Outreach Program

Each of our students is required to complete a 55 Hour Externship providing Community Outreach.

Our students begin the externship after the fifth month of training. Each student's overall development is enhanced through the rewards and challenges of the outreach program. Special arrangements have been made for the students to do therapeutic massage with a wide spectrum of people in the Ann Arbor and surrounding areas.

Externship hours will be performed in specialty areas designed to give a consistent and quality massage experience with special populations. These populations include such areas as the elderly, individuals living with HIV, the homeless, people recovering from physical abuse, and hospice patients. Other events that students may participate in are sporting events, health fairs, corporate wellness days, and community events. Students maintain a log of the of externship hours and the log will be signed by someone at the externship site. They perform either chair massages or table massages and provide their own materials and equipment. Students can work 15 hours at one externship site. The students are not paid for this service though they may accept gratuity.

Professional liability insurance, through the school's insurance policy, covers the student for professional liability up to the time of graduation. The insurance covers work done on school premises as well as outside the school as long as the work is considered part of the student's training.

What are the Outreach Categories?

  • NON-PROFIT - Events hosted by agencies such as Firemen, Police Officers, EMT Workers and other Civil Servants. Domestic Violence/Abuse Centers, Religious Groups and Volunteer Organizations. Employee Appreciation days for people in these fields.
  • MEDICAL - Events which take place in or are sponsored by the medical field. Hospitals, Hospice Centers, Medical Professional Practices, Disabled Individuals and Elderly Communities.
  • SPORTS - Outreach opportunities, which are planned by organized Sports teams, Sporting Charity Events such as Relays, Bike Races, Marathons or Walks.
  • HEALTH AWARENESS - Events, which feature Women’s/Men’s/Children’s Health. Employee Health or Career Fairs, Employee Appreciation Days.
  • EDUCATIONAL - Events who focus on Educational Staffs (Teachers, Professors, Tutors, etc.). ChildCare Workers, Planned Festivals hosted by the Education Community (School Districts, Colleges, Universities, Pre-Schools, Day cares, etc.)
As a host to an event, what should I expect from the students?
  1. As a host, you should expect the students to be prompt and ready to work by the coordinated time.
  2. Students must wear an AAIMT name badge (with picture) to all outreach events.
  3. Students must complete an Outreach log to be signed by the on-site contact person.
  4. Students are expected to be clean and professional in appearance and behavior.
  5. The following are examples of unacceptable attire:
  • Jeans of any kind, long or short, including overalls
  • Spandex clothing, including leggings
  • Mini skirts and/or short shorts
  • Hats including baseball caps
  • Midriff baring or tank tops and any other suggestive attire
  • Sweat pants or warm up suits (with the exception of Sports Events)

If there are any problems with punctuality, absenteeism, dress code issues (see attachment), unbecoming behavior or any other concerns or problems, please contact the Outreach Director ASAP to inform her of the situation. Additionally, the Students will have an Outreach Log form for you to sign showing that they have attended, please feel free to indicate any problems on the back of the form or in writing to the Outreach Director at:

AAIMT
ATTN: Outreach
180 Jackson Plaza, Suite 100
Ann Arbor, MI 48103

As a host to an event, what guidelines must my organization agree to?

  1. We do not discriminate against any individual on the basis of race, gender, age, religion, sexual orientation, ethnic origin, disability, or any other status protected by law and we expect the same of out event Contacts/Hosts.
  2. Our students work best with a structured day please be prepared to have a schedule/sign-up sheet for our students if you are unsure, use 15-30 minute blocks for each client and distribute them among the students.
  3. OUR STUDENTS MUST HAVE BREAKS. Massage is very physical for the therapist and although the students do perform a two hour long massage on one individual at the students clinic, they cannot and should not go more then 2-3 hours without at least a 15-minute break. This break is necessary for the therapist to stretch and prepare for more clients. Ideally, our students would be given at least a 5-minute break after each massage to prepare for the next.
  4. The Contact of the event must be present at event or provide the Outreach Director with the name and contact number of the person who will be present.
  5. The students should not be separated under any circumstances unless it is previously agreed upon prior to the event with the Outreach Director.
  6. Please be sure starting and ending times are met. Our students and the contact for the event must be present at the set start time agreed upon during the approval process and students may not have appointments scheduled at the agreed upon end time. For example, if your event runs until 5:00 p.m. and you have been giving 15-minute appointments, the last possible massage will start at 4:45 p.m.
  7. If you are a contact for our students at any event you helped coordinate, we hope you will be present at the actual event or appoint someone to be present. Our students are self sufficient, however they may need guidance in where to set up and with whom to address concerns.
  8. Most event contacts prepare a schedule for the therapists to follow, which works best if there are many participants. If you are unable to do this, please be sure to at least schedule a break time for the students depending on the length of the event.
  9. If you have requested table massages and the students will be coming in direct contact with the client's skin, they need facilities and a decent time break between massages to wash their hands and prepare for the next massage.
Additional Information
  1. Please send back the Outreach Request Form, completely filled out and signed to the attention of the Academic Coordinator at 734-677-4520.
  2. We will call to confirm that your Outreach has been approved or denied by our Directors. If approved, we will provide a Community Outreach Program Agreement for your to sign and return.
  3. We will call you once the slots allocated for your Outreach is filled, or a week before your program date. Feel free to call to check on the status of your Outreach, as we do not call you every time a student signs up.
  4. We do not assign our students to attend an Outreach. It is completely voluntary on their part as to what Outreaches they wish to attend. Just because an Outreach has been approved does not mean that students are guaranteed to come! Feel free to add a short paragraph on what makes this opportunity one that should appeal to our students, such as the cause it’s going to (Such as Make-A-Wish and March of Dimes) or the people involved (Firefighters, Teachers, etc.)
  5. Finally, we will mail or FAX over a very short survey within a week of your program’s completion date for you to comment on the performance of our students. If a student does not show up at an Outreach please let us know on this form. It counts as an absence and incurs them other penalties.