One of the key elements of the TRTIA's mission statement is to collect and preserve experiential data concerning the uses of The Radiance Technique®, Authentic Reiki®. A major project with Baytree Lakeside Assisted Living facility began in August 2002, continues through October 2002, and is being completed by a team comprised of members of the Board of TRTIA. A model for other projects, this one began with the generosity of a donor, Barbara Lee Black, who made a contribution to TRTIA for use in developing and implementing projects such as this and other kinds of public outreach.
Authorized Instructors Katherine Lenel and Marvelle Lightfields, co-chairpersons of the Board of Directors, were assisted by Board Members and Authorized Instructors Ann Healy and Fred Wright. They taught a seminar for The First Degree of The Radiance Technique® -- TRT® and Stress Management -- to approximately 70% of the staff of Baytree Lakeside Assisted Living Facility located in St. Petersburg, Fla. Staff members were taught The First Degree of TRT® and were assisted in using the StressMap®, a training guide for identifying and building awareness of stress and developing techniques for changing stress producing behaviors. The project includes interacting in follow-up sessions and completing surveys showing observations and experiences while using TRT®.
The project was coordinated with Nurse administrator, Tami Elder, who commented that she has seen the staff interacting differently with each other and the more than 77 residents of Baytree since the seminar. Key staff members are involved, including nurses, certified nursing aides, nutritionists, administrators, maintenance and janitorial workers. Residents are all over 70 years of age and are living in private and semi-private rooms, on a beautiful parklike site beside a lake. The Baytree Lakeside project is part of a long tradition of data gathering by TRTIA. Previous projects have included home health aides in Fitchburg, Mass., and hospice volunteers in Canada and Germany.