ABMP and the Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation (COMTA) kicked off an exclusive partnership at the 2018 ABMP School Forum, where COMTA Chair Cliff Korn and Executive Director Dawn Hogue awarded a COMTA-Endorsed Curriculum Program scholarship to ABMP Premier School Santa Barbara Body Therapy Institute (SBBTI). SBBTI is on target to be the first massage and bodywork school in California recognized by COMTA for its high standards of educational excellence. COMTA staff is working closely with SBBTI throughout the application process and looks forward to awarding the school its Endorsed Curriculum designation later this year.
The COMTA-Endorsed Curriculum Program is designed as an alternative to accreditation to honor programs that meet COMTA’s curriculum and faculty requirements, but may not be able to achieve full accreditation status. It can also serve as a transitional step for those schools interested in accreditation, but not yet ready, as well as a valuable specialty complement for schools institutionally accredited by general career accrediting agencies.
As the only specialized accrediting agency for massage/bodywork and esthetics, COMTA is the resource partner in raising the educational bar with respect to the training of massage/bodywork therapists and estheticians and advancing the profession with distinction, integrity, and passion.
Because ABMP supports COMTA and recognizes the benefits of a COMTA-Endorsed Curriculum for the entire massage and bodywork profession, all ABMP Premier School Members now have an exclusive opportunity to participate in the COMTA-Endorsed Curriculum Program at a reduced rate. Normally $1,395, the new rate for ABMP Premier School Members will be $995, a 28% savings.
“We’re delighted to continue our partnership with COMTA,” says ABMP President Les Sweeney. “We were happy to provide an initial grant to aid COMTA in developing the Endorsed Curriculum in 2015, and supporting this program is consistent with our ongoing dedication to improving massage education.”
Because COMTA aligned the COMTA Competencies with the Entry-Level Analysis Project (ELAP) learning outcomes, COMTA-Endorsed Curriculum reflects the language of the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB) Model Practice Act defining approved schools as those whose curriculum content follows the ELAP recommendations and is acceptable to an accrediting body recognized by the US Department of Education. Qualifying schools can use this status as a point of pride in promoting programs to prospective students and state licensing boards to reflect the high-quality curriculum and instructional standards the school has achieved. These schools will join a network of industry veterans committed to working with schools to help them achieve their goals.
To take advantage of this ABMP Premier School Member benefit and learn more about the COMTA-Endorsed Curriculum process, please contact COMTA Executive Director Dawn Hogue at dhogue@comta.org or 202-888-6790 x101.
