All my cons are centered around the way Airrosti values (or in this case, devalues) the CRS position I was in for a total of 4 years. Airrosti is not nearly as picky as they should be for people they bring on in this role with they're underlying reason being, "our rehab programs are simple, and we have the best teachers in the field that can train anyone with a (BUZZWORD WARNING!!!) passion for helping others to do the job". Both of these statements couldn't be more wrong and here's why: To say you do "simple rehab" is almost the equivalent of saying you can do a simple open heart surgery. There are volumes upon volumes out there on the subject and because it's a relatively new field, there's so much out there left to be discovered. You cannot make anything that's as inherently complicated as human movement science and physiology "simple"....for anyone. And to say so just tells me you don't know what you don't know. With regards to the second statement about having the best teachers that can bring anyone with a passion up to speed, you are straight clowning yourself if you think this is the case. First, the title "Certified Recovery Specialist" is a joke, because all you have to do is make it through a month of paid training and et voila! You are now "certified" by the company that hired you and poured a months worth of capital into that "passionate" chasm between your ears. Now, I already had the certification for which the training program is based (NASM-CES) and can tell you there is way more detail in the real thing and that's still arguably not enough to really be qualified to be able to fill the role. Second problem with second statement (and this sort of ties into issues with 1st) is that YOU ARE ALL CHIROPRACTORS!!! I realize this is a related discipline and there can be a lot of cross-over...and there are a lot of chiros that have a passion for rehab, and some programs even place an emphasis on it, but rehab is NOT your primary discipline. I've even had to take it upon myself to show some of the providers how they can rehab their own injuries much more effectively and I've even had one that wasn't familiar with the concept of a hip hinge. The company only just recently (in the last 2 years) started hiring Physical Therapists, but none of them have been around long enough to have an influence in the rehab curriculum set out by Airrosti. I don't know about you, but I wouldn't want my dentist to be doing or directing what my orthodontist should be doing and vice versa.
All this to say, the CRS's that are qualified, and do great work don't get paid nearly enough. I don't think it's malice on Airrosti's part but by saying anyone can do a job that requires a high degree of skill you devalue the hell out of people with the right skills and push them out of your organization. That's why this position has incredibly high turnover and treatment teams have very little continuity. If you really want to provide the, "best soft tissue care on the planet" maybe don't hire bubbly people that are charming and nice to look at over people with a more than decent understanding.
