History of Continuing Education in the Massage Therapy Profession

Continuing Education has been an ongoing topic of discussion for the massage therapy profession. Over the many years, it has become a battleground for control over who sets the requirements and monitors CE Providers. There is a growing trend toward continuing competence which is different than just allowing any old CE class. This in-depth history shows that struggles, challenges and hopefully will lead to solutions.

1990’s – The National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork (NCB) has conducted a CE provider approval process since the 1990’s that has been utilized by a majority of state massage boards that require CE for license renewal.

“NCB got into the CE approval “business” in the early 1990’s to strengthen its voluntary certification program when it sought accreditation from the National Commission for Certifying Agencies. NCCA’s Standards of Accreditation for certification programs onlymandate that they require practitioners to periodically recertify – and that recertification requirements “measure or enhance the continued competence of certificants.” Rick Rosen’s CE Proposal Paper (PDF)

2009 – NCB began developing and promoting a new credential called “National Certification for Advanced Practice”. This program was withdrawn in March 2012 because of lack of support from stakeholders, and because there was no reliable basis for calling apractitioner “advanced” in a field that still has such inconsistent entry-level standards.

ADVANCED CERTIFICATION EXAM (PDF on archive.org. ON COURSE TO CREATE PROFESSION’S FIRST CAREER PATHWAY OAKBROOK TERRACE, Illinois (October 8, 2010) – The National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork (NCBTMB) announced today that development of the National Certification for Advanced Practice (NCAP) exam continues to progress. The credential will be the first to enable accomplished practitioners to differentiate themselves in the massage marketplace. It will also make it possible for employers and members of the conventional and integrative healthcare arenas to hire practitioners based on acertified, advanced level of experience and expertise.

Jan 2011 – NCBTMB ANNOUNCES PLAN (PDF on archive.org) TO TRANSFORM APPROVED PROVIDER/CONTINUING EDUCATION PROGRAM OAKBROOK TERRACE, Illinois (January 25, 2011) – Continuing education (CE) is a vital part of the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork (NCBTMB) certification programs. Their Approved Provider (AP) program has 1700 APswho provide continuing education to the profession. Over the past decade, adherence to national standards for CE has helped NCBTMB’s AP/CE program become a standard in the industry – recognized by many state massage therapy boards, schools and other stakeholders across the country. As the massage and bodywork profession continues to mature and evolve, it is important CE evolves too. That is why NCBTMB plans to review, reassess and restructure theirApproved Provider/Continuing Education Program in 2011.

2011 – FSMTB to Establish New Continuing Education Approval Program (Overland Park, KS, March 29, 2011) The Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB) announces the launch of a project to develop a new national program for the approvalof both continuing education courses and providers. Once it is established, the program will provide state regulatory agencies with a centralized quality assurance process for all courses taken by massage and bodywork therapists for the renewal of State licensure or State certification. Press release archive.org

May 2011 – a group of industry leaders—peer organizations, approved providers, certificants, school managers, and regulatory professionals met to discuss the state of continuing education, and provide input on areas of needed improvement on behalf of our therapists, instructors and profession.

March 2012 – Maintenance of Continued Competency (PDF, archive.org) introduced by FSMTB“1) Maintenance of Core Competence – the aspect of continued competence that maintains the entry level of competence to practice safely and knowledgably over time.2) Professional Development – Activities including continuing education that raise the level of professionalism for the massage & bodywork practitioner. An example of these activities may be maintaining membership or participation in a professional organization.”

April 2012 AMTA’s response to FSMTB’s MOCC Program archive.org

Other responses:

Laura Allen’s Blog: https://lauraallenmt.com/blog/2012/03/05/fsmtb-unveils-plan-for-continuing-education/

“ In essence, FSMTB (through its task force) has said, “continuing education is not our thing; we need to ensure continued competence.” I have for a long, long time argued with chapters, organizations, and individuals that we need to stop using state regulation of our profession as a means for professional development. We can’t and shouldn’t legislate professional development; we can and should legislate competence. More isn’t always better—using state regulations to impart some expectation of “what a professional should be” is misguided.” ABMP

Rick Rosen: ” As the MOCC proposal failed to launch, the leadership of FSMTB quietly went back to the drawing board to reexamine the program. The organization released a revised position statement in the Fall of 2012, entitled, Standardized Licensure Renewal Recommendation for Continuing Professional Competence. 8 It’s basically a softened version of the MOCC, which still contains the division between EPP and PDA’s.” https://www.bti.edu/pdfs/Rosen_National-CE-Registry-Proposal_FEB2013.pdf

2012 – FSMTB releases Standardized Licensure Renewal (archive.org) Recommendation for Continuing Professional Competence

“Licensed massage and bodywork therapists will be required to complete six hours of license renewal requirements annually. At least three of the six hours must meet the State-sponsored Ethics and Professional Practice course requirements that specifically address content pertaining to public safety. The remaining three hours could be exchanged for certain Professional Development Activities, including but not limited to meeting accredited certification standards, community service, and research.

Task Force Recommendations. The Task Force recommended that the focus of licensure renewal requirements shift from requiring continuing education hours to maintaining core competencies. The best way to ensure public protection is to address competencies for safe and professional practice and areas identified as requiring regulatory intervention and guidance.The Task Force also recommended that continuing education and professional development continue to be the focus of activities offered by professional educators, volunteer membership and voluntary certification organizations. The role of the FSMTB would remain focused on the public safety issues that concern regulatory agencies and not on professional development or advanced education.The Task Force recommendations were presented to the FSMTB board of directors. The information was then disseminated for public comment. Feedback was specifically sought from the state regulatory boards and agencies, public advocacy groups, therapists, educators and professionalmembership associations.”

November 2012 – NCB announced sweeping changes (archive.org) to its CE approval program, which have been the subject of wide-scale objection from the CE community. “Working closely with these leaders for over a year, NCB is pleased to announce our new Board Approved Continuing Education Provider Program, designed to meet our profession’s needs for assured value in CE. “

At the same time NCB announced the withdrawal of its NCAP program, it introduced the new “Board Certification” credential, which is based on a 750-hour educational requirement and a new postgraduate certification exam. This is intended to replace the entry-level National Certification credential as that long-standing program is phased out over the next four years.

January 31, 2013 Call for Participants (PDF archive.org): The Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards invites you to consider participating in one of the following committees associated with the Licensure Renewal Program.Ethics and Professional Practice CommitteeThis Committee will be responsible for developing the State-sponsored “Ethics and Professional Practice” continuing education component for the FSMTB.Professional Development Activity CommitteeThe PDA Committee will be responsible for developing and reviewing applications in the Professional Development Activity registration and tracking system . Information Technology Review Committee Experts in IT are needed to review the various technological requirements of projects associated with the License Renewal Program and provide recommended IT solutions for those identified needs

2013 – FSMTB recently established a Licensure Renewal Committee, which is moving forward in early 2013 with the development of a new CE approval program and EPP courses. Of course, it will be up to each state massage board to choose whether or not to adopt these new standards.

January 1, 2013 – NCB renames its approved provider program and it is now called the Board Approved Continuing Education Provider Program, with its existing Approved CE Provider Program to be terminated by the end of 2013 . (See archive.org)
“NCBTMB has developed the new Board Approved Continuing Education Provider program to raise the standards and advance the quality of continuing education. To reach this goal, NCBTMB staff and dedicated volunteers will review both the courses that are being taught and the instructors teaching them. NCBTMB’s Board Approved Continuing Education Provider Program is designed to help certificants make quality continuing education decisions throughout their careers. Our program reviews individual instructors and their courses which are vetted by a committee of industry peers. By obtaining continuing education from a Board Approved Continuing Education Provider, a practitioner demonstrates a personal and public commitment to further developing competence in the profession.”

2013 – White paper by Rick Rosen (PDF) on Continuing Education in the Massage Therapy Field Proposal for an alternative to state and national regulation (PDF)

2014 – Model Administrative Rules for State Massage Regulatory Boards Continuing Education Requirements for Renewal of Licensure Developed by Rick Rosen, MA, LMBT archive.org (PDF)

Nov 15, 2016 – AMTA announces funding for the NCBTMB.

2017 – Model Administrative Rules (PDF archive.org) for State Massage Regulatory Boards Continuing Education Requirements for Renewal of Licensure Developed by Rick Rosen, MA, LMBT Founding Chairman, North Carolina Board of Massage & Bodywork Therapy Co-founder and Past Executive Director, Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards Co-founder and Past Executive Director, Alliance for Massage Therapy Education

2020 – FSMTB’s CE Standards and Registry Guide book. (PDF)
“The public has a right to expect competence throughout massage and bodywork therapists’ careers. Regulating professionaleducation is a necessary part of ensuring professionalism and protecting the public, and regulators normally require licensees to complete a certain amount of education each licensing period to meet minimum standards. Continuing Education enables massage and bodywork professionals to keep their knowledge and skills up-to-date, with the ultimate goal of improving performance and client outcomes. For emerging and seasoned professionals alike, competence and the maintenance of competence of therapists are vitally important to public safety. At entry into the profession, the level of competence is established through verification of education and entry-level assessment via the Massage & Bodywork Licensing Examination (MBLEx).To determine competence over time without periodic reassessment leaves doubt as to the ongoing effectiveness of the licensed professional. Assurance of continuing competence is the shared responsibility of the regulatory community, professional associations, employers, educators and the massage and bodywork professionals who are individually responsible for maintaining their continuingcompetence.”

NCBTMB Approved Provider Program

FSMTB CE Registry Guidebook

Purpose: Establishes high standards for continuing education providers.

Fees:

Individual: $225

Organization: $450

Course: $35 per course

Conference: $50-$200

Other fees: $30-$50

Instructor Requirements:

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience

Professional and teaching experience

Course Requirements:

Course taught at least once in the last year

Evaluation forms from participants

Approval and Renewal:

Approved for three years

Renewal includes updating instructor names, confirming course offerings, and paying fees

Course Formats:

Live, distance learning, webinars, home study

Acceptable Content:

Advanced massage techniques, applied sciences, professional communications, laws, and ethics

Unacceptable Content:

Core curriculum, invasive procedures, non-massage related content

Certificates and Transcripts:

Must display specific details like course title, completion date, and CE hours

FSMTB CE Standards and Registry Guidebook

Purpose: Sets standards for CE providers and maintains a registry.

Fees:

Vary depending on provider type and course offerings

Provider Criteria:

Must meet educational and professional standards set by FSMTB

Course Approval:

Detailed course description and objectives required

Registry Maintenance:

Providers must keep their information up to date

Educational Standards:

Must adhere to FSMTB guidelines for content and instructor qualifications

Compliance and Quality Assurance:

Regular audits and reviews to ensure adherence to standards

Certificates:

Similar requirements for displaying participant details and course information

FSMTB REACH Courses Overview

REACH (Regulatory Education and Competence Hub) is an online education platform developed by the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB). It aims to provide massage therapists with continuing education courses that support professional competence, align with state requirements, and facilitate ongoing professional development.

Key Features of REACH:

Accessibility:

REACH courses are available online and can be accessed via mobile devices, tablets, or computers using any standard internet browser. There is no need for special applications or software.

Course Content:

The courses offered through REACH focus on regulatory education, including topics such as ethics, laws, boundaries, scope of practice, and cultural competence. These courses are designed and reviewed with input from instructional design experts and FSMTB Subject Matter Experts (SME).

Compliance:

All REACH courses meet FSMTB Continuing Education Standards. These standards are created by expert representatives from regulatory boards to ensure that the courses maintain high quality and relevance to professional practice.

Integration with Licensing Database:

Upon completion of a course, the information is automatically recorded in the Massage Therapy Licensing Database (MTLD). This allows state licensing boards to instantly access course completion records, facilitating seamless compliance with state continuing education requirements.

State Acceptance:

REACH courses are accepted by various state regulatory boards for license renewal. Therapists can confirm whether their state accepts these courses by checking the state board’s website or contacting the board directly.

Ease of Use:

The platform is user-friendly, allowing practitioners to register for courses easily and track their progress. It supports the professional development of massage therapists by offering courses that can be taken at any time, fitting into their schedules flexibly.

Benefits for Massage Therapists:

Convenience: Offers the flexibility to complete continuing education courses online at any time.

Professional Development: Enhances knowledge in critical areas such as ethics, legal requirements, and professional boundaries.

Compliance: Ensures that therapists meet state continuing education requirements efficiently, with seamless integration into the licensing database.

Quality Assurance: All courses adhere to high standards set by the FSMTB, ensuring that the education provided is reliable and credible.

For more detailed information, you can visit the FSMTB REACH page

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