From the Chair
Garnet Adair, NCTMB

Since December 2002, Sue Scoboria, NCTMB, has been serving as the lead person in the newly-created NCBTMB School Outreach Program. Many of you know Sue from her involvement with the board as a director and as past chair. Sue has been contacting numerous schools to initiate conversations as to how the NCBTMB can better meet the needs of the NCBTMB school stakeholders.
    I recently spoke with Sue and asked her a few questions about the new program. Here's what she had to say.

The School Outreach Program will focus on several initiatives. What are they?
The primary initiative of the School Outreach Program is to strengthen communications between the NCB and its stakeholder schools by speaking in person with them to find out how the NCB can better meet the needs of the schools. Although this may not be the most efficient way to gather information, the board agreed that it is certainly the most meaningful and memorable way to connect with and really listen to what school owners and directors would like to communicate to the NCB.
    The second initiative of the program is certainly to bring the information gathered from the schools back to the board to support their commitment to making knowledge-based decisions, and to then devise ways in which the NCB can facilitate future communications with the NCB stakeholder schools. This is a qualitative approach, more than a quantitative one.

What have you done so far to accomplish these initiatives?
The project thus far has included making telephone interview calls to schools, collecting and analyzing data received, and creating several reports, the latest given to the members of the NCB Strategic Planning Committee for their meeting last month. The telephone interviews will continue and a summary report will be given to the board at their meeting in September.

What will the NCBTMB do with the information you have gathered so far?
The NCB will use the information gathered to discuss changes in procedure or materials referenced. For example, many schools would like to receive more information about how to read the score report and explain it to their graduates. With this information, we can discuss ways in which we could meet that need. In addition, the NCB is identifying patterns of requests in order to initiate measures to address them.

What impact does this outreach program have on massage therapy and bodywork schools?
I have noticed that the personal phone call itself has a great impact on schools. When I call to talk about the NCB, directors are genuinely appreciative that the NCB is taking the time to not only speak with them, but to listen to them, too. They appreciate knowing that their direct, verbal feedback will make its way back to the board. The long-term impact on schools will be greater communication, improved service, and some tangible changes that will meet specific needs voiced by the owners and directors of massage therapy and bodywork schools.

As a P.S., you don't need to wait for me to call you! If you are a school director or owner, and you'd like to be a part of the School Outreach Program, please call me at 860-202-5652. I look forward to speaking with you!

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Approved Providers Lead the Way with High Quality Continuing Education

The NCBTMB Approved Providers have several advantages in meeting the continuing education needs of practicing massage therapists and bodyworkers. They:

• Attest to their commitment to quality programs;
• Enhance the potential of having their hours accepted by more states as increasing numbers of massage therapists and bodyworkers are mandated to obtain continuing education;
• Potentially reduce the cost and heavy paperwork load to get their courses approved state-by-state, and eliminate their need for having to get each program approved; and
• Receive retroactive approval for their courses once approval status has been granted.

How the Program Works
Members of the NCBTMB Continuing Education/ Recertification Panel have the responsibility for administering the NCBTMB Approved Provider Program. They work to:

• Establish and administer policies and procedures by which continuing professional education providers are evaluated.
• Continually review and approve continuing professional education provider applications.
• Administer a complaint and discipline process for approved continuing professional education providers.
• Make recommendations to the NCBTMB Board of Directors about any changes to the Continuing Education/ Recertification Panel criteria.

Two members of the panel read, review, and assess each application for compliance with the criteria. They also request additional information from the applicant if necessary. The entire panel then votes on the action. Newly approved providers are notified in writing as to the panel's decision, and they are listed in the NCB Connection.
The panel's committee members are volunteers who are knowledgeable in the field of therapeutic massage and bodywork as well as continuing professional education. They are trained in interpreting and uniformly applying the criteria on the Approved Provider Applications. Panel members are also required to read, review, and report on each application in a thoughtful and deliberate manner.

How To Apply
Any continuing education provider related to massage/bodywork can apply to become an NCBTMB Approved Provider. The NCBTMB Approved Provider Application for Continuing Education explains in detail the application process, and can be obtained by visiting www.ncbtmb.com, and clicking on "Continuing Education." Those who apply to become an NCBTMB Approved Provider, must be sure to:

• Study the application booklet until each criterion statement is fully understood. The applicant is responsible for seeking help from the NCBTMB office staff if necessary.
• Review each response on the application to identify any potential weakness.
• Strengthen those weaknesses until each criterion statement has been met satisfactorily.
• Submit a completed application. Applicants must make sure that each question has been answered fully, all supporting documents and materials are attached, and all appropriate fees have been paid.

Critical requirements for those applying to become an NCBTMB Approved Provider are:
• Four completed applications, index tabbed, typed and bound (such as a three-ring binder, or spiral bound notebook).
• Appropriate application fees for an individual or an organization.
• Proof that each program has been planned, taught, or administered by the applicant two times within the two years prior to the application date.

The NCBTMB office will return all incomplete applications.

For More Information…
To become an NCBTMB Approved Provider, please contact Bill Tanner at the NCBTMB office by email, btanner@ncbtmb.com, to request an application; or, visit the NCBTMB web site at www.ncbtmb.com, and click on "Continuing Education" to download the application and the booklet. Those who are currently NCBTMB Approved Providers can also download the Renewal Application Form from the web site.

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Safe Examination Measures Set in Place
The NCBTMB has implemented new measures to ensure that candidates are receiving the highest level of safety and privacy while taking the National Certification Examination for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCETMB). The changes also affect a candidate's application process.
The new measures are:

• Applicant transcripts must be sent and received from the institution at which the individual applicant received training.
• The NCBTMB will conduct an audit of approved schools in its database and validate the assigned school code numbers.
• The NCBTMB will validate the school's state approval.
• Applicants must submit a recent photograph with their signed application.
• Applicants must reproduce a confidentiality statement at the time their application is submitted.
• All information submitted by an applicant may be provided to law enforcement agencies, as well as state, county, and local regulatory agencies at the discretion of the NCBTMB, and/or the request of such agencies.
• All candidates must present identification at the test site that includes a recent photograph and signature. Appropriate forms of identification may include the following: passport, driver's license, other federal or state issued identification, or a Canadian Provincial Citizenship card.
• Applicants testing outside their country of citizenship must present a valid passport.
• Applicants who are unable to comply with the above must contact the NCBTMB office or an authority designated by the NCBTMB.
• Candidates must complete a confidentiality statement after signing the test center log at the test center each time they take the NCE.
• Photographic images of each applicant will be taken prior to their taking the NCE. That photo will be archived with the applicant's record.
• Translators are no longer permitted during the NCE. Applicants may use a strict translation dictionary that will be examined and approved by the testing proctor.

Applicants who violate the NCBTMB testing policies and procedures may be dismissed from the testing center, may have their examination scores cancelled, and may forfeit their eligibility for certification and examination fees. n

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What Happens to My Application Once I Mail It?

• The application and payment arrive at the bank's PO Box address and the NCBTMB's accounting department processes the payment. NCB staff members receive applications in batches from the accounting department.
• NCB staff members review and verify that each application is complete and contains all required supporting documentation.
• An applicant's eligibility information is determined, then entered into the NCB database.

Eligible Applicants

• Eligible applicants will receive a letter of eligibility containing the testing window and testing reservation information.
• Eligible applicants will have three months to take the examination. They will need to contact the testing vendor to arrange the test site, date, and time. Candidates are urged to reserve their testing site, date, and time immediately upon receipt of this eligibility letter.

Incomplete Applications
Those with incomplete applications will receive a letter stating the items missing from the application, and requesting submission of them within the specified time period. The process will be delayed beyond the two-week timeframe, and applicants will have 90 days to submit the missing materials.

How to Submit a Complete Application

By Mail: 2 Weeks
Applicants complete the application and mail it with payment and all supporting documentation to the PO Box address listed in the NCB Candidate Handbook. Applicants must arrange for an official school transcript to be sent directly from the school to the NCB office. Staff members review each application, and verify the submitted transcripts and diplomas. Eligibility is determined and that information is entered into the NCB database. At the end of the two-week period, applicants will receive a letter stating that their application was either accepted and they are eligible to take the NCE, or was incomplete and they need to submit further documentation. Eligible applicants will receive an "Authorization To Test" letter that will explain the testing window and testing reservation information.

Online: 1 Week
Candidates complete the application online through the NCB web site, www.ncbtmb.com. Candidates submit their credit card payment with the application. The candidate must then mail an official school transcript and notarized photocopy of his/her diploma or certificate of completion to the NCB. Staff members review each application, verify transcripts and diplomas. Eligibility is determined and that information is entered into the NCB database. At the end of the one-week period, candidates will receive a letter stating that their application was either accepted and they are eligible to take the NCE, or was incomplete and they need to submit further documentation. Eligible applicants will receive an “Authorization To Test” letter that will explain the testing window and testing reservation information.

Applicants who submit a complete application–either by mail or online–have more success at becoming eligible to take the NCETMB. To submit a completed application–either by mail or online– applicants must complete and sign the application form neatly, and in English. The following materials must be submitted with the application:
• Payment by credit card, money order, personal check, or certified check.
• A notarized copy of the certificate or diploma.
• Recent photo.
• Official transcripts sent directly from the school to the NCB office.

Official school transcripts must include the following information:
1. School name, address, and phone number
2. Official school seal or logo
3. Start and ending/graduation dates
4. Authorized and dated signature of administrator/director
5. Course title, hours, and grade

For applicants who require special accommodations, all documentation supporting the special needs must be included with the application. Page 8 of the NCB Candidate Handbook describes in detail the instructions on how to request special accommodations.

All applications submitted by mail must be sent to:

NCBTMB
Attention: Eligibility Department
c/o First Union Bank
P.O. Box 85080
Richmond, VA 23285

Applications that are sent by express or overnight delivery to the NCB office street address will be returned to the candidate. Sending applications to the NCB office address directly only slows down the candidate's application process, as the bank at the PO Box address listed above must first process the applications.

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NCBTMB
8201 Greensboro Drive, Suite 300
McLean, VA 22102
703-610-9015 … 703-610-9005
1-800-296-0664 (totally automated line)
e-mail: info@ncbtmb.com