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Assembly of Delegates Report
AMTA-KY Chapter
The AMTA Assembly of Delegates met in person in Phoenix, Arizona on August 23,
2023.
The chapter delegate position is an elected position. Chapters have the opportunity to send one or two professional members elected by the chapter membership to provide their state’s voice on a national platform.
There were topics of discussion brought to an open microphone and limited discussion occurred on the topics during the meeting. For your frame of reference - discussion topics and position statements are formulated at the chapter or membership level and submitted in a strict timeframe to National where a committee reviews the topic along with Chapter Legal at the National level. Some discussion topics make it to the final meeting for further discussion by the AOD. Not all discussion topics get to the AOD.
For those of you who do not know us: I am Kim Alexander, former chapter secretary and
delegate to the convention for this year from the Kentucky chapter. Shawanna Turner is sharing this responsibility with me.
Since the election in March, National has been hosting open houses for discussion of topics relevant to the state chapters. The open houses are designed to allow the delegates to have interaction prior to the conference. We have participated in discussion with delegates from across the country via Zoom and also by email. There was a proposed position statement and a discussion topic on the table that have made it through the pipeline (after chapter submission to national and review).
The first is a position statement supporting the efficacy of massage for cancer patients. This statement will, if passed through the AOD, go to the National Board of Directors. From there, the Board would determine if a research group would be created to assess current research in the profession related to cancer and oncology massage.
I am proud to say I was a part of passing the first position statement on the topic of massage therapy and cancer after much email and in person discussion.
The second item (discussion topic) concerns decriminalizing sex trafficking and its potential impact on different aspects of massage therapy.
The Discussion Topic question is as follows:
How might the Decriminalization of Sex Workers and the Sex Workers Industry impact
the Massage Therapy Profession/Statutes/Licensure?
If you have comments or information you would like to share regarding these items,
please send them to us at delegate@amtaky.org for our reference.
Thank you for the opportunity to serve the chapter and you as members.
Kimberly Alexander, Delegate
Shawanna Turner, Delegate
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