MOVING FORWARD.

 

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.

 

 

Commentary

 

 

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.