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crabapple
Site Admin
Joined: 12 Sep 2006
Posts: 870
Location: Southern West Virginia
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 Posted: Tue Feb 27, 2007 11:32 pm Post subject: Learning from the experience of midwives. |
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I moved this conversation from the "What is herbwifery?" forum.
| crabapple wrote: | | I am not against the existence of professional herbalists who are variously licensed / certified, etc. That's fine, as long as they are not the only legal herbalists. Herbwifery (aka community herbalism, village herbalism, etc.) has always been a skill learned through experience and apprenticeship. It has always been wildly diverse, depending on local plants, cultures and needs. It cannot in any way be defined, licensed or quantified. |
| birchwood wrote: | | the same thing is happening with MIDwifery. Oregon seems to have it the best set up so far. Anyone can call themselves a midwife, and their is voluntary licensure for those who want to be able to accept insurance, suture, etc. |
I'd love to hear more about Oregon's model for regulating midwifery. (I think we as herbalists have a lot to learn from midwives' less-than-wonderful experience with regulation in the US.)
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Rebecca Hartman
Crabapple Herbs: http://crabappleherbs.com/
The Herbwife's Kitchen: http://crabappleherbs.com/blog/ |
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birchwood
Joined: 25 Feb 2007
Posts: 12
Location: Northampton MA
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| Posted: Wed Feb 28, 2007 10:13 pm Post subject: |
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I live in MA, where the Mass Midwives Alliance is working toward getting legislature passed to recognize homebirth midwifery so I have done some reading up on what other states have done (for better or for worse). Oregon is, by far, my ideal. Here is a bit from the Board of Direct
Entry Midwifery website
| Quote: | Licensed Direct Entry Midwifery
A licensed direct entry midwife (LDM) supervises the conduct and labor of childbirth, advises the parent as to the progress of childbirth, and renders prenatal, intrapartum and postpartum care as defined in Oregon Revised Statutes (ORS) 687.405.
Licensed direct entry midwives provide care in the home, in birthing centers, clinics, and as teachers at midwifery schools. They are educated through self-study, apprenticeship, a midwifery school or college-based program distinct from the discipline of nursing.
Licensure is voluntary, and unlicensed midwives may practice in Oregon. However, state law allows reimbursement under the Oregon Health Plan only if a licensed midwife provides birthing assistance under ORS 687.420(3). Only LDMs are legally authorized to administer legend drugs and devices listed in Oregon Administrative Rules (OAR) 332-025-0040, including anti-hemorrhagics, oxygen, I.V. drip sets and catheters, and sutures. |
The basics are that anyone can practice midwifery but if you want to be able to do certain things (and be paid by certain groups) you must be licensed. They support a variety of routes of study as long as at the end you can demonstrate core competecy.
I could see this being applicable to herbalists. Anyone could be an herbalist, but their would be voluntary licensure that would be based on certain educational benchmarks. That way there is a potential safeguard in place so that someone cannot just hang their shingle saying "licensed herbalist" but every person has the right to chose whomever they wish to treat them, and no one can own the word "herbalist".
Their is quite a hooplah in the midwifery community (especially in canada) about "the state" controlling the use of the word midwife which has always been a title bestowed by ones community.
Gillian
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crabapple
Site Admin
Joined: 12 Sep 2006
Posts: 870
Location: Southern West Virginia
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| Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2007 6:18 pm Post subject: |
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| birchwood wrote: | | Their is quite a hooplah in the midwifery community (especially in canada) about "the state" controlling the use of the word midwife which has always been a title bestowed by ones community. |
This is indeed a huge issue, and I think we need to think about it in this country before our right to practice as herbalists and use plants for medicine without the approval of the government is threatened.
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Rebecca Hartman
Crabapple Herbs: http://crabappleherbs.com/
The Herbwife's Kitchen: http://crabappleherbs.com/blog/ |
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birchwood
Joined: 25 Feb 2007
Posts: 12
Location: Northampton MA
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| Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2007 7:35 pm Post subject: |
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Wow, can I just say - totally off topic - that I am apparently having a hard time with the there/their difference when typing on this forum. I have never felt this to be an issue for me but now I have read two pieces of mine quoted that have an incorrect there/their.
Very strange...
Gillian
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verbenagirl
Joined: 08 Feb 2007
Posts: 35
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| Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2007 9:33 pm Post subject: |
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| could they really make it illegal to be an herbalist? |
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rosemarygoddess
Joined: 08 Feb 2007
Posts: 61
Location: wisonsin
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| Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 2:30 pm Post subject: |
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Greetings. The types of legislation and processes that are being proposed would not make it illegal to be an herbalist, but would severaly limit who could practice. My impression is that it would leave the "legal" practice of herbalism to those practicing what I call medical herbalism exclusively. Leaving anyone who does not have a "license" in danger of being sued for practicing without a license.
It would leave traditional/folk practitioners in a precarious position. One avenue that is worth pursing on a state level are the Freedom of Health Care inititiatives that exist on a state by state basis. They are attemtping to provide some protection for unlicensed practitioners and licensed practioners who are funttioning outside the scope of their license. These types of initiaitives have been passed in several states including California and Minnesota.
I do have some information on my webiste http://moonwiseherbs.com/legislation.htm which addresses some of these issues-from my perspective. I have been trying to keep up with what is happening and find it daunting at times, but I do believe that it is in herbalists best interest to stay informed.
Blessings
Linda |
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linden
Joined: 08 Feb 2007
Posts: 151
Location: Apple-atcha
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| Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2007 11:29 am Post subject: |
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| rosemarygoddess wrote: | | I do believe that it is in herbalists best interest to stay informed. |
Yes, indeed. If we don't pay attention all sorts of ridiculous things can happen. |
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