Membership Requirements
The association has the following mandatory requirements for our members to maintain a membership in good standing.
Mandatory Items:
Full Massage Therapist Members: All Full members of the CMMOTA are required to:
- attend at least one Annual General Meeting (AGM) every 3-year cycle: or pay the fee as per our current Fee Schedule
- maintain certification in Standard First Aid and Level C CPR. Online courses are not acceptable
- complete required Continuing Education Credits (CEC) per 3-year cycle; see submission cycle below
- submit a Criminal Record and Vulnerable Sector Check upon expiry every 3 years. Online checks are not acceptable
- Nova Scotia Members are required to submit an updated Criminal Record Check and Vulnerable Sector Check annually
Failure to meet each of these 4 requirements will result in automatic suspension followed by possible cancellation of membership for continued non-compliance.
Full Manual Osteopathic Therapist Members: All Full MOT members of the CMMOTA are required to:
- attend at least one Annual General Meeting (AGM) every 3-year cycle: or pay the fee as per our current Fee Schedule
- maintain certification in Standard First Aid and Level C CPR. Online courses are not acceptable
- complete required Continuing Education Credits per 3-year cycle; see submission cycle below
- submit a Criminal Record and Vulnerable Sector Check upon expiry every 3 years. Online checks are not acceptable
- Nova Scotia Members are required to submit an updated Criminal Record Check and Vulnerable Sector Check annually
Failure to meet each of these 4 requirements will result in automatic cancellation of membership.
Associate Massage Therapist Members: All Associate members of the CMMOTA are required to:
- Upgrade the membership to Full Massage Therapist status within 18 months from the activation of their Associate Massage Therapist membership or 60 days following the completion of the 2200-hour minimum post-secondary requirement.
- submit a Criminal Record and Vulnerable Sector Check upon expiry every 3 years. Online checks are not acceptable
- Nova Scotia Members are required to submit an updated Criminal Record Check and Vulnerable Sector Check annually
Failure to meet each of these 2 requirements will result in automatic suspension followed by possible cancellation of membership for continued non-compliance.
Student Massage Therapist Members: All Student members of the CMMOTA are required to:
- Upgrade the membership to Associate Massage Therapist status within 18 months from the activation of their Student Massage Therapist membership or 60 days following the completion of the 900-hour minimum post-secondary requirement.
- submit a Criminal Record and Vulnerable Sector Check upon expiry every 3 years. Online checks are not acceptable
- Nova Scotia Members are required to submit an updated Criminal Record Check and Vulnerable Sector Check annually
Failure to meet each of these 2 requirements will result in automatic suspension followed by possible cancellation of membership for continued non-compliance.
Submission Cycle:
The current 3-year period is from January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2021. This period is the same for all members. Submission deadline for this cycle is December 31, 2021. All members are responsible for maintaining credits in good standing and for submitting proof of same within the required timeline.
Any credits accumulated in the current term in excess of the 25 required may be carried forward into the next term to a maximum of 12 credits each, per profession.
The CMMOTA requires a basic level of training in massage of 2200 hours or more from an approved school as a prerequisite for membership, as an RMT, this training or part thereof cannot be used for RMT CEC credits.
The CMMOTA requires a basic level of training in Manual Osteopathic Training of 1000-hours or more from an approved school as a prerequisite for membership, as an MOT, this training or part thereof cannot be used for MOT CEC credits.
The required CEC credits are prorated depending on your effective date for becoming a Full RMT or MOT member:
Modality List Updated March 2021
| Membership Effective Date | Credits Required | Attend at least 1 AGM |
|---|---|---|
| Prior to January 1, 2019 | 25 | Required/fee in-lieu AGM Attendance |
| January 1/19- December 31/19 | 25 | Required/fee in-lieu AGM Attendance |
| January 1/20- December 31/20 | 17 | Required/fee in-lieu AGM Attendance |
| January 1/21- March 31/21 | 9 | Not Required |
| April 1/21- December 31/21 | 6 | Not Required |
The required CEC credits are prorated depending on your effective date for becoming a Full RMT or MOT member:
Credit Guidelines
Attendance at a CMMOTA Annual General Meeting
- 3 CEC per year of attendance during a submission cycle.
Maintenance of Standard First Aid and Level “C” CPR Certification
- 6 CEC automatically granted per submission cycle. Courses delivered solely online are not acceptable to maintain certification.
Primary Continuing Education Credits
- An approved course in a recognized massage or manual osteopathic therapy modality with a hands-on client approach. This training must be taken in person. 1 credit per hour will be awarded to a maximum of 24 credits per course. (requires submission through CMMOTA Member Portal [https://app.cmmota.com/login] or Appendix 23 – CEC Course Submission Form.)
Professional Skills Continuing Education Credits
- An approved course in a recognized course that involve 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), or any course that enhances practice management. This training may be taken in person or online. 1 credit per hour will be awarded to a maximum of 24 credits per course. (requires submission through CMMOTA Member Portal [https://app.cmmota.com/login] or Appendix 23 – CEC Course Submission Form.)
Secondary Continuing Education Credits
- An approved course in a recognized massage or manual osteopathic therapy modality related to self-care, client-care and/or professional development that does not have a hands-on client approach. This training must be taken in person. 1 credit per 2 hours to a maximum of 6 credits per course. (requires submission through CMMOTA Member Portal [https://app.cmmota.com/login] or Appendix 23 – CEC Course Submission Form.)
Online/Distance Learning Continuing Education Credits
- An approved course in massage or manual osteopathic therapy modality taken via distance learning, online or home studies. 1 credit per 2 hours to a maximum of 6 credits per course. (requires submission through CMMOTA Member Portal [https://app.cmmota.com/login] or Appendix 23 – CEC Course Submission Form.)
Personal Interest Training Credits
- Any course that enhances overall health and balance to the therapist and/or clients. 1 credit per course regardless of hours to a maximum of 3 credits per submission cycle. (requires submission through CMMOTA Member Portal [https://app.cmmota.com/login] or Appendix 23 – CEC Course Submission Form.)
Volunteering on behalf of CMMOTA at a CMMOTA Event
- Participating as a volunteer at a CMMOTA hosted event. 1 credit per 2 hours, to a maximum of 3 credits per event.
Volunteering to promote the industry
- Participation as a volunteer providing either massage or manual osteopathic treatments free of charge at an event. 1 credit per 2 hours, to a maximum of 3 credits per event, to a maximum of 6 credits per CEC cycle (requires completed Appendix 24 – Event Volunteer Participation Form).
Teaching and Teaching Assistant
- Credits Vary. (requires completed Appendix 25 – Teaching or Teaching Assistant CEC Form).
Workshop Instructor or Assistant
- Credits Vary. (requires completed Appendix 26 – Workshop Instructor or Assistant CEC Form).
CMMOTA Board of Directors participation
- Being a duly elected or appointed member of the Board of Directors. 6 credits per year, or portion of a year, of service.
CMMOTA Appeals Committee Participation
- Being a duly appointed member of the Appeals Committee and participating in the yearly training session. 4 credits per year, or portion of a year, of service.
- Sitting as a member of an Appeal Hearing Panel. 4 credits.
CMMOTA Continuing Education Credits Committee
- Being a duly appointed member of the Continuing Education Committee. 6 credits per year, or portion of a year, or service.
CMMOTA Disciplinary Committee Participation
- Being a duly appointed member of the Disciplinary Committee and participating in the yearly training session. 4 credits per year, or portion of a year, of service.
- Sitting as a member of a Disciplinary Hearing Panel. 4 credits.
CMMOTA Investigation Committee Participation
- Being a duly appointed member of the Investigation Committee and participating in the yearly training session. 4 credits per year, or portion of a year, of service.
- Participating as a member of an Investigation Team. 4 credits.
Other Committee Service
- Credits vary, as outlined in the establishment of committee policy.
By Motion of the Board of Directors
- Under special circumstances the Board of Directors may award Continuing Education Credits to a member, or a group of members, for any reason that it deems appropriate.
Submission Guidelines
In order to process your credits quickly and efficiently, please ensure that you have included all of the information requested on the forms listed above, along with additional documents if applicable
In order to be approved all courses must have a certificate of attendance or completion. Courses may be taken in person, distance learning, online or correspondence. Full contact information must be provided for all courses.
All submissions, course outlines, certificates, etc. must be in English or translated into English for the committee to review. All unrecognized courses are subject to review by the education committee. If found to be unacceptable, no credits will be awarded. The Continuing Education Credits Committee may, at its discretion, confirm the authenticity of any submission.
Failure to Comply
Failure to comply with the CEC credit requirements will result in the implementation of Disciplinary Policy for Non-Compliance Regarding Continuing Education Credits: