About

Massage Therapy Program Current Facts:

The Massage Therapy Program at James Rumsey is currently accredited by COE the Commission on Occupational Education and allows the student access to funding and is recognized by 46 regulatory massage agencies throughout the nation. We are due for our scheduled review to renew for another six years in February of 2020 insuring the students ability to qualify to practice anywhere they may move in the United States.

The massage program will be offered twice per school year starting in July and January. The program consist of 675 hours requiring a full time schedule Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 2:40 pm each day, encompassing 100 business days in less than six months. There are 600 live hours and 75 independent studies.

To complete the total hours the student will be responsible for 75 hours computer based independent activities outside the scheduled school day. These are subject to changes and will be more clearly defined on the first day of school each session. Under the proper conditions a student may be able to start the independent study portion of the program before the start of the next semester. This will be arranged by the instructor and all paperwork will need completed before access is granted.
The massage industry requires a license to have a professional practice. The process starts with a diploma from a massage program of 500-1000 hours. This qualifies the applicant to pursue the national licensing test, The MBLEx and with a passing score have that sent to any state massage regulatory agency that you wish to practice within. The state of practice will require a diploma, passing MBLEx score, Fees, CPR healthcare level, background check, and possibly another state test on massage law and advertising before issuing a license to practice. The massage program covers at the very least the four closest states WV, MD, PA, VA, and DC. To work in each the professional would need to qualify for each. Once issued the states require continuing education to maintain the license at least 24 hours with at least 3 in Ethics.

Massage Therapist's can not accept insurance to make a claim unless a doctor prescribes massage therapy. The individual insurance companies dictate the massage therapist's qualifications to make a claim once it has been prescribed. Insurance companies may require a Physical Therapist or Board Certification Massage Therapist to perform the massage with a minimum number of years experience before a claim can be made.

The minimum qualification to take the NCBTMB Board Certification test is 750 hours of education and 250 hours of work experience taking at least 6 months post graduation. The NCBTMB test requires a fee, a passing grade, membership fees, and continuing educations to maintain the credential. This has nothing to do with entry level licensure. This has to do with individual insurance companies and their policies and the fact that massage therapists will never bill insurance companies directly without a doctor's prescription.

Massage Therapy Program Philosophy

To provide students with a safe and supervised learning experience which promotes the health and well-being of their clients and themselves.

Massage Therapy Program Mission Statement

The Massage Therapy program is committed to preparing students to perform an excellent therapeutic massage through a strong anatomical knowledge base, accurate client assessment, and proper implementation of massage skills. I will foster in our students a dedication to personal growth, professional preparation, continued education, and community involvement.

Opportunities