Important news regarding HR 1906! PLEASE READ!
Please see below for a very important message from ATRA’s Public Policy Committee regarding HR 1906…
Chapter Members,
Recreational Therapy is at a critical juncture, and the profession needs your help!
There is legislation that has been introduced in the US House of Representatives called HR 1906: The Access to In-Patient Rehabilitation Therapy Act of 2015. If this legislation passes, it will be a game-changing development for our profession. However, the bill will not pass without the support of individual recreational therapists.
Essentially, the bill will amend the Social Security Act to include recreational therapy in the mix of modalities that constitute intensive rehabilitation.
The effects of the passage of this bill will be very positive for all recreational therapists, but it will not pass without co-sponsors. This is where your help is needed.
Currently, HR1906 has two co-sponsors, Rep. Glen GT Thompson (R-PA) and Rep. GK Butterfield (D-NC). Without many more sponsors, the bill will not pass. Every single recreational therapists (unless you live in Congressman Butterfield’s district) needs to reach out to her or his member of Congress and ask your Representative to co-sponsor HR1906. Here’s how you do it.
Step 1: Read the three documents linked to below. One is a set of talking points that summarize the situation and the bill. The second is ATRA’s position statement about the bill. The third is a template letter that you can customize and send to your Representative.
ATRA_position_statement_HR_1906
Step 2: Find the name of your Representative at www.house.gov, then browse your way to your Representative’s official website. From there, find a link that reads “Email Rep. [Name]” or “Contact Rep. [Name].” You will need your 9-digit zip code, which you can find at www.usps.com
Step 3: Customize the letter template at the top of this email. Please be sure to customize EVERYTHING in the highlighted areas of the template and to include your contact information and title.
Step 4: Copy the contents of your customized letter, then complete the email contact form at your Representative’s website. You can no longer directly email your member of Congress. You’ll have to complete the form on their website that you found in Step 2.
Step 5: Encourage your colleagues, friends, and consumers to support HR1906 by sending messages to their Representatives.
Step 6: Spread the contents of this email to all social media you have access to. #HR1906
To learn even more information, you can view the PowerPoint slides from the opening general session for the 2015 ATRA Annual Conference conducted by Dr. Thom Skalko and Dr. Richard Williams:
https://www.atra-online.com/assets/pdf/policy/federal-public-policy/ATRA_FPP_2015_Annual_92815_pm.pdf
Thanks! We’re all in this together, and your support is desperately needed.
Richard Williams, Ed.D., LRT/CTRS/FDRT
President-Elect, North Carolina Recreational Therapy Association
Co-Chair, ATRA Public Policy Committee
Thomas Skalko, Ph.D., LRT/CTRS/FDRT
Co-Chair, ATRA Public Policy Committee
- JOB POSTING: Tavon Center Program Aide
- Job Posting – Recreation and Athletics Specialist 3 Lakeland Village
