From the Chair
Judy Dean, M.Ed, RN, NCTMB, CHt

Autumn is now in full swing – the end of summer, the onset of cooler weather, the changing colors of the leaves – these are all signs that fall has arrived, as well as signs that remind many of us that it is time to go back to school.
    In our field that does not necessarily apply, but it has prompted me to reflect on the importance of education, continuing education and professional development.
Herbert Spencer, renowned British philosopher and sociologist, once said, "The great aim of education is not knowledge but action."
    This fall, I urge you to keep this in mind and consider what actions you can take to share the benefits of massage and bodywork with members of your community and to convey the importance of National Certification to your fellow practitioners, prospective students and potential employers.
    You have all demonstrated your regard for education and professional development by being where you are now and instilling knowledge in the therapists of the future. As a school administrator, one of your most important obligations is to serve as an ambassador for the field of massage and bodywork and National Certification.
It is imperative that we reach out to the public, our peers, our colleagues and our friends and family. We need to ensure that they know not only what massage can do for them personally – relieve stress, alleviate anxiety, ease pain, increase circulation, strengthen the immune system, improve mental health – but professionally as well. The field of massage and bodywork as a profession offers many great career opportunities for your students. Once they graduate and obtain National Certification and any necessary licenses, they can often work as little or as much as they want, there is room to tap into the entrepreneurial spirit and the employment possibilities are endless – private practices, personal homes, hospitals, spas and many more.
    Our industry is continuing to grow and thrive, but ultimately its livelihood depends on us, particularly you as a school administrator. That is why it is so important for us to get out in the community, take action and educate the public. To do this you can organize community-based information sessions – a great place to hold these would be at your local public library – you can write articles and submit them to your local paper for publication and you can easily pick up a calendar of events from your chamber of commerce and attend any relevant business-related happenings – a great way to network with other business leaders in your area.
    Good luck and remember, Nationally Certified practitioners are the lifeblood of NCBTMB, instructors are the foundation of NCBTMB and students are the future of NCBTMB.
    Until next time…work steady and play often!

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Making the Grade
Measure the Performance of Your School's Graduates
As a school administrator, you want the best for your students and graduates. After hours of coursework, many of your students choose to demonstrate their knowledge and credibility by applying for National Certification and taking the National Certification Examination for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork (NCE).
Schools can evaluate the performance of their students on the NCE by submitting a short form to NCBTMB:

• Visit the NCBTMB Web site at www.ncbtmb.com and click on the "Shortcut to Important Forms" link.
• Scroll down to the link for "School Pass Rate Request Form" to download the form.
• Enclose the $25 fee made payable to The Chauncey Group (only school checks, certified checks and money orders are accepted).
• Mail the form and fee to NCBTMB's testing partner at:
  The Chauncey Group International
  c/o NCBTMB Customer Service
  664 Rosedale Road
  Princeton, NJ 08540

Your school's pass rate will be mailed to you within seven to 10 business days after receipt.

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Meet the NCBTMB Staff: Christina Allen and Frank Kim

Christina Allen (left) and Frank Kim.

In each issue InfoLine sits down with members of NCBTMB's staff to learn more about their roles within the organization and how they work to better serve NCBTMB's diverse constituency.
In this issue, InfoLine spoke with Christina Allen, general information coordinator, and Frank Kim, general information and continuing education coordinator, for NCBTMB. Christina and Frank both came to NCBTMB this year and have quickly delved in to the work at the heart of NCBTMB – working to make all applicants eligible. They hope sharing their experiences will show schools and students how they can quickly and efficiently apply their own expertise in the credential application process.

InfoLine: What brought you to NCBTMB?
Christina Allen: I was looking for a change of pace from my previous job and really wanted to find a position that would allow me to help others and learn something new for myself – NCBTMB is the perfect home.
Frank Kim: I knew I wanted to continue working in and contributing to a credentialing/certification program, but one that was completely different from the field that I worked in previously, which was the aviation/airport industry. I found NCBTMB to be intriguing and was interested in the aspect of a new challenge and the growing opportunities here at NCBTMB.

IL: Typically, what does your day consist of?
CA: My day centers around communication – communicating with applicants. Whether it's over the phone, via e-mail or snail mail, I'm here for them. I find out what they need help with and then do everything I can to make them eligible.
FK: Every day at NCBTMB is vastly different because we deal with different candidates and circumstances each day. Always though I am responding to the needs of candidates. I review each of the candidate's files to make sure that they meet all the requirements in order for them to be eligible to take the National Certification Exam. I also handle all inquires related to the certification programs and respond to candidates and prospective candidates in regards to their questions and inquiries.

IL: What is the most rewarding aspect of your job for you?
CA: What I find most gratifying is that I'm able to help people not only accomplish their professional goals, but achieve their personal dreams.
FK: The most rewarding aspect of my job is to be able to assist the students, practitioners and candidates pursuing their certification in order to either begin or advance their careers in the field of therapeutic massage and bodywork. When I am able to help and can guide candidates through the certification process, I feel like I've lived up to my role and done my job. I can't ask for anything more than that.

IL: There has been an increase in application volume recently. How has that affected you?
CA: I have to work extra hard to keep up with everything, but I don't mind because it just means that a great deal of people are recognizing the value of National Certification and that is so exciting. I handle everything one thing at a time, pace myself and focus on working efficiently.
FK: The overflow of new graduating students and volume of applications have kept us incredibly busy, but I think it has had a positive effect on me. I've always liked the feeling of being busy and working in a fast-paced environment, so when things get extremely busy I'm able to stay calm and collected and provide good, efficient client service. I try to be positive, patient and understanding to the fact that candidates are eager to get certified. I think diligence, a positive attitude and patience is key to handling such a busy time.

IL: What question do you get the most from candidates? What is your response?
CA: That's easy, it is, "How long will the whole application process take from start to finish?" The answer is that during this extremely busy time it takes four to six weeks to completely process an application.
FK: The two questions I hear the most are, "What is the status of my application?" and, "What do I need to do to become Nationally Certified?" My initial response is to request the information we need in order to answer these questions, including their name and social security number, so that I can search for their information in our database. Then, I assist them appropriately depending on their needs.

IL: What advice would you give to applicants awaiting certification? What can they do to ensure the process goes as smoothly and quickly as possible?
CA: I would just recommend that candidates be patient and allow the necessary time for processing. Also, I would urge them to keep in mind that we are working as hard as we can to make all candidates eligible - that is what we want too.
FK: The two things that I would advise candidates to do are to continue studying and preparing for the exam and to be patient with the application process. To ensure that the process goes smoothly, I would suggest applicants read the application handbook and fill out the application completely, submitting all the necessary documents as requested, so that the processing period will not be delayed.

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Executive Insight: A Glimpse into the Perspective of NCBTMB’s Executive Director, Mark Smith
NCBTMB is Dedicated to Its Partnerships with Schools

These Relationships are the Key to the Success of Students

The number of Nationally Certified practitioners in the field of massage therapy and bodywork is on the rise and although I have been here just a few short months, I know that the growth can be attributed in part to the more than 1,200 schools that support NCBTMB. NCBTMB is committed to working with teachers and schools to achieve the highest standards for the profession and as executive director of the organization it is my job to facilitate that collaboration.
NCBTMB recognizes the need to build a strong coalition with schools and teachers to communicate the value and prestige of the credential. With many states and local regulatory bodies using the National Certification Exam as the rigorous standard of competency, students will need the knowledge and comprehensive curricula necessary to achieve certification.
    While NCBTMB recognizes there are issues to be addressed in this process, our goal is to eliminate confusion, garner understanding and foster success in producing competent, knowledgeable certified professionals. We believe working together with teachers and schools, listening to your concerns, communicating freely and providing tools to accomplish our goals will be the key to students' accomplishments.
    NCBTMB representatives will be attending the Council of Schools Leadership Conference in January and will be making a presentation that may provide insight into the exam development process. In addition, the Board recognizes that schools want to provide input into any changes made to the exam. Our goals are similar: we want to equip students to be the best professionals and get the message out about the credential to encourage high standards of ethical practice.
    National Certification not only represents the utmost degree of competence in massage and bodywork, it is a seal of excellence highly regarded in the industry and a symbol of dedication to professional service and practice. We want to work with you to ensure students have the knowledge necessary to pass the exam and recognize the value of the credential.
    We will be publishing another issue of InfoLine before the end of the year. Please use this newsletter to provide us with feedback and information so that we can continue our relationship and offer you the resources necessary to communicate effectively with students.
    Thank you for your participation and we look forward to working with you.

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School Outreach Corner
By Sue Scoboria, NCBTMB School Outreach Coordinator, answers your questions.

Q: Will NCBTMB accept online courses as part of the 500 hours required to become eligible to take the NCETMB or the NCETM?

A: The NCBTMB eligibility criteria currently does not allow for any of the courses within the 500 hour requirement for the National Certification examinations to be taken online. All 500 hours must be completed with an instructor present on the premises of a massage therapy and/or bodywork school approved to operate in its state and having received a school code from the NCBTMB. Hours completed above and beyond the required number of hours to meet the 500-hour requirement are at the discretion of the individual school's transfer credit policy.

If you have a question for NCBTMB's school outreach coordinator, don't hesitate to contact her at 860-822-6646 or schooloutreach@ncbtmb.com.

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School Outreach, Vegas Style!
NCBTMB Travels to Las Vegas to Touch Base with Stakeholders

This past summer NCBTMB's effort to reach out to massage schools continued at the first annual AMTA Nevada Chapter Massage Therapy Convention, held in August at the San Remo hotel in Las Vegas.
Representatives from NCBTMB attended the convention to deliver information on National Certification to the several massage school owners, directors and administrators local to the Las Vegas area who were in attendance.
    Susan Scoboria, NCBTMB school outreach coordinator, and Sally Hacking, NCBTMB government relations consultant, conducted an informative presentation during the convention that shed light on the application process for certification. They also hosted a question and answer session to provide valuable information that could be passed on to massage school graduates.
    "The event was tremendously successful," said Scoboria. "All who participated asked pertinent questions and expressed their gratitude with regards to our efforts to explain the National Certification process."

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NCBTMB
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703-610-9015 … 703-610-9005
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e-mail: info@ncbtmb.com