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Laura Allen's Blog – January 2010 Archive (8)

NCBTMB: Setting the Record Straight

I’m borrowing this title from an actual press release from the NCBTMB, dated August 21, 2007. I don’t have the space here to print the whole thing, so please follow this link and read it. If you’re unfamiliar with the past history of the NCB in recent years, it will give you some insight.

The rumor mill seems to be working overtime these days when… Continue

Added by Laura Allen on January 27, 2010 at 5:33am — No Comments

NCBTMB Releases Needs Assessment Survey Report

The NCBTMB has just released their Needs Assessment Survey Report, a 15-page document that can be accessed here. The main purpose of this survey was to determine how massage therapists feel about the NCB’s plan to offer an advanced certification exam. In total, 6, 883 massage therapists responded to the survey, with 80% of those answering at least four questions. It… Continue

Added by Laura Allen on January 20, 2010 at 3:22pm — 3 Comments

10 Questions for Liz Lucas, CEO of AMTA

This is my first in a series of interviews with the folks at the top of our professional organizations.

Last week I was accused of “handing the microphone” to Paul Lindamood, CEO of the NCBTMB. This week, I’m handing it to Liz Lucas, CEO of AMTA, and in the weeks to come I’ll be handing it to a few others. You just can’t please all the people all the time!

Liz Lucas is the CEO of the American Massage Therapy Association, which represents over 56,000 members. AMTA had its… Continue

Added by Laura Allen on January 19, 2010 at 4:00pm — No Comments

10 Questions for Les Sweeney

This is the second in my series of interviews with the leaders of our professional associations.

Les Sweeney is the fearless leader of Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals (ABMP), a national membership association that provides comprehensive liability insurance and practice support for massage/bodywork practitioners and students. Founded in 1987, ABMP is now the largest massage therapy membership organization in the country with more than 70,000 members.

LA:… Continue

Added by Laura Allen on January 18, 2010 at 5:38am — 1 Comment

A Reality Check for Employers

I was tempted to continue last week’s theme and title this “Employers Behaving Badly.”

I constantly hear from therapists about their unhappy work situations when they’re employed by someone else, whether that’s as a taxed employee or an independent contractor. Many feel they aren’t compensated fairly for the work they do.

In the case of ICs, I also hear many horror stories of the outright abuse of the definition of that term–employers who are falsely classifying people as… Continue

Added by Laura Allen on January 16, 2010 at 8:14am — 4 Comments

Massage Schools Behaving Badly

I’ve been a student in massage school, an administrator and instructor of a massage school, a state board member serving on the committee that approves massage schools, and a continuing ed provider that visits many schools, and I have seen more than a few things that disturb me.

I’d have to say the worst of these are schools who are so misleading to students; the owners “sell” their school to prospects by promising them they’re going to be making X amount of money the minute they… Continue

Added by Laura Allen on January 12, 2010 at 5:55am — 2 Comments

The Financial Health of Our Organizations: The NCBTMB

Were it not for the fact that I have already posted a blog titled Financial Shock and Awe at the NCBTMB, I could certainly have used that for this one. The subject matter is the same: the Form 990 filing of the NCB, except this one is for the latest return, from the fiscal year 2008. The previous posting was about the 2007 form.

Here are the cold hard facts: Revenues were down by over a million dollars, while expenses were up almost that much. The NCB is showing almost $2 million in… Continue

Added by Laura Allen on January 7, 2010 at 2:00pm — 2 Comments

Palmier & Alvarado Depart NCBTMB

In a press release issued earlier today, Angela Palmier and Christopher Alvarado have announced that they have brought an end to their role as Industry Relations Specialists for the NCBTMB after just five months on the job.

Palmier and Alvarado are partners and the principals of Resource ETC LLC, a company which provides consulting, education, and training services for not-for-profit, health care, and educational institutions. Both have a long record of experience as educators in the… Continue

Added by Laura Allen on January 6, 2010 at 5:00pm — 1 Comment