Guest Article From: Monica Vernette Gray, Funeral Diva
Tongues wag and fingers point whenever an unlicensed person makes the headlines due to some behavior that is most unbecoming to a licensed funeral service professional. Recently in Chicago, Illinois, Carter Funeral Home made the news when it was discovered that this establishment was without gas for heat and electricity for light. There were also allegations of bodies being poorly cared for.
Whose fault is it that a funeral home was allowed to operate without utilities? Were the utility companies mandated to report the utilities disconnections to the Cook County (Illinois) Public Health Department? Who is to blame when unlicensed individuals grace the news reports … with no licensed person(s) to be found? Who should be placed in “time out” for this incident? Is this an isolated incident or is this type of behavior and conduct happening across the country?
The state licensing boards can enforce the laws that relate to licensed persons, but they cannot be in every arrangement conference to police and ensure compliance. Perhaps some of these laws could be changed through legislation to provide sanctions and deterrents to unlicensed activity. Perhaps there is so much apathy among licensed professionals about this unlicensed activity that the seriousness of the matter is minimized and relegated to miniscule.
In my humble opinion, the best solution to the “unlicensed persons” issue is EDUCATION. Each one of us must do our part to educate our families, friends, neighbors, church members, and the community at large about the benefits and value associated with the services of a licensed funeral service professional. Please make a personal commitment to our industry and profession by doing your part to educate the funeral service consumer to seek out the services of licensed funeral service professionals.
Please encourage people to JUST ASK their funeral service provider for their professional license. The professional license should be prominently displayed in a funeral home. However, arrangement conferences may take place in other areas. Many times our families may not ask us about our licensure because they trust us and may feel they are challenging us if they question us. It may never occur to our families that there Is a possibility that an unlicensed person is sitting across from them representing that they are a licensed funeral professional.
On March 15, 2012, please join me and post the following message to your social media accounts, including, but not limited to: LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook accounts: JUST ASK …Truth fears no investigation. Your local licensed funeral professional has nothing to hide!
Monica Vernette Gray, MBA & LFDE (vernette1@msn.com)
Mentorship Director, Funeral Divas
Monica, great piece! But funeral service must also take responsibility. If we know there are unlicensed people working then it is up to us to speak up. If we don’t we are just as guilty as the funeral home that is using the non-licensed person.
Thank you! Believe it or not, there are so many licensed professionals who empathize with the unlicensed practitioners. Licensed professioals have told that me the unlicensed practitioners have to eat too. It’s not personal … it’s a professional stance to take.
BS is all I can say because they are keeping licensed people from paying jobs and getting “cheap”. You and I both know that to be true. If it were up to me they licensee who hires and an unlicensed person would lose their license.
Most of the crooks in the funeral game are licensed people!
Most? I sincerely hope NOT : ((( … although, unfortunately, there is some truth to your statement. Thank you.
When I was a manager of a prominent real estate firm (8 years of management and 12 years as a licensee with the same corporation) I made it a policy to background every single broker or licensee presenting an offer on our listing inventory. Over the years, I would catch people operating without a proper license. The policy worked, and we would deem what ever contractual offer made to our principles completely and totally invalid. Usually it was an over sight on the part of the offending agent, however that would also make the case against the offender that if their professional affairs were not in order, then there motives should and would be in question. We saved a lot of property owners from grief and potential fraud due to unlicensed activity. Here in California, the State has website that allows consumers to verify licensee status. I wonder, and I will check, if the State has a database for verifying Funeral Director licenses and also for Certified Funeral Arrangers. If not, this would be a great issue to lobby in Sacramento, for consumer protection. Great article Monica!
Licensees can be checked on the Ohio Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors’ website.
A license look-up feature may be available on most state board websites. Unfortunately, the bereaved family is trusting the “professional” across the desk or table from them to be exactly what they claim to be. It’s usually not until something unsettling takes place that public awareness of the unlicensed issue surfaces. Thank you.
Thank you. I take comfort in your commitment to excellence and compliance.