Purpose:
• To establish guidelines for administration to use when reviewing submitted continuing education courses for credit under the CMMOTA CEC Program.
Policy:
1. Administration shall ensure that prior to completing an evaluation of a course, that all materials needed for course evaluation are present. These materials include:
a. Completed Appendix 22 or Appendix 23.
b. Fees Paid in Full (if applicable).
c. Proof of National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Body Work as an Approved Provider for Continuing Education (US Designation) if applicable.
d. Course Developers Proof of Certification(s) related to field of study.
e. Course Developer Biography / Resume that clearly outlines expertise and education to adequately teach this course, along with any certifications that support the training obtained to be teaching this course.
f. Contraindications & Safeties.
g. Hourly outline of course length, including lunch and breaks for all days.
h. Detailed description of course, including what the participants are taught, what they will learn, clinical skills after completion, any additional skills learned throughout the course, and method of learner evaluation.
i. Sample copy of the Certificate of Completion.
2. Administration shall determine which class of Continuing Education Credits a course shall fall into from the following list:
a. Professional Skills – a course that provides training in a modality listed in Sections 3 or 4 of Appendix 19 Modalities List for Massage Therapists or Sections 2 and 3 of Appendix 34 Modalities List for Manual Osteopathic Therapists for the professional designation, or involves either business skills development (marketing, bookkeeping, etc.), communication skill development, healthcare skills and protocols, assessment and interview skills, refresher courses (in anatomy, physiology, documentation, etc.), clinical procedures or protocols (example concussion protocols, or trauma protocols), client care, or self care.
b. Complementary Training – a course that is out of scope of practice for the professional designation but is complementary to the business of the professional designation (example: Acupuncture, Yoga Teaching, Esthetics, please see Complementary Modalities under Appendix 19 or 34).
c. Personal Interest – a course that falls outside of Professional Skills or Complementary Training
3. Course Developer Requirements
a. For Professional Skills courses which include a technique that is within the scope of practice for the professional designation of the member, or are a “refresher” type course, administration shall evaluate the course developer based on the provided information to determine if they meet minimum requirements to provide training in regard to the course offering. In order to be considered to have met the minimum requirements the course developer must:
i. Fulfill two of the following requirements:
1. Three (3) years of Professional Practice related to the specific field of study (modality)
2. Educational Certification with a minimum of two (2) CMMOTA approved completed courses related to the specific field of study (modality)
3. Have two (2) letters of support from reputable Colleagues (aka Peer Review).
ii. Or fulfill one (1) of the following requirements:
1. Eight (8) years of Professional Practice related to the specific field of study (modality); or
2. Educational Certification with a minimum of three (3) CMMOTA approved completed courses related to the specific field of study (modality), one (1) of which includes some sort of training to be a workshop facilitator; or
3. Has been certified by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Body Work as an Approved Provider for Continuing Education (US Designation) or similar body pertaining to the field of study.
b. For Professional Skills courses which are not modality in nature for the professional designation of the member but do fall within the other descriptors under professional skills, administration shall evaluate the course developer based on the provided information to determine if they meet minimum requirements to provide training in regard to the course offering. In order to be considered to have met the minimum requirements the course developer must:
i. Fulfill any two (2) of the following requirements:
1. Three (3) years of experience related to the specific field of study.
2. Educational Certification with a minimum of two (2) completed courses related to the specific field of study.
3. Have two (2) letters of support from reputable Colleagues (aka Peer Review).
ii. Or fulfill any one (1) of the following requirements:
1. Recognized within the field of study as an expert.
2. Educational Certification with a minimum of three (3) completed courses related to the specific field of study, one (1) of which includes some sort of training to be a workshop/training facilitator.
3. Has been certified by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Body Work as an Approved Provider for Continuing Education (US Designation).
c. For Complementary Training courses administration shall evaluate the course presenter based on the provided information to determine if they meet minimum requirements to provide training in regard to the course offering. In order to be considered to have met the minimum requirements the course developer must:
i. Fulfill both of the following requirements:
1. Three (3) years of Professional Practice related to the specific field of study.
2. Educational Certification with a minimum of two (2) completed courses related to the specific field of study.
ii. Or fulfill one (1) of the following requirements:
1. Recognized within the field of study as an expert.
2. Educational Certification with a minimum of three (3) completed courses related to the specific field of study, one (1) of which includes some sort of training to be a workshop/training facilitator.
3. Has been certified by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Body Work as an Approved Provider for Continuing Education (US Designation) or a similar body pertaining to the field of study.
d. For Personal Interest Training courses, administration shall not evaluate the course presenter.
4. Course Content
a. For Professional Skills courses which provide training in a technique that falls within the scope of practice for the profession, or a “refresher” type course, administration shall examine the course content provided to establish, to the best of their ability, whether it meets the following criteria for approval. In order to be approved the course must:
i. Provide a list of contraindications (if any) and safeties to delivery of the technique.
ii. Have course content that provides sound training in the modality being presented (to the best knowledge of the evaluator)
iii. Presentation of the technique and methodology in the course must fall within scope of practice for the profession.
iv. Have material presented with proper references and without known copyright infringement.
b. For Professional Skills courses which are not modality in nature for the professional designation of the member but do fall within the other descriptors under professional skills administration shall examine the course content provided to establish, to the best of their ability, whether it meets the following criteria for approval. In order to be approved the course must:
i. Have course content that provides sound training in the field of study being presented (to the best knowledge of the evaluator)
ii. Have material presented with proper references and without known copyright infringement.
c. For Complementary Training courses, administration shall examine the course content provided to establish, to the best of their ability, whether it meets the following criteria for approval. In order to be approved the course must:
i. Have course content that provides sound training in the field of study being presented (to the best knowledge of the evaluator)
ii. Have material presented with proper references and without known copyright infringement.
d. For Personal Interest Training courses, administration shall not evaluate the course content.
5. Administration, based on the classification of the course type (professional skills, complementary training, or personal interest training) shall determine the number of hours that shall be awarded for course completion as follows:
a. Professional Skills – 1 credit per hour will be awarded to a maximum of 24 credits per course.
b. Complementary Training – 1 credit per 4 hours to a max of 3 per course regardless of hours.
c. Personal Interest Training – 1 credit per course regardless of hours.
6. Once a course evaluation process has been completed, the course cannot be resubmitted for re-evaluation for a 1-year period from the date of decision.
7. Based on member feedback related to a specific course administration, at the discretion of the Executive Director, may require that a course already approved may have its approval revoked and/or may require that it be sent for re-evaluation prior to continued approval. In such a case the course developer shall be charged the appropriate fee in accordance with the CMMOTA Fee Schedule to have the course re-evaluated. If a course has its approval revoked, it shall not affect any prior approvals for CEC credits so long as the course was approved at the time it was taken.
Original Date of Policy Adoption: November 26, 2021
Date of Last Policy Revision: January 23, 2024
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