The Wakefield Board of Health finds it necessary to license the practice
of massage therapy; bodywork; movement education in order to protect the public
health and safety. It is the Board's intent that only individuals who
meet and maintain minimum standards of competence and conduct may provide
services to the public.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings
indicated:
ADVISORY BOARD
The group of professional and consumer representatives whose function shall be to assist Boards of Health of Massachusetts cities and towns in their evaluation of the credentials of applicants for licensure and in their evaluation of grievances against practitioners. The Advisory Board shall also evaluate and approve additional state and national professional associations and institutes for inclusion on the Advisory Board. See §
420-11 where the Advisory Board is further defined.
DIRECT SUPERVISION
A practicum conducted in the context of a five-hundred-hour course
of study with an instructor present to observe.
ESTABLISHMENT
The room or group of rooms, office, building, place of business or
premises where massage therapy; bodywork; movement education is practiced.
FIELDWORK
A practicum conducted by a student/apprentice practitioner on his/her
own without an instructor present to observe. "Fieldwork" hours may be required
as part of a massage therapy; bodywork; movement education curriculum and
shall be over and above the five-hundred-hour course of study and shall be
indirectly supervised by a licensed professional practitioner.
FIVE-HUNDRED-HOUR COURSE OF STUDY
Study in massage therapy; bodywork; movement education taking place
in one (1) or any combination of the following: a class setting, a one-on-one
student/instructor setting or a direct supervision setting with a supervisor
present for observation of work. A "five-hundred-hour course of study" shall
include but not be limited to the subjects of technique, anatomy and physiology,
practicum, communication skills, business practices and ethics.
INFORMATION PACKET
A published compilation, prepared by the Advisory Board, of descriptions,
standards for practice, codes of ethics and required documentation for licenses
and permits related to each massage therapy; bodywork; movement education
state or national professional association and institute herein named.
MASSAGE THERAPY; BODYWORK; MOVEMENT EDUCATION
The act or technique of moving or manipulating superficial or deep
tissues, muscles, joints or bones by rubbing, kneading, guiding or the like
by manual or mechanical means or as directed by the practitioner for the purpose
of invigoration, relaxation, education or an increase in physical and/or emotional
health and well-being. The term "massage therapy; bodywork; movement education"
shall include but not be limited to body-mind centering; body-oriented psychotherapy;
the Feldenkrais Method ("Feldenkrais" is a registered service mark of the
Feldenkrais Guild); massage therapy; neuromuscular therapy; oriental bodywork
therapies, including acupressure, Amma, Anma, Chi nei sang, Jin shin do, Okazaki
Restorative Massage, Nuat thai, Shiatsu and Tuina; polarity therapy; Rolfing
(the words "Rolfing" and "Rolfer" are registered service marks of the Rolf
Institute); and the Trager Approach ("Trager" is a registered service mark
of the Trager Institute).
MEMBER
A member of the Advisory Board.
OFF-PREMISES BUSINESS
The practice of massage therapy; bodywork; movement education at
locations other than an establishment, including but not limited to private
homes, businesses and sports events.
PROFESSIONAL PRACTITIONER
Any person who has completed a minimum five-hundred-hour course of
study in massage therapy; bodywork; movement education which meets the standards
of a state or national professional association or institute or has passed
the national certification exam for therapeutic massage and bodywork or has
been recommended by the Advisory Board and who, for compensation, hire or
reward, engages in the practice of massage therapy; bodywork; movement education.
STATE OR NATIONAL PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION OR INSTITUTE
An organization providing standards for practice, a code of ethics
and a grievance procedure and providing or approving a five-hundred-hour course
of study. State or national professional associations or institutes meeting
the above criteria include but shall not be limited to the American Massage
Therapy Association, American Oriental Bodywork Therapy Association, American
Polarity Therapy Association, Body-Mind Centering Association, Inc., the Feldenkrais
Guild, Massachusetts Association for Body-Oriented Psychotherapy and Counseling
Bodywork, Massachusetts Professional Bodywork Association, the Rolf Institute
and the Trager Institute.
STUDENT/APPRENTICE PRACTITIONER
Any person having accumulated fewer than five hundred (500) hours
in his/her course of study and engaged in a fieldwork practicum in massage
therapy; bodywork; movement education outside of a training facility or school
for the purpose of meeting curriculum requirements and/or for compensation,
hire or reward. A "student/apprentice practitioner" shall maintain contact
with a licensed professional practitioner responsible for overseeing his/her
fieldwork.
TRAINING FACILITY OR SCHOOL
Any premises, facility, structure or building used to train individuals
to become professional practitioners of massage therapy; bodywork; movement
education.
No person shall be licensed to practice as a professional practitioner
of massage therapy; bodywork; movement education in the Town of Wakefield
unless he/she meets the following requirements. He/she shall:
A. Submit to the Wakefield Board of Health a complete application
form as supplied by the Board of Health. False statements in said application
shall be grounds for denial or revocation of a license.
B. Provide satisfactory evidence that the applicant is eighteen
(18) years of age or older by presenting two (2) forms of positive identification
or a valid passport.
C. Submit a demonstration of competency in one (1) of the
following three (3) ways:
(1) Submit satisfactory evidence of education, as outlined
on the documentation page of the information packet.
(2) Submit evidence of having passed the national certification
exam for therapeutic massage and bodywork.
(3) Submit evidence of having received a recommendation from
the Advisory Board confirming completion of a course of study and/or training
experience evaluated as equivalent to a five-hundred-hour course of study
in massage therapy; bodywork; movement education.
D. Submit one (1) face-front photograph at least two (2)
inches in size taken within thirty (30) days prior to the submission of the
application.
E. Agree to follow all rules and regulations specified herein
and conduct him/herself in accordance with the standards of practice and ethical
guidelines of his/her state or national professional association or institute
named herein or in accordance with the ethical code outlined by the Health
Board. Professional practitioners shall not misrepresent their training, experience,
credentials or title.
F. Submit proof of a skin test for tuberculosis within the
last two (2) years. A new skin test for tuberculosis shall be required every
three (3) years thereafter.
G. File an application for renewal not less than thirty
(30) days prior to the expiration of his/her license, whereupon his/her existing
license shall not expire until the Wakefield Board of Health has determined
the application's renewal status. At time of filing the renewal application,
the applicant shall submit satisfactory evidence, as outlined on the documentation
page of the information packet, of his/her current professional status.
No person shall be granted a student/apprentice practitioner permit
to practice massage therapy; bodywork; movement education in the Town of Wakefield
unless he/she meets the following requirements. He/she shall:
A. Submit to the Wakefield Board of Health a completed application
form as supplied by the Board of Health which shall include the name, address
and phone number of the applicant's fieldwork instructor (a licensed
professional practitioner). False statements in said application shall be
grounds for denial or revocation of a permit.
B. Provide satisfactory evidence that the applicant is eighteen
(18) years of age or older by presenting two (2) forms of positive identification
or a valid passport.
C. Submit satisfactory evidence, as outlined on the documentation
page of the information packet, that he/she is engaged in the pursuit of a
five-hundred-hour course of study in massage therapy; bodywork; movement education.
D. Submit one (1) face-front photograph at least two by
two (2 x 2) inches in size taken within thirty (30) days prior to the submission
of the application.
E. Submit proof of a skin test for tuberculosis within the
last two (2) years. A new skin test for tuberculosis shall be required every
three (3) years thereafter.
F. Agree to follow all rules and regulations specified herein
and conduct him/herself in accordance with the standards for practice and
ethical guidelines of his/her state or national professional association or
institute named herein or in accordance with the ethical code outlined by
the Advisory Board. Student/apprentice practitioners shall not misrepresent
their training, experience, credentials or title.
G. File an application for renewal not less than thirty
(30) days prior to the expiration of his/her permit, whereupon the existing
permit shall not expire until the Wakefield Board of Health has determined
the renewal application's status. At the time of filing the renewal application,
the applicant shall submit satisfactory evidence, as outlined on the documentation
page of the information packet, of current enrollment in a training program
in massage therapy; bodywork; movement education.
Every operator of a solely off-premises business shall meet the following
requirements. The operator shall:
A. Submit to the Wakefield Board of Health a completed application
form containing all information therein requested. False statements in said
application shall be grounds for revocation or denial of a permit.
C. Carry his/her practitioner's license or permit and
off-premises business permit when conducting off-premises business.
D. Notify the Wakefield Board of Health within fourteen
(14) days of names and addresses of locations (except private homes) of off-premises
business once business has become frequent [i.e., ten (10) or more sessions
over a six-month period].
E. File an application for renewal not less than thirty
(30) days prior to the expiration of the permit, whereupon the existing permit
shall not expire until the Wakefield Board of Health has finally determined
the renewal application's status.
No person shall practice massage therapy; bodywork; movement education
on a temporary basis in the Town of Wakefield unless he/she meets the following
requirements. He/she shall:
A. Submit to the Wakefield Board of Health a completed application
form supplying all information therein requested. This form shall be completed
by the individual practitioner on his/her own behalf or by an agent of the
temporary event on behalf of the participating practitioner(s).
B. Perform or allow to be performed no illegal act on the
premises of the temporary event.
C. Maintain hygienic practices to the greatest degree allowed
by the conditions of the temporary event.
D. Agree to follow all rules and regulations specified herein
and conduct him/herself in accordance with the standards for practice and
ethical guidelines of his/her professional association or institute named
herein or in accordance with the ethical code outlined by the Advisory Board.
E. Student/apprentice practitioners who practice in a Massachusetts
city or town that does not require a permit or student/apprentice practitioners
from out of state shall not qualify for a temporary license.
A massage therapy; bodywork; movement education license does not qualify
the practitioner to practice colonic hydrotherapy.
Whoever violates any provision of these rules and regulations, as stated
herein, under the authority of and as pertaining to MGL c. 111, § 31
and c. 140, §§ 51 and 53, shall be punished by a fine of not
more than one thousand dollars ($1,000.).
If any section, paragraph, sentence, clause, phrase or word of the rules
and regulations shall be declared invalid for any reason whatsoever, such
declaration shall not affect any other portion of the rules and regulations,
which shall remain in full force and effect, and to this end so shall the
provisions of these rules and regulations.