I Landed a Full-time Job Teaching Tai Chi at VA!

by Robin Betton, an ATCQA-Certified Tai Chi Instructor, Published in February 2023

ATCQA members and certified instructors/practitioners can read the author's tips on how he got this job with VA, from searching for the opennings to standing out in the interview. Sign in your ATCQA account and then click the link for "Study Materials".

With only 1 month into the new year, I'm thrilled to become a full-time career instructor of Tai Chi at VA Northern Arizona Health Care (NAVHCS), which makes me an employee of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

Being an ATCQA certified Tai Chi Instructor (Level 1) was a key factor for me to succeed in VA's hiring process because the ATCQA certification is the benchmark for the VA and their hiring teams/managers to decide what qualifies as a professional Tai Chi Instructor. Without this specific certification, you will very likely not be hired.

Before moving into teaching Tai Chi for the VA, I taught small classes, workshops, and private lessons in person as well as over Skype/Zoom during the Covid 19 Pandemic. I have lived in several major cities in the last decade including Boston, NYC and Seattle and taught either indoors renting space from yoga studios/gyms or taught outdoors in parks.

After I obtained the ATCQA certification, it took me only 3 months from applying for the job at VA teaching Tai Chi to starting the work there.

(Photo courtesy of Robin Betton)

The VA currently has mainly hired general health Tai Chi Teachers for recreational type classes (Recreation Therapy) where patients did not need a referral to attend classes. They are now including permanent career Tai Chi Instructor positions to be a part of the VA's recent integrative medicine approach or "VA Whole Health Initiative". Tai Chi/Qigong, Yoga, Chiropractic/Acupuncture etc. will start to be a part of Primary Care Clinical teams where Tai Chi teachers will receive referrals from the patients Primary Care Provider.

Tai Chi Instructors will enter class notes and clinical data into CPRS (Computerized Patient Record System) where everyone on the team can see the patient's data and see any progress from session to session. Most teachers are allowed to build their own programs and use funding from the VA to Market their program with minimal micromanagement.

My job at NAVHCS is to build a solid Tai Chi program for the main hospital focusing on fall prevention, pain management, offering patients strategies to deal with physical/mental stress. I am also working to build a network of Tai Chi programs for all of the Northern Arizona VA clinics.

Lastly, I will say this is a great opportunity to boost the public image and effect that Tai Chi has in America for generations to come. I believe the VA has the largest integrated healthcare system in America, and for Tai Chi to be included in Primary Care and to be included as a legitimate medical choice for patients is massive. Unfortunately, one of the main issues I think the VA is having is that not enough people are applying with the ATCQA certification and probably many positions are left unfilled.

Best of luck and peace to everyone.

From the editor: ATCQA members and certified instructors/practitioners can read the author's tips on how he got this job with VA, from searching for the opennings to standing out in the interview. Sign in your ATCQA account and then click the link for "Study Materials".