Archive for the 'licensing' Category

New York Massage – Where Are the Therapists?

Published
by
Terry
on March 29, 2010
in New York massage, licensing and massage licensing
. 0 Comments

New York state law stipulates that no matter what massage therapists call themselves – Swedish massage specialist, bodywork practitioner or general massage practitioner – they should all be licensed and must have a registration certificate.  This registration certificate must be renewed every three years if the massage therapist wants to continue practicing in New York.  Some MTs display their license, registration certificate and other licenses obtained in other states in their premises.  If you want to verify the authenticity of a registration certificate you can do so by contacting the Office of the Professions of the New York State Department of Education.

The number of massage therapy licenses issued in New York has remained fairly stable.  In 2004, there were 1,039 issued licenses.  So far, the highest number of NY licenses issued was in 2005 (1,225).  In 2008, that number was slightly lower (1,188).

As for geographical distribution, here are some interesting facts:

1.  There are 62 counties in New York.  Three counties have the highest number of registered licencees:  New York (1,601), followed by Suffolk (1,445) and then Nassau (1,083).
2.  The counties of Kings, Queens, Erie and Monroe follow closely behind with 983, 932, 777 and 698 respectively.
3.  Westchester County has 584 registered licencees.
4.  The counties with the lowest number are:
-  Hamilton (1)
-  Lewis (16)
-  Schoharie (14)
-  Yates (17)

For a massage therapist who is thinking of practicing in New York but desiring a less saturated market, it might be a good idea to review the geographical statistics available at the Department of Education.  Be aware, however, that these statistics may be a little skewed, because the MT’s primary address is the one that’s in the registration files of the Department but may not necessarily be the practice address.  Be aware too that the less saturated markets may mean “no market” for you.  Taking Hamilton County  (Lake Pleasant seat) as an example, it is the least populated county in the state of New York and is also the least populated in all of the eastern half of the United States.  The population density?  Slightly over three people per square mile!  As of 2000, there were about 5,300 inhabitants.

You might have better luck in Schoharie County which has a population of over 31,000 people based on the 2000 census, with a density of 52 people per square mile.

But if there’s a will, there’s a way, they say.  Job opportunities may be limited in smaller counties, but remember that licensed massage therapists can always find work in hospitals, recreational centers or health clubs.  The Basset Hospital of Schoharie County is located in Cobleskill, New York, but there are 12 family hospitals and health care centers that are within a distance of 27 to 50 miles from Schoharie.  Remember:  there may be 14 MTs registered in Schoharie County, but that doesn’t mean all 14 practice there, so there will always be room.  One final encouraging note:  people retire or relocate every year, and massage therapists are no exception!  You could well be the next replacement for the retiring MT in that county.

Massage Licensing Trends: Confusing or What?

Published
by
Terry
on February 22, 2010
in certification, licensing, massage certification and massage licensing
. 0 Comments

Karen Menehen wrote an excellent chronology on the ever-changing licensing regulations for massage therapists from the period 2005 to the present.  Her article appeared on Massage Magazine’s Trends and Opportunities – 2009.  Because of state versus national requirements, the whole licensing issue can confuse new graduates of massage therapy who are planning to obtain licenses immediately.  Given these recent changes, would it be better to wait until the law is actually enforced and implemented and then see how things unfold, or should massage school graduates just go ahead and obtain whatever licenses and permits are presently required by the state they intend to practice in?

In our last two blogs, the California Massage Therapy Council (CAMTC) was celebrating the passage of Senate Bill 731 but were still trying to figure out what schools would qualify and how much to charge for the licence fee.  Note that SB-731 was approved in 2008, but went into effect only in September this year, so this is one example where patience and waiting it out would be the smarter decision.  The only catch to waiting is that if massage therapy graduates are itching to set up their own business, potential income is lost if they don’t obtain that license right away.

In Karen Menehen’s article/chronology, she mentions that in May last year, the state of Florida voted that all new massage therapists must pass the MBLEx for state licensing purposes and that they should drop the NCETMB.  Most massage therapists are probably more familiar with NCETMB because this was one exam that up until April 2005 was used by most states  (in addition to their state-administered exam).  NCETMB stands for the National Certification Examination for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork.

In May 2005, however, representatives from seven states and from the Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals (ABMP)  met and decided that the aim should be to introduce a unified licensing body for the sake of uniformity.  From that meeting, the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB) was born.  Two years later, the FSMTB announced the MBLEx requirement.  Oregon and Arkansas Boards of Massage Therapy decided to use only the MBLEx, dropping NCETMB as a requirement; the Louisiana Board of Massage Therapy voted that it would also use the MBLEx but as an alternative to the NCETMB but did not drop NCETMB altogether.

In May 2008, Florida voted to adopt the MBLEx and consequently dropped the NCETMB requirement.  This was challenged by officials who were behind the NCETMB and they went as far as asking Pennsylvania to vote no to the MBLEx but their efforts failed.  North Carolina hopped into MBLEx bandwagon as well.

Early this year – January to be exact – the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) said it would use the MBLEx over any other state licensing exam.  Also at about this time, a compromise was reached between the Florida Department of Health, the Florida Board of Massage Therapy and the NCBTMB:  both the MBLEx and the NCETMB would be used for state licensing.  This has not stopped the NCETMB however from doing all possible grunt work to maintain the NCETMB requirement for state licensing.  According to Kathy Menehen, so far 29 states have joined the FSMTB (the creator of the MBLEx), and 18 of them have adopted the MBLEx along with the NCETMB; two states have opted for the MBLEx exclusively. As for the other states and the District of Columbia, she said they offer either a license, certificate or registration to professionals in massage and bodywork disciplines.

Graduating from Massage School in California? New Legislation (Part 2)

Published
by
Terry
on February 21, 2010
in certification, licensing, massage certification and massage licensing
. 1 Comment

When we concluded part 1 of our blog on this same topic, we said it might be worthwhile to watch out for further developments as Senate Bill 731 (SB-731) unfolds.  It confers the right to a private, non-profit association like the California Massage Therapy Council (CAMTC) to issue certificates for massage therapists.  In SB-731, CAMTC is referred to as the Massage Therapy Organization or MTO.

So what’s the difference between a state-issued certificate and a CAMTC-issued certificate?  The answer given by CAMTC is that under state certification, a body or agency which is part of the California government will issue certificates; under the new SB-731, a non-governmental and non-profit organization like CAMTC issues certificates, and those certificates will be deemed valid by the government of California.

Other highlights of SB-731:

1.  The fee for obtaining this CAMTC certificate has not yet been determined.

2.  The CAMTC certificate, once obtained, will have to be renewed every two years.

3.  Individuals or organizations who serve on the CAMTC are:  two representatives from any association that has at least 1,000 California members for the last three years.  So far, only the  American Massage Therapy Association, California Chapter, (AMTA-CA) and the Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals (ABMP) meet the criteria; they have already appointed their representatives.  The CAMTC is also thinking of adding representatives from “the League of California Cities, the California State Association of Counties, the Department of Consumer Affairs, and the Community College Chancellor’s office and any incorporated association of private postsecondary schools that collectively have graduated at least 1,000 massage students in each of the last 3 years. Currently, there are representatives of the CA Association of Private-postsecondary Schools (CAPPS), the Career College Association (CCA), and the CA Massage School Association (CAMSA).”

4.  On whether it is necessary to obtain the National Certification Exam to be eligible for CAMTC certification, no decision has been made as to what tests are required for eligibility although the aim of SB-731 and the CAMTC is to be as “inclusive as possible”.  No tests are required for the practitioner category.

5.    The CAMTC will issue certificates for two groups:  massage practitioner (minimum of 250 hours training/education at an approved school required) and massage therapist (minimum of 500 hours of training/education at an approved school required).  There are, of course, other requirements one of which is fingerprinting.  When asked why fingerprinting is required, the CAMTC said that SB-731 would not have been approved if this wasn’t stipulated as a requirement.  The argument is that other professions, like teaching, require applicants to be fingerprinted.  The good news?  It is done only once.

An interesting issue:  what California massage schools will the CAMTC approve for certification purposes?  The government body that approves schools no longer exists because of the sunset clause.  So as far as we’re aware, there are no approved schools yet.  This is just one of many issues that the CAMTC is working on.

For those of you who want to read SB-731 in its entirety (approved in September 2008 by the Governor of California and went into effect September 2009), go to:  http://www.camtc.org/Docs/SB731.pdf.

Graduating from Massage School in California? New Legislation (Part 1)

Published
by
Terry
on February 20, 2010
in certification, licensing, massage business, massage certification and massage licensing
. 2 Comments

Calling all massage therapists and would-be massage therapists in California!  Have you heard of SB-731?  It’s a new law that created the California Massage Therapy Council (CAMTC) and has everything to do with massage licensing and certification matters.  Its principal mission is to issue certification on a state-wide, voluntary basis.

We’ll provide the highlights of SB-731 in this blog and in the next blog (part 2):

1.  It is not mandatory to apply for a certification from the California Massage Therapy Council (CAMTC) if you already hold a license as a massage therapist in California. But if you think you’ll be a long-term California resident, you may want to consider applying for one.  The way it works is that the local license that graduates apply for allows them to work only in the county they live in.  So if they moved to another county in California, they’d have to apply for a new license valid for that county.  The CAMTC wanted to eliminate this cumbersome process and pushed for legislation that would bestow a CAMTC-issued certificate upon graduates of California massage schools to practice anywhere in California.

2.  Application for a CAMTC-issued certificate is voluntary.  Based on the FAQ on their web site, they would start receiving applications in July-August this year, although certificates will not be issued before September 1, 2009.  When applicants will receive certificates is still not certain as CAMTC is holding a series of meetings and finalizing the process.  Remember that SB-731 is a new law.

3.   Certificate and city permit:  if you choose not to apply for a CAMTC certificate, you would be still subject to local ordinances.  Applying for one and getting approved means you need NOT apply for a local permit.  But you need to distinguish between a permit and a business license.  You won’t need a permit to practice if CAMTC-certified, but you would still need to comply with the county’s rules and regulations that apply to local businesses – that is, adhering to zoning, safety and health requirements and holding a valid license to operate your business.  Think of it as two separate entities:  you as a massage therapist and your business as a separate entity.  With a CAMTC-issued certificate, you won’t need to apply for a permit to practice as a massage therapist but your business would still be subject to local laws.  Of course this business license requirement does not apply if you work for an employer.

4.  The law also seeks to change the way titles are given.  Effective September 1, 2009, you won’t be able to call yourself – at least in the legal sense – a “Certified Massage Therapist” or “Certified Massage Practitioner.”  Only those who hold CAMTC certificates can legally hold these titles.  The CAMTC’s position on this matter is quite clear:  “Up to now, the term Certified Massage Therapist/Practitioner has actually had no legal meaning state-wide.  It might have meant that someone was issued a certificate by their school, or it might have meant that they were certified by their city or county.  Now the title will be recognized state-wide as referring to someone who has certified through the CAMTC.”

We’ll discuss more of the highlights of SB-731 and the ongoing efforts of CAMTC in our next blog post.  This development is worth watching as it may start a trend in other states as far as certification and licensing are concerned.  It could potentially lead to state governments transferring this authority to private, non-profit organizations like the CAMTC.

Testing Continues Even After Massage School Graduation

Published
by
Terry
on September 21, 2009
in certification, continuing education and licensing
. 0 Comments

Sometimes it seems as though you spend large chunks of your time attending school, only to find that there are more tests in the world outside of the classroom. The massage therapy world is no different. Depending on your state of residence, and your career aspirations, you may be required to take tests after your graduation from massage school before you are legally able to practice massage therapy and body-work in the field.

Some states have their own state exam for massage therapists. These exams can vary greatly from a standardized test to a test in the massage lab. While not all states require graduates of massage therapy school to take a state-mandated exam, some states like New York and Hawaii do. It is important to follow your state’s regulations closely, and to keep in mind that the laws and rules are prone to reform and change.

Many states require massage students to take a national exam known as the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork. This exam is often abbreviated as the NCBTMB. Though not all states have their students take the exam, many students around the country decide to study for and complete the exam soon after graduating from school. It is a great idea to become nationally certified through the NCBTMB. Not only will it provide you with a greater sense of professionalism and credibility, but it will also help you follow your career path even if life takes you outside of your current state.

It is best to prepare for any necessary tests well in advance. Keep in mind that most of the tests cost a fee to take, and you are usually not permitted to re-take the exams without repaying the fee. It may also take time to schedule the exams in a location and time that works for you. Do not put off your exam preparation; instead attend to it as soon as possible.

Talk to your instructors in you massage school, and the career services department to find out the latest information on your state’s requirements. With the help of trusted mentors and teachers, you can decide which tests are appropriate for you and your goals within the field of massage therapy.