To: NADA Registered Trainer
From: Katurah Bryant and the Training Committee
Date: Aug 15th 2022
Re: Processing of Paper ADS Application
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Dear RTs,
All organizations have a history: favorable and unfavorable. We are all clear about NADA’s positive impact and our roots in social change. NADA also has had a history in the past of citations due to incomplete financial records and documentation. This is evidenced in the Schumer document dating back to the early days of NADA. This history dates back to the inception of auricular acupuncture coming to the Bronx. NADA was born out of the desire to “professionalize†the work that was being done as the idea of community healing began to expand. Indeed, a positive impact.
As a result of incomplete financial records and documentation of our records, we are once again, on the brink of dissolution as a non-profit organization. This was documented by the NADA Treasurer during this year’s conference, at the RT and Member’s meeting.
Historically, the office staff was entrusted with making sure the ADS certificates and ID numbers were done in a timely manner and also ensuring that the documentation was complete. The office is part of our quality assurance team. The office and the Registered Trainers ensure that the integrity of the process is being upheld.
As the Training Committee makes the final assessment of records we’ve identified a number of challenges, primarily regarding the completion of applications. What we have found is there is a high percentage of incomplete applications. Per NADA’s Legal counsel, due to the financial/IRS situation, our organization finds itself in, this is of major concern.
Just a gentle reminder as Registered Trainers and as outlined in the Registered Trainer’s Resource manual 2019:
You are signing these applications attesting to the competency of the trainee to carry out the purpose of this organization.
It is the RT’s responsibility to maintain records of the training until ALL certificates are awarded;
-or the Trainee chooses to not complete the training,
-or the time limit for completion has expired.
This is a minimal PROFESSIONAL expectation.
-Please also ensure that demographics are legible on the application.
(in the event of an audit or if another follow-up is necessary)
-Membership status is known
i.e. Associate or Student/Senior
(for financial reconciliation. Please make sure you submit documentation of the student/senior status)
-Their purpose for taking the training
(to make sure they were within the scope of practice of an ADS)
-Any legal or other restrictions.
If the person is not licensed or certified at the time it should be checked as “no†to acknowledge they have read the question and answered truthfully (to make sure as trainers we are not legally jeopardizing the status of a trainee by placing trainees in inappropriate settings).
Empathy: We hear and understand your frustrations.
Please also understand the position of the Training Committee and most importantly, NADA. NADA is the organization we all love. We continue to be in “transition†from paper documentation to an electronic record system. We are sure most of you in your places of business have undergone this process. We know, from personal experience, that this is a process that can take up to a year or more for full transition resulting in a — “go live†date. There is time that is also needed to work out the “kinksâ€.
These issues are not unique to any individual Trainer, they are systemic issues. It is one we can repair now as well as when the system goes electronic. It WILL require a bit more patience. Per NADA’s legal counsel, these applications are LEGAL documents. Therefore, we must make sure that the applications are complete and correct. If they are not, we will make every effort to notify the RT to correct the situation.
Here are suggestions to address this backlog of approving applications.
RTs: Review ALL outstanding ADS training applications since the beginning of 2020. Please check that the entire application is complete. The checklist of items that must be completed on the application, is the application itself.
(see items in the “Gentle Reminder†section above)
The bottom of the form contains an area where the RT signs the affidavit stating the Trainee has satisfied all competencies:
Print the RT’s name/print the email address
DO NOT SIGN OR DATE unless the trainee has completed the competencies
Submit with the signed and dated Ethics Pledge
Checking for the completion of the application is the RT’s responsibility.
Plan: Part 1
RT reviews all outstanding training packages, from 2020, which they have submitted for review.
The RT will need to RE-SUBMIT the RT Training Cover sheet/roster and application packages to the NADA office and note on the Cover sheet and application:
“Re-submitted Copy-Complete†along with the date of re-submission. On your submitted rosters, please check those names that have completed and received assigned ADS numbers.
Plan: Part 2
The volunteer Training Committee invites RTs to volunteer in the assessment process. The interested RTs will submit to the NADA office their desire to volunteer. This will then be forwarded to the Training Chair. Our training team will be working and if there is additional support needed in this effort, we will access those on our RT volunteer list. The volunteer will receive a portion of the unprocessed applications to assess. The volunteer will follow up with the RT to make the corrections to the applications. Once the files are assessed, the volunteer will produce a spreadsheet and send it to the Training Chair and committee noting the status of the applications and follow-up.
Please remember we need to have all original documents, with signatures, mailed into the NADA office.
Completed applications will be issued a Certificate of Completion and a NADA ID number. The volunteer will follow up with the RT to complete the process for those applications that are incomplete.
We appreciate your patience and help as we work diligently and expeditiously to resolve the enormous challenge of incomplete applications.