In August and October of 2015 we notified all of our Georgia members via email about changes to Georgia's continuing education rules. The text of those message is below, for your reference. Again, these changes were made in 2015 and the information was emailed to members then. These are not new 2016 changes.
8/3/2015 Email: "Contact the Georgia Board Now to Voice Yor Opinion on Proposed New CE Rules"
The Georgia Board of Massage Therapy (Board) has proposed new rules affecting continuing education (CE) requirements for state-licensed massage therapists. Click here to read the proposed rules.
ABMP has significant concerns about the Board's proposals, as detailed in our recent letter to the Board. Those concerns include:
- Approved CE should not be limited to National Certification Board of Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB)-approved providers. Other organizations in the profession approve CE providers and offer CE directly as well.
- The profession has changed and technology has progressed, yet the proposed rule still imposes a limit on online education and alternative learning methods. There should be no limitation on how many hours of CE can be obtained through distance/online learning.
- If the Board insists on continuing to differentiate between "hands-on" CE and all other forms of CE, there should be no additional factors such as the proposal to require that a course include 70% "hands-on" experience/demonstration. How would a licensee know the course they are signing up for includes at least 70% hands-on? How can an instructor guarantee that 70% will be hands-on? This is an unnecessary addition to the CE regulations that will only cause confusion.
- Mandating 24 hours of CE every two years is excessive and not necessary to maintain safe practice standards. The average cost of CE is $22-24 per hour, meaning the Board is mandating at best a $528 expense to licensees, which is more than many MT's can afford. Additionally, licensees should be exempt from CE requirements their first renewal.
The Board needs to hear from practicing Georgia MT's since you will be directly impacted by the CE rules if they are adopted. Now is the time for you to let the Board know what you think about the CE proposals. Please send a letter to the Board providing your opinions and input by August 21, 2015 to:
Lisa W. Durden, Director
Office of Secretary of State
Professional Licensing Boards Division
237 Coliseum Dr.
Macon, GA 31217
Fax: (866) 888-1308
Additionally, the Board will be holding a public meeting on August 28, 2015 at 9:30AM, at which members of the public – you – will have the opportunity to comment on and provide input regarding the CE proposals. We encourage you to attend this meeting if you can.
Meeting Location:
Office of Secretary of State
Professional Licensing Boards Division
237 Coliseum Dr.
Macon, GA 31217
10/5/2015 Email: "New CE Rules Have Been Adopted in Georgia"
The Georgia Board of Massage Therapy (Board) adopted all of the proposed new rules affecting continuing education (CE) requirements for Georgia massage therapists as detailed in our August 3 email to our Georgia members. As result, CE will now be reported through CE Broker, an online CE reporting system that used in many other states. The Board will be sending instructions to licensees on how to register with CE Broker, so please keep an eye out for that information. You can also obtain information about CE Broker, including how to register, on the Board's website here. Please contact the Board at (478) 207-2440 with any questions.