Opening a Massage Therapy School in West Virginia

Opening a Massage Therapy School in West Virginia, the requirements for massage therapy practice.

And also, education is overseen by the West Virginia Massage Therapy Licensure Board.

In order for you to start a massage therapy school in West Virginia.

So you must have a minimum of a 500-hour program approving by the West Virginia Massage Therapy Licensure Board.

And also, you will need to have approval from the West Virginia Council for Community and Technical Colleges.

A proposal has been made to increase the number of hours required to 625 in 2018.

Obtaining Approval from the West Virginia Council for Community and Technical Colleges

So you must apply to the council on their application form.

Your application will need to include:

  • Completed personnel qualification forms for the school director, key administrative personnel, instructors, and teaching assistants.
  • This will include copies of their transcripts, degrees, diplomas, professional licenses and certifications.
  • Job descriptions for school director, administrative staff, instructors and also, teaching assistants.
  • Equipment list including furniture, office equipment and also, instructional equipment.
  • Copies of reports from city or county inspections for fire, safety, health and sanitation, done in the three months prior to your application.
  • A copy of your admission application and materials used to document the admission process.
  • Copies of your forms for attendance, make-up work, academic progress, grades earned, notification of unsatisfactory progress and notification of disciplinary action.
  • A copy of the credential (certificate or diploma) issued to students and an example of your school’s student transcript.
  • Core program requirements form with curricula, syllabi, example lesson plans, and also, school calendar.
  • Student to instructor ratios for each course.
  • A list of learning resources, and a copy of your contract with an outside library, if applicable.

Recruiter Or Solicitor For Your School

The school must register each person with the state that is recruiter or solicitor.

Because the fee for your initial application is $2,000.

You will also be required to have a $50,000 surety bond.

You will have to renew annually, at a fee of $500.

Obtaining Approval from the Board of Massage Therapy Licensure

Your massage school curriculum will have to meet the requirements of the board

  • 200 hours in Opening a Massage Therapy School in West Virginia theory and practice, with at least 100 hours of hands-on practice.
  • 100 hours in anatomy and physiology.
  • 15 hours in professional ethics and West Virginia laws and rules.
  • 15 hours in business practices.
  • 20 hours in dynamics of the therapist/client relationship, communication skills and also, boundary functions.
  • 150 hours in other coursework related to massage.
  • CPR and first aid cannot be included in these hours.
  • Any student clinic or fieldwork may not exceed 100 hours and must be supervised by an instructor.
  • Internships cannot be included in the minimum 500 hours and cannot exceed 20% of total program hours.
  • Programs must be a sequential order of courses.
  • You will need to have a course curriculum for each course, showing the basic content in the order presented.
  • Course content and requirements must be consistent from instructor to instructor.
  • So you will need to have detailed lesson plans to ensure consistency.
  • Your program must be at least six months in length, no more than 8 instructional hours per day, no more than 2 hours of instruction without a break.
  • and no more than 4 hours instruction without a meal break if you have 6 or more hours of instruction per day.
  • You must provide a syllabus for each course to the students at the beginning of the course.
  • The syllabus must include course title, course description, learning objectives, total instructional hours, meeting dates, class times, assignments, textbooks, evaluation methods, quiz and examination dates, and also, performance standards.
  • Student to instructor ratio in hands-on classes cannot exceed 16 students to 1 instructor or teaching assistant.

Your school needs to meet standards regarding

  • Administrative staff
    • Program director – responsible for all facets of program’s operation
      • Have a baccalaureate degree or five years experience in massage/bodywork
      • Because have two years experience as an instructor of courses being provided or have two years of education administration experience.
    • Instructional staff who provide more than 6 hours of instruction
      • Theory and Practice of Massage Therapy Instructors
        • At least two years of experience in massage therapy or training and certification in the area they are teaching.
        • Have received training in teaching methods;
        • Be a licensed Opening a Massage Therapy School in West Virginia or a licensed physician, dentist, chiropractor, osteopath, registered nurse, physical therapist, occupational therapist, or acupuncturist.
      • Instructors in all other courses
        • Have received training in teaching methods;
        • At least two years of experience in the area they are teaching or training and certification in the area they are teaching.
        • Have at least 12 semester hours of education in the area they are teaching.
      • Teaching Assistants for Massage Therapy Theory and Practice, 
      • Opening a Massage Therapy School in West Virginia 
        • Be a licensed massage therapist, physician, dentist, chiropractor, osteopath, nurse, physical therapist, occupational therapist or acupuncturist.

          Teaching Assistants for other courses

          • Be a licensed massage therapist, physician, dentist, chiropractor, osteopath, nurse, physical therapist, occupational therapist or acupuncturist.
          • Have at least one year of experience in or have training and certification in the area they are teaching.
          • Have at least six semester credit hours in the area they are teaching.
      • You will need to have job descriptions with performance standards for each administrative and instructional position.

        Your facility

        • Must be safe and sanitary and in compliance with regulations for fire, safety, health and sanitation.
        • Classrooms must have sufficient lighting, ventilation.
        • And also, temperature control to provide a comfortable learning environment.
        • Equipment, supplies and instructional materials must be adequate in type, quality and amount of the courses being taught.
        • So you will need to have an annual fire or safety inspection from local agencies.
        • For hands-on massage therapy classes, you need to have a minimum of 70 square feet per table and have one table per every two students.
        • Tables must be adjustable in height.

          Education credentials

          • You need to provide a certificate or diploma to program graduates.
          • So you may only provide certificates and diplomas to students who have completed all requirements.
          • And also, you will need to authorize agencies that conduct testing to report testing results directly to the board.
      • Learning Resources
        • You will need to have a library with books on massage and bodywork or contract with a facility that has the needed books.
        • Other resources such as charts, models and also, videotapes must be maintained in good condition.
      • Standards of Professional Behavior
        • Staff and students will follow the standards of practice from the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork and the West Virginia Code of Ethics.
        • Nudity (exposure of genital or anal areas, or women’s breasts) is not permitted.
        • You will need to have a private area where people getting a massage can dress and undress.
        • You will need to have curtains around tables to create a private area and teach students privacy for the client.

Summary

In order to start a private massage therapy school in Opening a Massage Therapy School in West Virginia.

And also, you need approval from the Opening a Massage Therapy School in West Virginia Licensure Board as well as a permit to operate from the West Virginia Council for Community and Technical Colleges.

The cost of the application to the Council for Community and Technical Colleges is $2,000.

Annual renewals are $500.

In addition, you will be required to maintain a $50,000 surety bond.

Links

West Virginia Massage Therapy Licensure Board

Virginia Massage Therapy School Standards

West Virginia Council for Community and Technical Colleges – Proprietary School Information

Neal Lyons is a founding member and volunteer contributor at the MTSI Institute, an information based portal dedicated to guiding and assisting aspiring massage therapists establish a successful career in massage. Neal is a published author and has collaborated on several mobile applications that serve the massage profession. You can view his published work on Amazon, iTunes, Barnes & Noble, Sony and Kobo. You can connect with him on Facebook, Twitter and on Google+

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