Colorado Issues "Emergency Rule" for Massage Therapist Registration

Elise says, "don't wait, don't be late, get registered NOW!"

--alright, I made that up, but at least she looks enthused about SOMETHING!

I almost thought it was a joke when I first saw it because "Emergency Rule 10" seemed like something akin to "Love Potion #9." But no, it's real! Here's the information straight from the horse's (Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies') mouth.

The upshot...If you haven't applied for registration as a Colorado Massage Therapist and intend to practice after 4/1, APPLY NOW!

If you want the details about registration in general, check out my post "Colorado Massage Therapist Registration

RULE 10: EFFECTIVE APRIL 1, 2009 THROUGH JUNE 30, 2009

Emergency Rule 10 provides that all individuals who submit their application, fee, and fingerprint card prior to April 1, 2009 will be eligible to receive a “Provisional Massage Therapist Registration.”

What is a provisional registration?
The provisional registration will allow individuals to practice massage therapy or represent themselves as being able to practice massage therapy in this state through June 30, 2009. Provisionally registered massage therapists are subject to all provisions of C.R.S. 12-35.5-101 (“the Act”).

Who is eligible?
All individuals who have submitted their application and fee to the Division of Registrations, have met the educational or training standards established in statute, and have submitted a fingerprint card to CBI – all prior to April 1, 2009, and who have not yet been issued a massage therapist registration. The Division must have received the application and fee no later than March 31, 2009.

Provisional registrations will be effective April 1, 2009 through June 30, 2009. After June 30, 2009, individuals with a provisional registration must be registered as a massage therapist pursuant to the Act to continue practicing massage therapy.

Who is not eligible?
Individuals who apply for a massage therapist registration on or after April 1, 2009 are not eligible to receive a provisional registration and will not be permitted to practice massage therapy in this state until they receive their registration pursuant to the Act.
Individuals who are already registered by April 1, 2009, as a massage therapist with the State of Colorado are not affected by Emergency Rule 10 and will not be assigned a provisional registration.

How can registration status be verified?
Use DORA’s “Automated Licensure Information System Online” (ALISON). You can verify any individual’s registration status using this system.
Provisional registration status will be assigned to all qualified individuals on March 31, 2009 and these registrations will not be mailed.
Check ALISON to verify provisional registration on or after April 1st. Please do not call DORA to verify registration status.
Visit our website for other information and answers to frequently asked questions.

Colorado Dept. of Regulatory AgenciesDivision of Registrations
Health Services Section
1560 Broadway, Suite 1350
Denver, CO 80202
www.dora.state.co.us

Massage School and the New Economy

There's been a lot said and written about the "new economy" that is emerging from the shambles of our current financial crisis. Someone recently told me of a financial advisor they heard on the news clinging to the old financial model saying, "We've got to get out of fear back into greed." But again and again, I'm inspired by people looking toward a way of commerce and life that transcends greed and includes sharing and appreciation.

Recently, an incoming student delayed her enrollment from September to March because her loan application (from a nationally known student loan provider of direct career training loans, i.e., non-federally funded) was moving slowly. She'd applied in August and received pre-approval, but wasn't going to get the funding in time to plan her move to Durango. During the months from September to February, the company went silent in it's communications to her. When she'd contact them, they'd tell her an item was missing from her application packet (I can't tell you how many times I faxed them a copy of her enrollment agreement!). When they finally sent her all her paperwork with the final approval, she signed and mailed it back. Then again, no word from them and when she contacted them, they told her the application was older than 6 months and was no longer valid. She could re-apply, they said, but the loan was no longer being offered due to the financial crisis.

I've written about the difficulty of finding loans for massage school before, so this is not new on my mind. Some schools do offer federal financial aid and loans, but the overall tuition can be really expensive at those schools. I'm thinking of one that costs $20k for 1000-hours of education. That's a huge loan to carry after graduating.

I'm convinced that our world needs accomplished, compassionate and professionally mature massage therapists and bodyworkers more than ever. And all this is prompting me to think about how the world of today can support people providing healing touch. Students need training; schools need to retain their quality teachers and sometimes expensive teaching tools to provide the training; the people in the world need soothing, quality healing work. The method of borrowing large amounts of money to achieve this might be breaking down. So how can a "new economy" place value on this and provide these needs for our society? That's my question of the day.

Rebecca

Teaching Presence During Bodywork

Today Ryan and I co-taught Swedish Massage. The class was about blending energy work with massage. We decided not to really teach much in terms of energy work technique (the 200-hour Heartworks Approach Program does a lot of that), but to instead focus on the quality of bring presence, attention, and awareness to the session. It was a wonderful day in the classroom and I felt incredibly grateful to have participated in the day. We started out with Ryan describing how he had grown from a newbie at massage therapy into a practitioner who blended energy awareness into each of his massages. His story was quite lovely and I was inspired by his relating that the changes in his bodywork came from changing himself. I spoke a bit about why paying attention to energy during a session is beneficial (something they hear from me a lot in neuromuscular therapy class, but not with the same clarity and intention). We gave some tips on how to handle big energy when it's encountered during a session and can feel distressing (like nausea, dizziness, etc.). And then I gave a short demonstration where I showed how I connect in with my client and then proceed with the bodywork.

We gave simple guidelines for doing the trades which were this:

Practice "Routine" for Integrating Energy/Presence into Massage

1. Client sets intent.

2. Decide if client starts prone or supine.

3. Do a series of holds while listening to the client's body.

(i.e., WHAT IS YOUR CLIENT SAYING TO YOU WHEN YOUR EYES ARE CLOSED AND HIS/HER MOUTH IS SHUT?)

4. Follow your intuition with the bodywork that ensues.

The students were absolutely amazing in the bodywork they did today. It was beautiful to watch. At times there was so much love in the room that my heart felt the fullness and hugeness of it all. Afterward as we shared in closing circle, one student remarked that doing this type of bodywork would really make a difference in the world. I think we were all struck with how deeply we can connect and touch one another. The tools of presence and awareness and allowing ourselves to trust our intuition are powerful.


© 2009, Rebecca Mauldin, all rights reserved

Colorado Massage Therapist Registration

I recently got my Colorado massage registration in the mail. So, effective 4/1/09, I'll be an RMT (Registered Massage Therapist). Before the Colorado legislature passed the Massage Therapy Practice Act last summer, the only state law that regulated massage therapy was the Massage Parlor Act. This act is (as the name implies) an act that is primarily concerned with the sex industry. Massage therapists were given an exemption to the Massage Parlor Act if they had graduated from a school offering 500 hours of education, and the only people who could officially call themselves "massage therapists" had to meet that education requirement. The Massage Parlor Act is still on the books, but now regulation of massage therapists requires us to register with the state.

Under the new law, any one practicing massage therapy on or after 4/1/09 must be registered with the State of Colorado. To be eligible for registration, a person needs to have
1) graduated from an approved school with at least 500 hours of massage education;
2) passed either the National Certification Exam (NCE) from NCTMB or the Massage and Bodywork Licensing Exam (MBLex) from FSMTB; and
3) have a successful background check by the State Bureau of Investigation (fingerprints are submitted for this).

There is a "grandfather" clause for the examination portion of the eligibility requirements. During the grandfather period, the examination is not required for therapists who have 5 years of experience + 300 hours of education -or- 500 hours of education (with no experience requirement). So...the question is when is this timeframe. The regulations say it is one year from the date when applications were first available. Applications became available 12/1/08, so presumably this means until 12/1/09, an applicant will not have to pass the NCE or MBLex if the other requirements are met.

Those are the basics.

To apply, you need to mail an application in to the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA). You can download an application, but it cannot be submitted online.

Separately, you need to get fingerprints taken by a law enforcement agency. I went to the sheriff's department and it cost $5.00 for the service. They had certain times they were available to do the fingerprints, so it's helpful to call ahead to get schedules and fees. Once you have the fingerprint card (it's a special SBI form), you fill it out with the information provided in your application packet and mail it to the Colorado SBI. The fee for the background check is $39.50. So you send the fingerprints and a check to the SBI. If you follow the instructions properly on how to fill out the card, the SBI will send the background check results directly to DORA for your application.

The only other detail I can think of is you have to carry liability insurance to get and remain registered.

I hope this post is helpful! Please post your questions or experiences regarding registration. I'm sure it'll be helpful for all.

Rebecca


© 2009, Rebecca Mauldin, All Rights Reserved

#1 Part-Time Job for 2009: Massage Therapy!

Careerbuilder.com has ranked massage therapy the #1 Part-Time job for 2009!

Being a massage therapist is one of the most versatile and rewarding careers I can think of. It offers flexibility and autonomy. There are lots of opportunities for personal growth and development. Relationships with clients are meaningful and help you understand the ways in which you make a difference in another's life. There are always new techniques to learn and incorporate into your practice.

The career has been recognized by careerbuilder.com as the best part-time job for 2009. Job growth for massage therapists, they say, is expected to increase faster than average, which is a great thing in today's economic uncertain times.

I'd love to hear your comments about being or training to be a massage therapist. What do you think about the part-time employment prospects? About massage therapy in today's economy? About the career in general?

Rebecca