On April 23, 2014 city officials throughout California participated in a news conference with Assembly Members Susan Bonilla (D-Concord), Jimmy Gomez (D-Los Angeles) and Chris Holden (D-Pasadena) to announce the Massage Therapy Act of 2014. The Act, which makes substantial changes to the Massage Therapy Act of 2008, was approved on June 23, 2014 by the Senate Committee on Business, Professions and Economic Development. The law is seen as an important step toward eliminating the human trafficking and prostitution associated with the Massage industry within the State of California and will go into affect on January 1st, 2015.
After hearing of the Act’s approval, Ms. Paula Curtiss, Founding Director for Healing Hands School of Holistic Health (HHSHH), commented, “With the Massage Therapists’ job rate growing at a rate of 23%, the CAMTC ‘s (California Massage Therapy Council) role is more important than ever. Massage establishments that engage in illicit activities exploit women and negatively impact the industry’s reputation. Now, the CAMTC’s new standards of operation will be more enforceable, weeding out offenders. ”
The CAMTC is a non-profit organization tasked in 2008 with licensing of massage therapists and regulating the industry statewide. In addition to providing more enforceable standards of professional operation, the 2014 law empowers local law enforcement to shut down places where there is a threat to health and safety or where illegal activities take place. The CAMTC is also empowered to “punish” clinics and certificate holders that engage in sexually suggestive advertising to discourage such practices.
Other changes enacted by the law include raising professional standards for Massage Therapists, requiring them to attain a minimum of 500 hours of massage education before being eligible for state certification. This means phasing out the previous 250-hour Massage Practitioner Certification. The new standards also require certificate holders to obtain Continuing Educational Credits (CEUs) for certification renewal.
With over 80 Massage Therapy and Holistic Health courses to offer, HHSHH is in a great position to help therapists meet the new CAMTC standards”, said Harmony Curtiss, Classroom Manager HHSHH Laguna Hills. “In most cases, applicants can transfer credit hours from a previous massage school to HHSHH’s 500-hour Massage Therapy or 1000-hour Holistic Health Practitioner Program. As a year-round school, students with the previous minimum of 250 massage hours can become eligible for State Certification in as little as 3 months! Our classes qualify for CEU’s as well so student/graduates can return annually to take enriching classes while satisfying CAMTC requirements,” she added. To learn more about HHSHH classes, Programs or Financial Aid options, call 949.305.2722 or go to www.HealingHandsSchool.com .