13:37-16.11 Continuing education, programs, standards
(a) Upon biennial certification renewal, certificants shall attest that they have completed courses of continuing education of the types and number of credit hours specified in (b), (c), (d) and (e) below. Falsification of any information submitted on the renewal application may require an appearance before the Committee and may subject a certificant to penalties and/or suspension or revocation of the certification pursuant to N.J.S.A. 45:1-21 through 25.
(b) Each applicant for biennial license renewal shall be required to obtain current certification in Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) from a course approved by the Red Cross or American Heart Association, or a substantially similar course approved by the American Red Cross, the National Safety Council, Coyne First Aid, Inc., the American Safety and Health Institute or EMP International Inc., and to complete during the preceding biennial period, except as provided in (c) below, a minimum of 20 credit hours of continuing education related to the practice of massage, bodywork and somatic therapy. Courses that are related solely to the business practices of certificants shall not satisfy continuing education requirements.
(c) A certificant who is certified in the second year of a biennial renewal period shall be required to complete 10 credit hours of continuing education.
(d) A certificant who completes more than the minimum continuing education credit hours set forth above in any biennial registration period may carry no more than 20 of the additional credit hours into a succeeding biennial period.
(e) A certificant may obtain continuing education credit hours from the following:
1. Successful completion of continuing education courses or programs related to the practice of massage, bodywork and somatic therapy, approved by, or offered by providers approved by: the NCBTMB; the NCCAOM; the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA); the American Organization for Bodywork Therapies of Asia (AOBTA); the Association of Bodywork and Massage Professionals (ABMP); and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC): one credit hour for each hour of attendance;
2. Successful completion of continuing education courses or programs related to the practice of massage, bodywork and somatic therapy given by a school of massage, bodywork or somatic therapy that meets the requirements of N.J.A.C. 13:37-16.3(b): one credit hour for each hour of attendance;
3. Successful completion of a course, related to the practice of massage, bodywork and somatic therapy, given by a school, college or university accredited by the New Jersey Department of Education, or approved by the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development or the New Jersey Commission on Higher Education, or an agency of another state, which has requirements substantially similar to the requirements of the New Jersey Department of Education, or approved by the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development or the New Jersey Commission on Higher Education: one credit hour for each hour of attendance;
4. Teaching a new continuing education program related to massage, bodywork and somatic therapy that is approved pursuant to (e)1, 2 or 3 above; "new" means that the certificant has never taught or developed curriculum for that course program in any educational setting: one credit hour for each hour taught;
5. Authorship of a textbook or a chapter of a textbook directly related to the practice of massage, bodywork and somatic therapy: four credit hours for each chapter up to 20 credit hours;
6. Authorship of a published article, which has been refereed through peer review related to the practice of massage, bodywork and somatic therapy, in a medical or health related journal: four credit hours; and
7. Presenting a new seminar or lecture to professional peers, provided the seminar or lecture is at least one hour long; "new" means that the certificant has never presented the seminar or lecture before: one credit hour for each hour of presentation.
(f) The Committee should perform audits on randomly selected certificants to determine compliance with continuing education requirements. A certificant shall maintain the following documentation for a period of four years after completion of the credit hours and shall submit such documentation to the Committee upon request:
1. For attendance at programs or courses: a certificate of completion from the sponsor;
2. For publication of textbook or article: the published item, including the date of publication;
3. For developing curriculum or teaching a course or program: documentation, including a copy of the curriculum, location, date and time of course, duration of course by hour, and letter from sponsor confirming that the certificant developed or taught the course or program; and
4. For presenting a lecture or seminar: documentation including the location, date and duration of the lecture or seminar.
(g) The Committee may waive the continuing education requirements of this section on an individual basis for reasons of hardship, such as severe illness, disability, or military service.
1. A certificant seeking a waiver of the continuing education requirements shall apply to the Committee in writing at least 90 days prior to certificate renewal and set forth in specific detail the reasons for requesting the waiver. The certificant shall provide the Committee with supplemental materials that support the request for waiver.
2. A waiver of continuing education requirements granted pursuant to this subsection shall only be effective for the biennial period in which such waiver is granted. If the condition(s) which necessitated the waiver continue(s) into the next biennial period, a certificant shall apply to the Committee for the renewal of such waiver for the new biennial period.
(h) The Committee may direct or order a certificant to complete continuing education credit hours:
1. As part of a disciplinary or remedial measure in addition to the required 20 hours of continuing education; or
2. To correct a deficiency in the certificant's continuing education requirements.
(i) Any continuing education credit hours completed by the certificant in compliance with an order or directive from the Committee as set forth in (i) above shall not be used to satisfy the minimum continuing education requirements as set forth in this section.
Amended by R. 2007 d. 138, effective May 7, 2007. See: 38 N.J.R. 4397(a), 39 N.J.R. 1757(a). In (b), substituted "Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)" for "Basic Life Support (BLS)':; and in (h)3, updated N.J.A.C. reference. Amended by R. 2009 d. 259, effective August 17, 2009. See: 40 N.J.R. 6757(a), 41 N.J.R. 3093(a). Deleted former (e)2 and (h); and recodified former (e)3 through (e)8 as (e)2 through (e)7, and recodified former (i) and (j) as (h) and (i). Amended by R. 2010 d. 005, effective January' 4, 2010. See: 41 N.J.R. 1160(a), 42 N.J.R. 72(b). Rewrote (e)3.