As we round the corner of the pain staking process of licensure as required by the New Jersey Board of Massage and Bodywork Therapy we are posed with the question. How do I go about obtaining continuing education credits? Whether you have been practicing for 20 years or just finishing school, continuing education should be on our minds. Each recipient of the New Jersey massage license is responsible biennially for completion of 20 continuing education credit hours which needs to include at least 2 hours in business ethics courses. Upon biennially license renewal, licensees must attest that they have completed the required continuing education training, related to the practice of massage and bodywork therapy. Courses that are related solely to the business practices of licensees and course in practices in which licensees are prohibited from engaging within the massage therapist scope of practice.

Obtaining Required Continuing Education Credits:

1.       Successful completion of continuing education course or programs related to the practice of massage and bodywork therapy, one credit hour for each hour of instruction offered by providers approved by:

        I.            NCTMB

    II.            NCCAOM

    III.            American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA)

    IV.            American Organization for Bodywork Therapies of Asia (AOBTA)

      V.            Association of Bodywork and Massage Professionals (ABMP)

    VI.            American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC)

  VII.            American Polarity Therapy Association (APTA)

VIII.            American Physical Therapy Association (APTA)

    IX.            FMSTB

      X.            International Association of Structural Integrations (IASI)

    XI.            American Medical Association (AMA)

  XII.            Ida P. Rolf Research Foundation; or

XIII.            A state board of massage, massage and bodywork, physical therapy or chiropractic

2.       Successful completion of a course, related to the practice of massage and bodywork therapy, given by a school, college or university, one credit hour for each hour of continuing education instruction. A school, college or university shall be:

        I.              Accredited by the New Jersey Department of Education

      II.            Approved by the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development

    III.            Approved by the New Jersey Commission on Higher Education

    IV.            Approved by an agency of another state with requirements substantially similar to the requirements of New Jersey Department of Education, the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development or the New Jersey Commission on Higher Education

3.       Teaching a new continuing education program related to massage and bodywork therapy that is approved by the above mentioned organizations. The term New meaning the licensee has never taught or developed curriculum for that course or program in any educational setting.
4.       Authorship of a published textbook or a chapter of a textbook directly related to the practice of massage and bodywork therapy.
5.       Authorship of a published article, which has been refereed through peer review, related to the practice of massage and bodywork therapy, in a medical or health related journal.
6.       Presenting a new seminar or lecture to professional peers, provided the seminar or lecture is at least on hour long; as used in this paragraph, “new” means that the licensee has never presented the seminar or lecture before.