IDEAS Committee Update: IDEAS Committee Addresses Strategic Initiatives

Work of the newly formed Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Advocacy Strategies Committee (IDEAS) has made steady progress during the first half of 2022. Headed by co-chairs Cathy Ortega, EdD, PT, ATC, OCS and Carla R. Gilson, MA, ATC, LAT, CES, IDEAS currently is comprised of eight volunteers.

The committee has started work on its outlined strategic initiatives. The group is collaborating with BOC staff to assess documents such as the “BOC Facility Principles” for any needed changes or additions of IDEAS-reflective language. In addition, IDEAS is collaborating with the Standards Committee to identify any possible changes to the “BOC Standards of Professional Practice” as they relate to the role of Athletic Trainers (ATs) in practice. In addition, the committee, in collaboration with diversity, equity, inclusion groups within our AT Strategic Alliance partners, has assembled a document containing consistent definitions and terms around IDEAS. The IDEAS Committee’s version of the document will be added to the BOC website in the coming months. IDEAS reflective practices are also being incorporated into administrative practices.

Following completion of the 2020-2021 certification renewal, as well as the reactivation period which closed Feb. 28, 2022, updated demographic data collected within the BOC360 portal for ATs was examined. The IDEAS Committee analyzed this expanded scope of data to assess demographics related to ethnicity and gender information, disability status and other background details. This new data is enabling the BOC to assess issues around diversity within the athletic training profession, related to everything from exam administration to certification renewal. In addition, a Competence Assessment Module, “Cultural Competency,” has been made available to ATs as an optional continuing education opportunity.

This article was originally published in the 2022 summer “Cert Update” newsletter.