It has been a busy time in the massage community. Let’s just recap important issues.
1.
Massage therapy leadership organizations appear
to be working together.
2.
Content necessary for entry level education
determined -ELAP
3.
Hours for entry level education- ELAP
4.
Federation Model Practice Act released-
5.
Federation of State Massage Board and National Certification
Board agree that MBLEX only licensing exam.
6.
National Certification Board becomes authentic certification
organization with Board Certification documenting education and experience
beyond entry level and pathway to college degrees.
Commentary
1. Massage therapy leadership organizations appear
to be working together.
This is a real advancement. There had better be diligence in
this group to contain the power of the Federation of State Massage Boards.
2.
Content necessary for entry level education
determined –ELAP
Not Perfect. I can
live with it. My advice to the entry
level educators—get over thinking entry level education content is something
unique. We should all be teaching same
content at entry level. Quality comes
from HOW the information is delivered-NOT WHAT THE INFORMATION IS.
3.
Hours for entry level education- ELAP
Kind of weird but necessary for the Model Practice Act. The major
reason for the ELAP was to provide support for the Model Practice Act. I hope
you all understand that. 625 hours is reasonable for entry level. You also realize
that the hours had to be more than 500 right- otherwise why spend LOTS OF MONEY
to develop the ELAP. I wonder just how
much money it cost and where did most of it come from—Maybe the Federation of
State Massage Boards- Just wondering.
4.
Federation Model Practice Act released-
Again all—this has been the agenda for years. And since it has the potential to be the LAW
-- well what more needs to be pointed out.
That being said, I am not opposed to the MPA in general. I just hate it when hidden agendas sneak in.
I screamed about conflict of interest during the ELAP development and been
warning about the MPA for a long time. I
read on Facebook( reliable source ha) that the Federation received 1300 comment
during the public comment period. WHAT!
SHAME ON THE MASSAGE COMMUNITY! There should have been many more comments. And
SHAME ON THE FEDERATION for how they just sort of slide the comment period in
and then slide in some serious changes that were not it the first draft. I troll for information and almost missed it.
Thank goodness I found it and had FACEBOOK as a platform for letting others
know. This is may be the most broad
sweeping development affecting the future.
5.
Federation of State Massage Board and National
Certification Board agree that MBLEX only licensing exam.
This is a good move if there is a major massage community
support for Board Certification. The
National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork MUST survive. This is the platform for future of massage excellence—not
licensure.
6.
National Certification Board becomes authentic
certification organization with Board Certification documenting education and
experience beyond entry level and pathway to college degrees.
This is excellent and this organization MUST have the
massage community’s support. They have relinquished
the ties with the past and projecting into the future. There remains a mess to clean up from the
past but that was then and this is now.
Areas of REAL concern.
1.
Federation of State Massage Boards agenda for
institutional accreditation for massage entry level education
2.
Institutionally accredited corporate based
financial aid funded schools being investigated by Federal Government for
fraud.
3.
Lack of programmatic approval for Entry Level
education for all state licensed massage therapy schools that does not involve
any relationship to the burden of institutional accreditation and business
operations oversight.
4.
Lack of focused representation of the small
massage only independent schools.
5.
Potential for unequal power distribution to the
Federation of State Massage Boards.
1.
Federation of State Massage Boards agenda for
institutional accreditation for massage entry level education
Institutional Accreditation is broken and will not provide
oversight for determined entry level educational content. WHY would the Federation of State Massage
Boards include this cloaked agenda in the Model Practice Act when it is clear
that the entire institutional accreditation system is falling apart?
2.
Institutionally accredited corporate based
financial aid funded schools being investigated by Federal Government for
fraud.
It is evident that the financial aid system and the current accreditation
process if flawed. WHY would massage therapy
education attach to this mess?
3.
Lack of programmatic approval for Entry Level
education for all state licensed massage therapy schools that does not involve
any relationship to the burden of institutional accreditation and business
operations oversight.
COMTA-Commission on Massage Training and Accreditation can
and should provide a programmatic approval process that assures that at entry level
the content described by the ELAP is effectively presented in massage education
programs. PERIOD!
4.
Lack of focused representation of the small
massage only independent schools.
The Alliance for Massage Therapy Education has dropped the
ball in this arena and needs to regroup and do a much better job is assuring
that this very important segment of massage therapy training is represented and
protected. SCHOOL OWNERS—ATTENTION! THIS IS OUR OWN FAULT. The Alliance is an all-volunteer organization
and not subsidized by any organization. In fact, the AMTA and ABMP both have competing
segments which undermines the Alliance. A standing committee of massage school
owners with representation of the Alliance board needs to be formed. SMALL
SCHOOL OWNERS- WE NEED TO GET OFF OUR BUTT AND GET TO THE EDUCATIONAL CONGRESS
AND GET ORGANIZED. The 2015 Educational Congress meetings will take place over 8 days July 21-28 with the main portion of the conference with exhibition hall will only be July 23, 24, and 25. The event will be held at The Commons Hotel in Minneapolis, MN located on the University of Minnesota Campus .http://www.afmte.org/afmte-conference/
5.
Potential for unequal power distribution to the
Federation of State Massage Boards.
I see this issue being one of the most pressing in the
massage community right now. The current
power balance is disturbed and the Federation of State Massage Boards needs to
be carefully monitored. This is problematic
since this organization does not answer to the massage community as a whole.
The general population cannot become members or have a voice and now that the
MBLEX is the designated licensing exam (which I am ok with) have LOTS OF MONEY.
As individuals we all need to be active
at our individual state levels. This is the only avenue we have. I CHALLENGE THE MASSAGE LEADERSHIP
ORGANIZATIONS TO MAINTAIN THE BALANCE OF POWER.