must be certified massage therapists practicing for 5 years or more.
Mentors would be required to fill out a short questionnaire consisting of similar questions as exampled below:
- How long have you been in business?
- Coursed take, with whom and when?
- How extensive is your background in these courses?
- What would you charge for mentoring?
- How much time can you allot to mentoring?
Based on this information, mentor and client would be matched up according to location, fee, and help needed.
Submitted by the working group chair Lucia Kaestner, October 2005
