Yoga Therapy . IAYT . C-IAYT
concerns of a Yoga Therapist . communication is key . that's me . (text+audio) scroll to bottom for audio which includes (near the end) advice for those creating Pilot Programs in clinical settings
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Now, for something completely different…
REGARDING The Foundations of Therapeutic Yoga Program: Shaping the Future of Yoga Therapy in Healthcare post by The International Association of Yoga Therapists
MY VOICE OF REASON
things to consider, from a IAYT-Certified Yoga Therapist (C-IAYT) who worked in a large healthcare group; in various clinical settings for several years; as well as in private practice supporting a wide range of clients in collaboration with many of their licensed healthcare professionals, since 2002.
I have been at bargaining tables within clinical settings and have witnessed how programs like the Foundations of Therapeutic Yoga Principles may impact the already overburdened licensed healthcare provider, and close the doors for the "necessity" of hiring a C-IAYT that may hold no license but has the depth and breadth of knowledge necessary to create, implement, and deliver programs - from a Yoga Therapy/Therapeutic Yoga lens - into clinical settings.
The depth and breadth of knowledge that a C-IAYT holds is what is necessary to create and deliver the practices that have been researched and shown to be beneficial to patients and their healthcare team. A C-IAYT is someone who has been vetted and credentialed by proven experts in their field, and is someone whose main goal is to work in collaboration within a healthcare system, to support, inform, and empower patients as well as their care team. A C-IAYT is not aiming to replace or compete with licensed healthcare providers.
"These 300-hour programs" should NOT be "designed" NOR be "provided" to "bring yoga techniques into their own existing scopes of practice"
this language is unfortunately, quite misleading - to the licensed healthcare provider, their healthcare compliance and coding team, and especially to those who will be held responsible for hiring and onboarding potential providers of YOGA therapy (HR, Middle Management, admin, etc.) who will read it as "now we can have this provider do it since they took the course - we don't have to hire another person"
The program would best benefit if it was designed to INFORM licensed healthcare professionals to best ASSIST IN VETTING/CHOOSING/HIRING a yoga therapist to be incorporated into their healthcare team, and to INFORM licensed healthcare professionals how to follow through with delegating and charting Yoga Therapy practices and programs within the plan of care appropriate to their clinical setting.
Those of us C-IAYTs, who have worked within clinical settings, large healthcare groups, and in collaboration with providers, and interdisciplinary teams, who are beholden to third-party payment systems in the United States, are very much aware that the type of language used within the The Foundations of Therapeutic Yoga Program: Shaping the Future of Yoga Therapy in Healthcare post often lends to HR, Middle Management, and ancillary admin, to assume/say/encourage the already overburdened and time-deficient healthcare provider "to provide ‘that yoga stuff’ since you took the course since it's not in the budget to hire anyone at this time"
Many licensed healthcare providers want to request/incorporate yoga therapeutic practices within the plan of care for their patients but in facilities that are primarily providing care - reimbursed by third party payment structures - it is highly doubtful these types of "trainings" will be useful to encourage the hiring of Certified Yoga Therapist because, now due to the pandemic, these "add-ons" are now being "offered/provided" via pre-recorded (low value) content to minimize costs
As someone who worked within a large healthcare group/system hired specifically as a C-IAYT to create and teach programs, I witnessed and experienced firsthand how this language lands on the ears of people who lack critical thinking skills - these are the people making the decisions for the healthcare providers, interdisciplinary care team members, and patients plan of care.
The overburden licensed healthcare professionals often have very little control over how these programs are managed/integrated into their healthcare workflow/patients plan of care
As much as many licensed healthcare providers want yoga and mindfulness-based programs and yoga therapists on their team, often times their hands are tied, and they are met with pushback every step of the way from those who hold the purse strings and whose main objective is to keep costs at a minimum
By encouraging Licensed Healthcare Providers to take these trainings, you're also contributing to them being continually overtaxed overburdened overstretched and being asked to do more than their time allows during each patient encounter
⁃ Melissa Adylia Calasanz C-IAYT
The following are some of my comments/concerns . these were added to different FB threads REGARDING COMMUNICATION between IAYT and it’s members
the topic of non-transparency by the IAYT regarding the rolling out of these new programs and pathways… the “voice” of their communication when “connecting” with IAYT members; as well as how they request feedback (after the fact that it appears these things have already been green-lit) yet feedback is limited to 2000 characters – keep in mind, 2000 characters is about 350 words.
over a year ago I had a feeling that there has been an "on boarding" of sorts - of healthcare-administration-type training/thinking put in "power" at IAYT to "improve performance" and "visibility" of International Association of Yoga Therapists.
communication as of late feels more corporate mindset versus leading in response to membership interests/goals
The types of communication, the types of zoom informational one- sided presentations are indicative of that type of corporate mindset/healthcare admin "work voice"
I believe it is important to have C-IAYTs in the room at the table with a voice who, like myself, have been in rooms (within healthcare/clinical settings) when discussions between labor workforce, labor management, middle management, HR and associated stakeholders have taken place
At times I have listened to the concerns of all sides at the table in a large healthcare group - I have at times had to push as well as surrender within these discussions.
I have been a voice and advocate at a table with surgeons, pain management teams, healthcare admins, Hospital directors, Physical Therapists, Oncologists, and much more...
It was challenging yet incredibly informative and most of all rewarding when things worked in favor of the patients and healthcare team members
it was not easy - bargaining is a skill - i am still a novice
recent IAYT member-facing communication has felt very middle management heavy; It feels very healthcare administrator agenda.
I respect each person's training and the lens in which they view how things should be done, however, I absolutely agree with Amy that it is important that a membership reflects the members first and foremost...
I absolutely agree that there needs to be more transparency, clearer lines of respectful communication on the part of IAYT; the opportunity for each member to voice their opinion respectfully without "character" or "word" restrictions in response boxes, and first and foremost to practice what they preach about inclusivity and accessibility
for example: the language used in the most recent style of communication, newsletters, and calls to action within the last year and a half, appear to have been composed by someone who has NOT worked in public/community education...
whether it be healthcare, adult education, higher education, or otherwise - all community facing material should be composed in a way that is easy to comprehend whether someone is a native English speaker or not. All community-facing materials should take into consideration the neurodivergent mind; community facing material should be composed in a way the reader can easily comprehend and convey the read information to a friend, family member, colleague after the first read.
That is, if the objective of the one writing it is to truly inform/educate vs just being able to say "we sent out a newsletter to the membership stating all our points..."
it's reminiscent of "terms and conditions" tactics where things are deliberately hidden in jumbled word salads that are overlooked in a click when signing up for a streaming service [I’m sure some have heard about that Disney wrongful death lawsuit... ]
Understanding that the IAYT membership demographics are diverse - a rule of thumb is to Edit content, as if through the lens of explaining information to a fifth-grade comprehension level audience.
I am not suggesting that we (IAYT members) are lacking in comprehension skills - I'm suggesting that all information should be presented in a way that one could quickly scan and understand fully in that first glance what an article or email is going to contain so people who are working/time-deficient/ have other pressing concerns/obligations (saving lives; caring for friends, family, colleagues; charting patient/client encounters) can bookmark something and get back to it easily when time permits.
The small space [feedback box] is once again, reminiscent of middle management tactics to ensure that one does not have the opportunity to give full voice to their concerns - often a deliberate tactic that is known to also discourage people for even bothering due to inconvenience. It really makes me think again of who is now at the helm ... perhaps people who have been trained within management culture, third-party payment culture, and others that are responsible for creating the unfortunate disconnect that we now see within the healthcare sector😕
[the comment I finally submitted] was just barely under 500 words and I didn’t even touch half of the concerns I personally/professionally experienced and witnessed, as well as the experiences we faced, as I supported various physicians, clinicians, and other allied healthcare team member with whom I was working with in the large healthcare group - these people had been working for YEARS to advocate for what they finally got the green light to hire me for - I then helped write proposals and create more patient-facing therapeutic yoga programs as well as two mindfulness based integrative movement programs that were to be used to support clinical staff as well as management teams - all were green-lit two weeks before shut down!!!
It took two years of my research, writing, and personal off-the clock energy to learn how to get these things done - we had so much support... until the pandemic wore on and there was a mass exodus in several of the departments I collaborated with.
I am so glad I had the opportunity to get an inside look on how things are done in large healthcare groups that are beholden to third-party payment; the timeline/quarters when things can be proposed and how/when they move forward; the barriers; the language required, and the communication expected in each sector. it is wonderful that I was the fly on the wall as well as an engaged player in the process. I have been a sounding board for so many from so many different parts of the process.
It's important that people have perspective of all the burdens, concerns, responsibilities, and budget and workflows. They are all completely unique at every step and every part of the process and every department. I don't know if this makes sense cause I'm voice texting. I don't have the bandwidth to keep texting on the small screen hopefully this makes sense. I prefer talking over typing especially on my day off and it's 100° in my house right now and I'm melting.
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Melissa Adylia Calasanz is a multi-hyphenate compassionate, curious, creative human. She is a SAG/AFTRA Dancer/Actor/VO Artist, as well as a Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net nominated poet. Melissa returned to the stage, screen, and Voiceover booth in 2022 after a decades-long career detour, which took her on many exciting wilderness and professional adventures. She is a lover of cats, plants, dance, poetry and people - all of which, she believes, have the ability to add value to the world beyond any one person's personal or professional identity
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Audio of the above post . PLUS thoughts on essentials to consider when designing Yoga Therapy-informed Pilot Programs for Clinical Settings
Thanks again for reading and for listening! - Melissa Adylia Calasanz
A REMINDER: by scrolling, reading, listening, and visiting this post, and anything associated with this substack account, you have agreed to not share, screenshot, plagiarize, record, and/or use any of its content. - Melissa Adylia Calasanz
When in Doubt - Refer Out . Give credit where credit is due. - Melissa Adylia Calasanz