In continued response to COVID-19 and the ongoing concerns of licensees, the Board of Massage Therapy approved an additional two-year change to renewal requirements.
For Massage Therapists
This change will allow the twelve required hours of classroom hour (in-person, or live) courses to be taken as instruction hour courses (anytime or distance learning courses).
Please note that distance learning courses taken to meet this requirement must be
relevant to and focused on massage therapy techniques, skills or protocols.
Courses offered as “general” hours will not fulfill this requirement.
How to find distance learning courses which are relevant to and focused on massage therapy techniques, skills or protocols:
1. Visit CEBroker (cebroker.com) and click Find CE/CME at the top of the page
You will be taken to a blue page titled “Find your courses,” which looks like this:
2. Under Pick your location, select The second box will change to “Pick your profession.” Select Massage Therapist.
A list of CEs will appear, as well as an additional box that says “Looking for…”
3. Under “Looking for…” choose “Relevant to and focused on massage therapy techniques…”
4. Click the button that says Filters.
5. Under Course type, select Self-paced.
6. Click the Apply button in the bottom right-hand corner.
Massage Therapist Frequently Asked Questions:
I received an email/flyer/advertisement from a provider, but I am not sure if the course will satisfy the relevant to and focused on massage therapy techniques, skills, or protocols requirement. How can I check?
Approved courses will always have a course tracking number, which can be used to locate the course in CEBroker by following the steps above to search for a hands-on course and entering the course number at the top of the Filters screen:
The course you are searching for should be the first that appears on the list after clicking the Apply button. When viewing the course, the “subject areas” should include hours under relevant to and focused on massage therapy techniques, skills or protocols.
Do I need to do anything additional to ensure I get credit for a relevant to and focused on massage therapy techniques, skills or protocols course completed by distance learning?
If you complete a relevant to and focused on massage therapy techniques, skills or protocols course by distance learning, your provider will report that course completion to your CE transcript.
My license is currently in delinquent status. Can I take relevant to and focused on massage therapy techniques, skills or protocols courses via distance learning to move my license out of delinquent status?
Yes. This rule provision will allow you to complete relevant to and focused on massage therapy techniques, skills or protocols courses by distance learning to meet continuing education requirements for reinstatement.
I can’t find any courses when I search using the information provided above. Why can’t I find what I’m looking for?
CE providers have been given instructions on how to re-register courses so that distance learning courses can be searched for in CEBroker. Many providers are working to adapt their courses to distance learning and to make sure courses are reregistered so that they are searchable. As courses offered via distance learning increase, you will be able to find them using the steps provided.
For Continuing Education Providers
This rule provision will allow you to offer classroom hour courses (in the presence of an instructor and including hands-on participation by the licensee and/or demonstration by the instructor) as instruction hours (in distance learning formats) for this biennium.
How do I offer distance learning courses that meet the classroom hour, “relevant to and focused on massage therapy requirements?
I am creating a new course in the “relevant to and focused on massage therapy techniques, skills or protocols” category by distance learning:
I want to offer a course in the relevant to and focused on massage therapy techniques, skills or protocols category that I offered during the 2019-2021 biennium by distance learning:
You will be able to reactivate your previous re-registration.
To reactivate a course previously offered by distance learning in this subject area, contact CEBroker Support directly. You will need the course code (20- ) that approved your original course to request this reactivation.
Once you have your (20 – ) code and are on the CEBroker Support page, look for the chat icon in the lower right-hand corner of the screen to make your request.
I offer a course in the relevant to and focused on massage therapy techniques, skills or protocols category in an in-person setting, and want to offer the same course via distance learning for this biennium:
You will need to re-register the course for distance learning under an additional course code.
This will ensure that licensees are able to find your course as a distance learning course when searching CE Broker and allow you to report completion of the course by distance learning accurately.
To do this, follow the steps below:
- Begin the registration process for a course in CEBroker.
This is the same application type you would start for a new relevant to and focused on massage therapy techniques, skills or protocols course, but you will be prompted with additional questions specifically related to COVID-19 to ensure your course is received and processed correctly.
- When prompted, answer the question concerning distance learning for relevant to and focused on massage therapy techniques, skills or protocols courses accurately.
Answering this question correctly will ensure that the course is routed appropriately.
- Enter the course code for your currently approved relevant to and focused on massage therapy techniques, skills or protocols course when prompted.
This is required to ensure that the course content is already approved. Please make sure that you enter the course code (beginning with a 20 – ) for the correct hands-on course to avoid delay in completing registration.
- Upload a copy of your certificate of completion when prompted.
An upload is required for course registrations. Please upload only your certificate of completion.
CE Provider Frequently Asked Questions:
How will I know that my re-registered course has been approved?
You will receive a notification from CEBroker that the course has been approved.
What if I’m still offering the course in a classroom setting and am offering the course via distance learning in a synchronous format (e.g. classroom instruction for some participants and webcast for participants who opted to attend via distance)?
Be sure to enter course completion under the appropriate course based on method of delivery to the participant. For those in the classroom, you will use your “LIVE” hands-on course code. For those participating via distance learning, you will use the re-registered course code.
What kinds of distance learning are allowed?
There are many available platforms and delivery methods encompassed by the term distance learning; the rule does not list specific platforms or methods to allow flexibility for providers with differing available resources, or who already have some familiarity with specific platforms.
However, the rule also specifies that other requirements are still in effect. You will need to consider how to best offer your course via distance learning, so that it still meets the other minimum requirements of a hands-on course (e.g. How will I provide demonstration? How can I confirm that my participants have met the learning objectives of my course?).
What happens when the biennium is over?
After the 2021-2023 biennium, hands-on courses offered via distance learning will be expired in accordance with the rule provision. You will not be able to offer the course after August 31, 2023 via distance learning. Your approved relevant to and focused on massage therapy techniques, skills or protocols course offered by classroom instruction will not be affected.
You will still be able to enter course completions after August 31st, 2023 for participants who completed your course via distance learning on or before August 31, 2023.
