Rules & Regulations of the State of Tennessee
Title 0870 - Board of Massage Licensure
Chapter 0870-01 - General Rules Governing Licensed Massage Therapists and Establishments
Section 0870-01-.12 - CONTINUING EDUCATION
Universal Citation: TN Comp Rules and Regs 0870-01-.12
Current through September 24, 2024
(1) All massage therapist licensees must complete twenty four (24) hours of continuing education every two (2) calendar years, as a prerequisite to licensure renewal. The first two year cycle for continuing education ran from January 1, 2003 to December 31, 2004 and shall continue on two year cycles thereafter.
(a) Continuing education credit shall only be
awarded for those courses which are approved by the Board pursuant to paragraph
(5) of this Rule. The Board approves courses for only the number of hours
contained in the course. The approved hours of any individual course will not
be counted more than once toward the twenty-four (24) hour requirement of any
two-year cycle, regardless of the number of times the course is attended or
completed by any licensee.
(b) Two
(2) of the twenty-four (24) hours requirement shall pertain to Tennessee
statutes and rules concerning massage therapists and establishments. The two
(2) hour courses must be approved by the Board.
(c) Two (2) of the twenty-four (24) hours
requirement shall pertain to the management of practicing massage therapy,
professional ethics or substance abuse.
(d) A maximum of eight (8) of the twenty-four
(24) hours requirement may be completed in any of the following multi-media
formats:
1. The internet;
2. Closed circuit television;
3. Satellite broadcasts;
4. Correspondence courses;
5. Videotapes;
6. CD-ROM;
7. DVD;
8. Teleconferencing;
9. Videoconferencing; or
10. Distance Learning.
(e) The maximum of eight (8) hours earned in
multi-media formats per continuing education cycle shall apply regardless of
whether the hours are earned to comply with the current cycle, as makeup hours
for a prior cycle, or for any other reason.
(f) A licensee whose massage therapist
license was retired for a portion of the two-year cycle is required to obtain a
total of one (1) hour of continuing education for each month the license was
active, except that the licensee must obtain at least four (4) hours: two (2)
hours pertaining to Tennessee statutes and rules as specified in
0870-01-.12(1)(b)
and two (2) hours pertaining to management of practicing massage therapy,
professional ethics or substance abuse as specified in
0870-01-.12(1)(c).
(2) Initial massage therapist licensees shall have their required continuing education hours pro- rated over the remaining months of the two (2) year cycle in which they become licensed according to the following chart.
|
First Year of the Cycle |
Second Year of the Cycle |
||
|
Month Licensed |
Hours Required |
Month Licensed |
Hours Required |
|
January |
24 |
January |
13 |
|
February |
24 |
February |
12 |
|
March |
23 |
March |
11 |
|
April |
22 |
April |
10 |
|
May |
21 |
May |
9 |
|
June |
20 |
June |
8 |
|
July |
19 |
July |
7 |
|
August |
18 |
August |
6 |
|
September |
17 |
September |
5 |
|
October |
16 |
October |
4 |
|
November |
15 |
November |
4 |
|
December |
14 |
December |
4 |
(3) Massage establishment owners and responsible persons who are not licensed massage therapists must complete an approved two (2) hour continuing education course pertaining to Tennessee statutes and rules concerning massage therapists and establishments every two year cycle.
(4) Continuing Education - Proof of Compliance
(a) Each massage therapist must, on
the biennial licensure renewal form, attest to timely attendance and completion
of the required continuing education hours during the preceding
cycle.
(b) Each Massage therapist
must retain independent documentation of attendance and completion of all
continuing education courses. This documentation must be retained for a period
of four (4) years from the end of the cycle in which the continuing education
was acquired. This documentation must be produced for inspection and
verification, if requested in writing by the Board during its verification
process. Acceptable documentation verifying the licensee's completion of the
continuing education program(s) may consist of either a certificate or an
original letter on official stationery from the program's sponsor, indicating
the program title, date and length in hours, along with the licensee's name and
license number.
(5) Continuing Education - Course Approval
(a)
Providers of courses to be offered for credit toward the required continuing
education hours must, unless otherwise provided, receive approval from the
Board. Approval once granted, regardless of whether approval is pursuant to
subparagraph (b) or (c) of this paragraph, is effective only during the
continuing education cycle (as identified in paragraph (2)) during which
approval was granted. Grant of approval of any course prior to January 31, 2012
will expire December 31, 2012. After that all courses/hours provided for credit
toward meeting the requirements of this rule must be approved either pursuant
to part (b)1. or subparagraph (c) of this paragraph in every continuing
education cycle they are offered.
(b) The following sponsors or courses need
not receive prior approval and shall constitute Board approved continuing
education courses:
1. Associations,
corporations, or organizations authorized as a provider by the National
Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB) or the
Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB). Provided however, any
provider approved by any organization identified in this part who intends to
include in their course the hours necessary to meet the requirements of
subparagraph 0870-01-.12(1)(b)
of this rule must nevertheless comply with all of the following before those
hours can be presented:
(i) The provider must
submit the course materials for those hours for review and approval pursuant to
subparagraph (5)(c) of this rule; and
(ii) The course may be presented in a live
lecture format or a multi- media format with successful completion of a
post-examination; and
(iii) The
provider must submit documentation sufficient to show that the information to
be disseminated in those hours is accurate and current.
2. American Heart Association course in
CPR.
3. American Massage Therapy
Association.
4. American Red Cross
courses in HIV, CPR, or Standard First Aid.
5. Massage continuing education courses
offered by colleges, universities, or massage schools approved by the United
States Department of Education, the Tennessee Higher Education Commission or
the Tennessee Board of Regents.
6.
Formal educational courses relating directly to the theory or clinical
application of massage therapy sponsored by an accredited college/university or
institution approved by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission, Board of
Regents or its equivalent in another state(s). If such course is taken for or
assigned quarter or semester credit hours, each semester hour or equivalent
quarter hour shall be equivalent to five (5) continuing education hours. No
credits will be counted for courses not passed.
7. Tennessee Massage Therapy
Association.
8. FSMTB
(c) If a sponsor is unable to
obtain or chooses not to obtain approval pursuant to subparagraph (5)(b) of
this rule, the sponsor may request Board approval by submitting the following
information to the Board Administrative Office at least forty five (45) days
prior to the proposed or scheduled date of the course:
1. Copies of any and all materials to be
utilized in the course. Sponsors may submit the ISBN number and title of
materials with ISBN numbers in lieu of sending the actual materials.
2. Resume or Vita for all instructors that
details their experience or training in the subject matter they will teach.
Instructors must be licensed massage therapists or demonstrate experience and
training that qualifies them to provide continuing education.
3. Written learning objectives as well as a
detailed outline of the course.
4.
A copy of any student course evaluations, class roster forms, check in sheets
and certificates of completion that will be provided at the course.
5. Number of hours of educational credit
requested. An hour equals fifty (50) clock minutes of instruction.
6. A prospective approximate start date on
which the sponsor intends to begin offering the course.
7. The Board may deny a request to sponsor
continuing education if it is determined the sponsor will utilize copyrighted
materials without appropriate permission.
8. The Board reserves the right to request
additional information if the information provided by the sponsor is deemed
inadequate or incomplete.
9. The
Board may deny a request to sponsor continuing education if any of the above
information is not provided.
(d) Upon prior approval by the Board,
individual licensees may receive continuing education credit for courses
attended out of state. Prior approval is not necessary for courses already
approved pursuant to .12(b) or .12(c). To obtain approval, the individual
should submit the following to the Board Administrative Office:
1. The written learning objectives of the
course.
2. A course description or
outline.
3. Names of all
lecturers.
4. Number of hours of
educational credit requested.
5.
Date of course.
6. Copies of
materials to be utilized in the course, upon a Board request.
7. The course provider's contact
information.
8. The course
provider's pre-printed brochure, agenda or other materials which describe
and/or advertise the course.
(e) Continuing Education courses may be
presented in any of the following formats:
1.
Lecture.
2. Multi-media courses -
with successful completion of a written post experience examination to evaluate
material retention.
3.
Correspondence - with successful completion of a written post experience
examination to evaluate material retention.
4. Any combination of the above.
(f) The sponsor of each continuing
education program shall keep detailed records of the materials required in
subparagraph (c) of this rule and a copy of the attendance record for not less
than four (4) years from the date the course was approved.
(g) Approval of any continuing education
program may be withdrawn or denied by the Board if the sponsor of such program
fails to comply with the provisions of this rule.
(6) Waiver of Continuing Education
(a) The Board may grant a waiver of the need
to attend and complete the required hours of continuing education where
illness, disability or other undue hardship beyond the control of the licensee
prevents a licensee from complying.
(b) Waivers will be considered only on an
individual basis and may be requested by submitting the following items to the
Board Administrative Office prior to the end of the licensure cycle in which
the continuing education is due:
1. A written
request for a waiver which specifies what requirement is sought to be waived
and the reasons for the request.
2.
Any documentation which supports the reason for the waiver requested or which
is subsequently requested by the Board.
(c) A waiver approved by the Board is
effective for only the renewal period for which the waiver is sought unless
otherwise specified in writing by the Board.
(d) The Board Consultant and the designee are
authorized to grant or deny requests for waivers subject to subsequent Board
ratification.
(7) Continuing Education for Reactivation or Reinstatement of Retired, Expired, or Revoked License.
(a) Any massage therapist who
applies for reactivation or reinstatement of a license which has been retired
or has expired for over two (2) years, or any individual who applies for a new
license after his or her prior license was revoked for failure to complete
continuing education requirements, must submit along with the reactivation,
reinstatement request, or new license application, proof which indicates the
attendance and completion of twenty (20) hours of Board approved massage
therapy related continuing education. The continuing education must have been
earned in the twelve (12) months preceding application for reactivation or
reinstatement. Eight (8) hours of the twenty (20) hour continuing education
requirement for reinstatement may be completed in a multi-media
format.
(b) A licensee who applies
for reactivation or reinstatement will also be required to submit evidence of
having completed the continuing education required pursuant to rule
0870-01-.12 during the most
recent cycle in which the applicant's license was active.
(c) The continuing education hours required
by the provisions of subparagraph (7)(a) of this rule may not be counted toward
the continuing education hours required to be obtained before the end of the
renewal period of reactivation or reinstatement.
(d) The Board may grant a waiver of the
continuing education requirements set out in subparagraph (7)(a) of this rule,
as provided in paragraph (6) of this rule.
(8) Violations
(a) Any massage therapist, massage
establishment owner, or massage establishment responsible person who fails to
obtain the required continuing education hours or who falsely attests to
attendance and/or completion of the required hours of continuing education may
be subject to disciplinary action pursuant to T.C.A. §
63-18-108.
(b) Education hours obtained as a result of
compliance with the terms of any disciplinary action shall not be counted
toward the continuing education hours required to be obtained in any renewal
period.
Authority: T.C.A. §§ 63-18-111.
Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Tennessee may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
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