PA Continuing Education Reminder

A FRIENDLY REMINDER ABOUT YOUR CONTINUING EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS AS A LICENSED PENNSYLVANIA MASSAGE THERAPIST

All licensed massage therapists in Pennsylvania will have to renew their licenses by January 31, 2013. It does not matter whether you obtained your massage therapist license in 2010 or 2011; you will need to renew by January 31, 2013. Since this is your first renewal, we wanted to give you a heads up about your continuing education requirements so that it doesn’t surprise you when renewal draws closer. The Board mails renewal notices 2 to 3 months prior to the license expiration date.  Notices are mailed to the most recent address the licensee has reported to the Board. It is your responsibility to keep your address current with the Board office. To renew, you will need to complete the renewal form that will be provided by the Board, pay the $75.00 renewal fee, and submit proof of your current CPR certification. (Please remember that online CPR certification is NOT acceptable to the Board.) In addition, you may be required to submit verification that you have completed at least 24 hours of Board-approved continuing education. Continuing Education Requirements You MUST retain the certificates from your CE courses because you may be audited to ensure your compliance with the CE requirements. The 24 hours of continuing education must include:

1. A minimum of 4 continuing education hours in professional ethics, and
2. Sixteen (16) hours of the required 24 must be earned through contact hours. This means that you may earn up to 8 hours of continuing education credits through on-line education.

What Does Board-Approved Continuing Education Mean? Courses offered by an approved provider that advance your knowledge and skills related to your massage therapy practice will count towards your CE requirement. For example, a myofascial course would count, but a course on using social media to increase your business would not. ABMP hosts a continuing education calendar on www.abmp.com where you can find CE courses in your area. ABMP is an approved CE provider in Pennsylvania and offers a wide range of online CE  courses  for a very reasonable cost. In case you are not aware, ABMP is also a NCBTMB-approved CE provider; so if you happen to be a NCBTMB certified massage therapist and choose to renew, you could take courses that will be appropriate for both your mandatory state license renewal and your voluntary certification renewal. Please let us know if you have any questions regarding this requirement.