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California Certification

I wanted to know if any one else is having the same frustration as I am regarding the new California certification? I have been recently nationally certified by NCBTMB and went through a very similiar process that the California certification board is now requiring me to do.

Why isn't the Ca board not accepting my national certification? Why am I being put through the same hoops all over again?

Isn't this unfair?

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Permalink Reply by Kim Lee-Thorp on October 6, 2009 at 9:50pm

I have just been through all this as well but my experience was very different than what you have had. I passed the national in April, filled out the CA state paperwork in September, asked my school to send transcripts, went to do the livescan thing and was promptly approved and given a CA state license. It was really easy and such a benefit for me because I practice in a 1000 hour city. I did call the phone number on the CAMTC website a few times and got very helpful people each time - I encourage you try that and get to the bottom of what is hanging your application up. ZThere was a woman Elaine there who went our of her way to help me and even called me back with status - great service for a government system. Good Luck!!

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Permalink Reply by Andre' Cross on October 7, 2009 at 3:16pm

Yes...you may have to go the grassroots route and force your legislators to rethink the laws governing massage therapy. Start with you school admins and get them on board.

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Permalink Reply by Stuart R Dole on October 7, 2009 at 10:43pm

I had a very eclectic training, and though I have many hundreds of "hours" none of it counts. My feeling is to just not get licensed - our studio is outside the city limits so we don't even need a business license. So I'll drop the "CMT" from my title and just go with "MT", I guess.

My background is that I was a scientist (PhD - which doesn't count), a 100-hour school that no longer has the transcripts, and lots of time with indigenous healers and shamans, and dozens of one or two day mini trainings from unaccredited (but gifted) instructors.

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Permalink Reply by Keith Eric Grant on October 8, 2009 at 3:11pm

A few comments. First the new law does not create state licensing. The law created a private non-profit certifying agency (CAMTC) with the side effect that being certified exempts one from local licensing. One cannot, however, claim to be "state licensed" or "state certified".

NCBTMB is a private certifying agency while regulation of occupations is an element of state law. CAMTC has one do a LiveScan for background check as required by SB 731. The form has to specify that they are the agency of record for them to have access.

SB 731 stipulated satisfying a 250 hour requirement for certification as a massage practitioner OR, for certification as a massage therapist (a marketing distinction only), either satisfying a 500 hour requirement OR passage of a board approved exam. The CAMTC board has not stuck with the letter of the law as to the exam route of entry, requiring MBLEx OR either of the NCBTMB exams WITH certification, AND proof of two-years of work experience. The addition of requirements not in the law itself may open them to legal challenge -- would require a court test.

Unless one is pursuing certification by the exam "portal", NCBTMB certification or lack of it is irrelevant. NCBTMB is a purely private agency (501(c)(6) -- Business League). CAMTC, while a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, is created by state law and exists at the will and under the review of the state. Occupational regulation is a right and responsibility of the state and it is the individual states that sets the requirements, not NCBTMB. In general, licensing and private certification are two different things meeting two different needs. CAMTC is a bit different in this, because it is a beast of the state even if not part of the state itself.