Your state board or licensing agency . . . you recognize its name on your license, you know it’s where you submit your renewal information, and it may reach out to you from time to time with a new rule change. But have you ever considered the inner workings of a state licensing board or viewed it from a public-service lens?
Service on a state licensing board is a rewarding opportunity to contribute to creating and applying policies and rules that protect the health, safety, and welfare of the public and practicing massage therapists. Currently, 45 states require massage therapy licensure and only licensing boards and agencies can offer massage therapists a voice in regulating their profession at the state level.* Having proper representation on a board is vital; decisions about your profession are being made by your peers.
Knowing how licensing boards work and how you can make a positive impact as a board member is vital info for massage therapists—boards hold a lot of responsibility, and practitioners sitting on a board can help shape the profession by making important decisions for the larger community. Let’s begin by understanding what a board does and its obligations to licensees.
What Do Boards Do?
State licensing boards provide oversight for many professions, including physicians, nurses, cosmetologists, and massage therapists. Board duties differ state to state, but generally, massage licensing boards are responsible for:
- Ensuring compliance with licensing standards
- Protecting and upholding massage scope of practice
- Establishing school and instructor requirements
- Approving educational program/curriculum criteria
- Overseeing examination processes
- Accepting or denying massage license applications
- Developing continuing education requirements
- Participating in investigation and disciplinary processes
- Issuing, renewing, suspending, or revoking licenses
- Suggesting and revising rules when necessary
Essentially, a massage licensing board exists to preserve the credibility of the license they represent by creating educational standards to safely and ethically practice on the public.
Why Serve on a Board?
Board members represent the everyday practitioner, and proper board representation is paramount. Public service is an endeavor worth exploring. There are advantages to sitting on a board at any stage in your career—it can be an enjoyable experience, a prime opportunity to give back, and a chance to build your leadership skills. You get to learn about state government and work with like-minded practitioners from the massage community who want to advance the profession.
Top Reasons to Become a Board Member:
- Invest in your community
- Learn how to advocate
- Grow as a leader
- Build your network
- Gain new skills
When Are There Board Vacancies?
State board vacancies occur year-round and can be for licensed massage therapists, instructors, school owners, and public members. Most states require board members to have 3–5 years of massage therapy experience.
ABMP notifies members in states that are seeking new board members, so watch your inbox! If you’d like to “try before you buy,” we encourage you to attend a board meeting—most meetings are now virtual in the post-COVID era. Board meeting dates/times are typically posted on a state’s massage board website. Find your state massage board or agency site here (click on your state).
The bottom line: Get engaged in advocacy and elevate your voice for your profession. You’ll learn a lot, make a difference, and feel good doing it. We hope to see you at future meetings!
* Kansas, Minnesota, and Wyoming do not require any massage therapy regulation. California offers a voluntary massage therapy certification, and Vermont has a massage therapy registration.