Founder's Circle: Veterans Massage
Let’s make it better for veterans together!
Vision:
To create a training program educating massage therapists in providing therapeutic professional massage customized for the needs of veterans living with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injury (TBI), and chronic pain.
Who am I?
My name is Raven Travillian (WA massage license MA00005665), and I provide therapeutic massage for pain and stress relief to veterans living with the aftermath of combat and injuries. But one-on-one, I can only reach so many people.
I want to magnify my efforts by teaching other massage therapists what they need to know to work safely, respectfully, effectively, and knowledgeably with returning veterans who are living with the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injury (TBI), and chronic pain. That's why I started this college, and am putting it on the path to becoming an accredited mainstream institution of higher education.
I'm looking for partners who share my commitment to making things better for returning veterans living with the aftereffects of what they experienced during their service.
So that you can see me in teaching action, here are some selected videos I did last year at the time of the Ebola scare in the US, from a series about Microbiology for Massage Therapists:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGTnEdN2Rso
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUjBGwTtHLU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDEGiCHd2_4
Our goal:
I’m looking for $50,000 seed money to start a master’s degree education program in Advanced-Practice Professional Massage Therapy for Vulnerable and Underserved Populations.
I hope you’re one of the angels who will help this mission with your financial support.
How your financial support can make this happen:
Sponsorship or membership at any level earns you the benefits from all lower levels as well.
If we exceed our goal, each sponsor will be considered on an individual basis.
Early Bird Bonus:
Act now and sweeten the deal--donate at the Cornerstone level or above by 15 June 2015 and bring 1 guest for free to the Veterans Appreciation Dinner that you'll be recognized at.
This is what the $50,000 will be used for:
1. $35,000: personal salary, to deliver to you and the public by 31 July 2015:
* The business case for advanced-practice professional massage therapy as a master’s degree.
This includes a needs assessment, as well as the professional and regulatory justification for the master's degree as the appropriate level of education for this work.
* A proposal for Washington state licensing and recognition of APMTs as healthcare service providers, for purposes of referral and reimbursement.
This is important, because the problem is so big and so urgent that it cannot be addressed effectively on an individual level. We need to develop and deliver systemic reform, to better serve the population of veterans who are living with chronic conditions.
* Recruitment of multidisciplinary professional supervisory board, to oversee and ensure accountability of the program to stakeholders.
* School catalog for instruction beginning in September 2016.
* Policies on tuition/fees, refunds, grades, disciplinary procedures, and complaints.
* Information on the master’s program (eligibility, application process, hours, courses, testing, residency, program cost), and affiliated certificate programs, courses for non-degree students, and continuing education.
* Syllabus for each course taught.
* Sample graduate transcript.
* Plan to earn accreditation from an agency recognized by the US Department of Education.
* Disclosures to students and prospective students.
2. $10,000: equipment for conducting supervised service outreach clinics for veterans: massage tables, chairs, linens, and other equipment.
3. $5,000: reservations, transportation, and facilities rental for service outreach clinics, publicity.
The purpose of these line items is four-fold:
A. To begin delivering service outreach clinics to veteran clients, so that they don't have to wait for the full-fledged program in order to begin receiving customized professional massage therapy.
B. To magnify my efforts--I am currently doing this myself, one-on-one, and conducting clinics where I supervise students will reach more veterans than I can all alone.
C. To limit risk and exposure. I am proposing a business venture here, and I am going to do everything humanly possible to ensure success for the venture. However, the reality in the US is that most small businesses fail.
If our venture together fails, then at least we provided individual service along the way, and so we mitigated the effects of the failure.
D. To provide another income stream for the educational program--specifically, tuition from the clinic students, who are required to have continuing education as a condition of their yearly license renewal.
The scientific and medical research literature on massage and veterans:
If you're interested in reading more about the specific benefits that trained massage therapists can offer to veterans, here is a selected bibliography from the current research literature.
Collinge W, Kahn J, Soltysik R. Promoting reintegration of National Guard veterans and their partners using a self-directed program of integrative therapies: a pilot study. Mil Med. 2012 Dec;177(12):1477-85.
Denneson LM, Corson K, Dobscha SK. Complementary and alternative medicine use among veterans with chronic noncancer pain. J Rehabil Res Dev. 2011;48(9):1119-28.
Fletcher CE, Mitchinson AR, Trumble EL, Hinshaw DB, Dusek JA. Perceptions of providers and administrators in the Veterans Health Administration regarding complementary and alternative medicine. Med Care. 2014 Dec;52(12 Suppl 5):S91-6. doi: 10.1097/MLR.0000000000000225.
Hemphill L, Kemp J. Implementing a therapeutic massage program in a tertiary and ambulatory care VA setting: the healing power of touch. Nurs Clin North Am. 2000 Jun;35(2):489-97.
Kozak L, Vig E, Simons C, Eugenio E, Collinge W, Chapko M. A feasibility study of caregiver-provided massage as supportive care for Veterans with cancer. J Support Oncol. 2013 Sep;11(3):133-43.
McEachrane-Gross FP, Liebschutz JM, Berlowitz D. Use of selected complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) treatments in veterans with cancer or chronic pain: a cross-sectional survey. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2006 Oct 6;6:34.
Mitchinson A, Fletcher CE, Kim HM, Montagnini M, Hinshaw DB. Integrating massage therapy within the palliative care of veterans with advanced illnesses: an outcome study. Am J Hosp Palliat Care. 2014 Feb;31(1):6-12. doi: 10.1177/1049909113476568.
Price CJ, McBride B, Hyerle L, Kivlahan DR. Mindful awareness in body-oriented therapy for female veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder taking prescription analgesics for chronic pain: a feasibility study. Altern Ther Health Med. 2007 Nov-Dec;13(6):32-40.
Reinhard MJ, Nassif TH, Bloeser K, Dursa EK, Barth SK, Benetato B, Schneiderman A. CAM utilization among OEF/OIF veterans: findings from the National Health Study for a New Generation of US Veterans. Med Care. 2014 Dec;52(12 Suppl 5):S45-9. doi: 10.1097/MLR.0000000000000229.
Thompson JM, Chiasson R, Loisel P, Besemann LC, Pranger T. A sailor's pain: Veterans' musculoskeletal disorders, chronic pain, and disability. Can Fam Physician. 2009 Nov;55(11):1085-8.
