The Massage Pundit

I’m borrowing this title from an actual press release from the NCBTMB, dated August 21, 2007.  I don’t have the space here to print the whole thing, so please follow this link and read it. If you’re unfamiliar with the past history of the NCB in recent years, it will give you some insight.

The rumor mill seems to be working overtime these days when it comes to the NCBTMB. While I’m certainly opinionated (who, me?) and sometimes speculate, I don’t want to get caught up in printing things that I can’t confirm as truth, so some of the sleeping dogs are going to have to lie for the time being.

One rumor I have confirmed is that Christopher Laxton, former CEO, is suing the NCB and Donna Feeley for $230,000 in civil court. There’s no little irony here, since Laxton was one of the signers of the document linked to above; at the time, Feeley was the Board Chair.  The trial is scheduled for February.  I personally contacted Mr. Laxton, and he informed me that he has requested a jury trial, and that it was necessary for him to withhold public comment at this time. History does seem to be repeating itself, as he’s not the first CEO to sue the NCB in recent years.

There are a lot of other rumors swirling. A number of people have parted ways with the NCB in recent months. Whitney Lowe left the task force; Chris Alvarado and Angela Palmier left their job as industry relations specialists after only 5 months on the job;  Monica Reno resigned right after getting re-elected to serve another term, and four whole sentences were devoted to her departure; a long-standing outside vendor broke off the relationship last week; no confirmation on why that happened. The party line is usually well-wishes on both parts, when there’s any acknowledgment at all.  Do people believe it? No, I don’t think so. But when no one is willing to talk on the record, rumors fly.

Other tidbits that are floating around are that the NCB is in a state of crisis, financially and otherwise, and that one or more of the other professional associations should, could, or would intervene before that reaches a boiling point. If that’s the case, none of them are talking publicly about it.

Believe me, when there’s something viable to report, I’ll report it, but I wouldn’t be doing my job if I reported everything I hear without checking it out. When I hear something about one of the associations, I usually go right to the top for confirmation or denial. I’ve called on them all at one time or another, and the NCBTMB is no exception. They all usually give me a timely  answer; maybe they think I’ll just make up something if they don’t. Do they tell me what they want me to hear? Maybe. I don’t know. I’m just a massage therapist with a blog.

Peace & Prosperity,

Laura Allen

The NCBTMB has just released their Needs Assessment Survey Report, a 15-page document that can be accessed here.  The main purpose of this survey was to determine how massage therapists feel about the NCB’s plan to offer an advanced certification exam. In total, 6, 883 massage therapists responded to the survey, with 80% of those answering at least four questions. It would seem to me that which four questions were answered is of relevance, and assuming that it wasn’t the same four for everyone, that could significantly skew the results.

I clarified with Elizabeth Langston, the NCB’s Director of Exam Development, that AMTA and ABMP had helped spread the word about this survey (as did I; I posted it all over the Internet), with the result that 25% of the respondents are not now, nor have they ever been, certificants of the NCB.

Strangely, 19% of the respondents claim to have both the NCTM and the NCTMB certifications. Since TM is included in the TMB certification, it’s beyond me why anyone would pay the expense of having both. I fear that’s just an indication of how little new certificants (less than one 4-year period) actually know about certification. It’s been my experience that a lot of people just pay the money and take the test and really don’t know any details about what it means. Certainly there are thousands out there who don’t know the difference in certification and licensure, and I see the concrete evidence of that every single day.

70% of the respondents considered themselves to be advanced practitioners, and yet 45% of the participants have been in the profession less than two years.  Apparently it doesn’t take some people that long to start considering themselves to be advanced. And yet, nearly 12% of those who have been in practice 6-10 years, don’t classify themselves as advanced. There’s something a little wrong with that picture.

According to the survey, 52% would like to see advanced certification that is centered around the advanced knowledge of body sciences and skills that are outcome-based; 36% would like to see advanced certifications in a specific modality,  and 12% would like to see advanced certifications centered around type of practice setting (clinical, spa, etc.)

That adds up to 100%, and I have a serious problem with that. Why? When this project started, I threw it out there to all my social networks and discussion boards and asked for comments, which I made sure got forwarded to the NCBTMB. The overwhelming majority were negative in tone, with the biggest criticism by far being that it was just another way for the NCB to make money.

I’d also like to point out that all skills, whether they’re good or bad, effective or not, have an outcome. Determining the desired outcome is the crucial piece of the puzzle. Even more crucial, the MTBOK has not yet released the entry level minimums, so how can you determine what advanced outcomes are before you determine what the entry level outcomes are? And I want to point out, the NCBTMB is a participant in the MTBOK. I personally made a plea to them months ago not to jump the gun by throwing an exam out there before the MTBOK is released. So far, they haven’t, but I’m wondering if it’s waiting in the wings. That would be a big mistake.

Sorry, folks, but I don’t think there’s any remote chance that out of almost 7,000 people, some of them didn’t have negative things to say about the survey, or the need (or lack of) for advanced certification.  According to the introductory remarks by Mountain Measurement, Inc, the firm that prepared the report, “respondents that provided invalid or incomplete responses were not included in the calculations.” Apparently that includes the complainers and the naysayers.

This is actually the first analysis of a survey I’ve ever seen that did not include a copy of the actual survey itself. A survey that is deliberately constructed to focus on the good, and ignore the bad and the ugly, is worse than no survey at all. On the other hand, it could be that the people who are negative about advanced certification just chose not to answer at all.  Maybe only the shiny happy people answered it to start with.

The most telling thing to me in this whole thing: Respondents were asked to identify the top two criteria for pursuing advanced certification, and then are given three choices, one of which is current possession of certification. If certification is the benchmark for an advanced practitioner, it cannot be the vehicle for entry-level licensure at the same time.

My own opinion of this is that if you assume that if the responses were 100% accurate, and the data is 100% accurate, then the NCBTMB has just given the strongest argument so far for their getting out of the entry-level licensing business, and I’m relatively certain that was not their intent.

Peace & Prosperity,

Laura Allen

This is the second in my series of interviews with the leaders of our professional associations.

Les Sweeney is the fearless leader of Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals (ABMP), a national membership association that provides comprehensive liability insurance and practice support for massage/bodywork practitioners and students. Founded in 1987, ABMP is now the largest massage therapy membership organization in the country with more than 70,000 members.

LA: What is your background in the massage profession? Are you now or have you ever personally been a massage therapist?

Les: I have been serving the massage profession since 1994, when I was hired by ABMP. Prior to ABMP, I worked for the Club Managers Association of America in Alexandria, VA for 4 ½ years. That is the entirety of my career path; I feel I have found my life’s work.

In 2004, I decided to attend massage school to gain a better appreciation and understanding of the field and our members. I graduated in 2006 (I wasn’t rushing through it) and became NCBTMB-certified at that time. I have a dedicated clientele, all with last name Sweeney. The pay isn’t that good, however.

LA: How long have you been with the organization?

Les: Since September 1994.

LA: Have you been in the same position with the organization since you started, or did you climb through the ranks (please give a short synopsis of your history with the organization).

Les: No. I have worn nearly every hat at the organization (even if just temporarily)—I started out in management but I have handled everything from processing memberships to managing the information systems function to unloading boxes and shoveling snow. I have been President since 2006.

LA: What is the mission statement of your organization?

Les: Expect more.

LA: What do you think your organization is doing to honor the mission statement?

Les: It is our DNA—our commitment to service, developing resources and supports for schools and the education community, producing outstanding resources in print and online, continuing to strive for even greater value for our members. Everything we do is guided by that principle.

LA: What do you feel has been your biggest achievement there?

Les: Making the staff bowling party an annual event.

LA: What do you see as the most important initiative for moving your organization forward?

Les: Continuing to serve as our members’ (and the profession’s) advocate. That takes on many forms—regulatory/legislative, support for practice development, sounding board, resource.

LA: What do you feel is the biggest challenge facing your organization today?

Les: We seem to have difficulty keeping track of spoons in the ABMP kitchen. Actually, we are grateful for the success we have achieved, but we know there is so much more opportunity. Our fundamental question is still “How can we help our members be more successful?” We still encounter people who have never heard of ABMP, even after 22 years in the field. We have built excellent relationships with a number of schools, but we can do a better job of making all schools aware of all we are doing.

LA: There are more organizations and associations for the massage profession now than ever before. What do you see as the ideal relationship between them?

Les: The massage field is fairly unique because of the number of organizations and the level of competition that exists. I am of the belief that competition can be healthy and fundamentally good for the consumer. The massage professional has a wealth of resources at her disposal; we like to think competition has helped raise the bar, and ultimately the therapist has benefited. I enjoy the interaction among the organizations, and I think we can help each other be better. I think the Massage Therapy Body of Knowledge has been a very good experience, and a good example of how we can work together. We’ll still compete, and I am fine with that, but we can also identify opportunities to collaborate.

LA: If you could only say one thing to your stakeholders, what would it be?

Les: Thank you. And the best is yet to come.

This is my first in a series of interviews with the folks at the top of our professional organizations.

Last week I was accused of “handing the microphone” to Paul Lindamood, CEO of the NCBTMB. This week, I’m handing it to Liz Lucas, CEO of AMTA, and in the weeks to come I’ll be handing it to a few others. You just can’t please all the people all the time!

Liz Lucas is the CEO of the American Massage Therapy Association, which represents over 56,000 members. AMTA had its beginnings in 1943, adopted the present name in 1958, and incorporated as a non-profit organization in 1960. You can visit their website at www.amtamassage.org

LA: What is your background in the massage profession? Are you now or have you ever personally been a massage therapist?

LL: My background is in association management and business.  I was hired by the AMTA Board of Directors (all massage therapists) to direct and manage the business affairs of the association.  As a result of my work for AMTA over the past 14 years, I have learned a great deal about both massage therapy and the business challenges faced by massage therapists.  As someone who ran her own small business for five years, I am also particularly sensitive to what our members deal with in making their practices successful.

I think it is important to remind everyone of the relationship between our Board of Directors and the Executive Director.  It is our Board that sets the direction for the association, with input from our members and our staff.  I’m responsible for ensuring that direction is implemented in a way that successfully meets the mission and goals of AMTA, while managing the financial and business health of the association.

LA: How long have you been with the organization?

LL: 14 years

LA: Have you been in the same position with the organization since you started, or did you climb through the ranks?

LL: I was originally hired by AMTA as Director of Communications and Marketing.  I have been Executive Director for 8 years.

LA: What is the mission statement of your organization?

LL: The mission of the American Massage Therapy Association is to serve AMTA members, while advancing the art, science and practice of massage therapy.

LA: What do you think your organization is doing to honor the mission statement?

LL: As you can see from our mission, AMTA is organized as a non-profit to both serve our members and advance the profession.  And, these really go hand-in-hand.  It best serves our members’ ability to make a living when we are advancing the profession.

We feel it is vital for us to help our members adapt to an ever-changing environment, in which massage therapy has gone in only a few years from an emerging profession to mainstream acceptance.

We are always listening to our members and working with them to deliver benefits that help them be successful practitioners, students, educators and schools.  Our chapters provide a crucial networking connection and direct involvement for our members.

We also develop a strategic plan each year that examines our progress in achieving our long-term vision and short-term goals.  So, our efforts for the profession are an expression of our mission.  Some examples of how we are doing this are:

• Our philanthropic commitment to the Massage Therapy Foundation for which we provide more than $500,000 a year to help them operate and promote both massage therapy research and research-informed practice;
• Our direct involvement and relationships with the healthcare community through the AMA, ACCAHC and HCPAC to work toward integration of massage into healthcare, supporting massage therapists who want this to happen;
• Our relationships with employers of massage therapists and organizations, such as ISPA, which work with those employers, so massage therapists and their employers have a positive and mutually-beneficial relationship; and
• Our contacts with national and state governments to achieve fair and reasonable treatment of massage therapy and massage therapists.

LA: What do you feel has been your biggest achievement there?

LL: I am most proud of bringing the stewards together for the Massage Therapy Body of Knowledge initiative.  This is something that will have a positive and lasting effect for the profession – massage therapists, massage schools, massage educators, massage regulators and the consumer.

LA: What do you see as the most important initiative for moving your organization forward?

LL: Moving AMTA forward is about moving massage therapy and our members forward.  I think helping ensure a consistent and safe massage experience for consumers may be the most important long-term initiative.  That’s because it is an indicator of everything else.  It means massage therapy practice can and does serve a larger population, with more consumers using massage.  Massage is an art and a science.  Replicating that consistently and safely with the mainstream consumer is important for AMTA members and likely for the profession.

LA: What do you feel is the biggest challenge facing your organization today?

LL: Helping our members adapt and remain relevant and successful in a changing environment and changing economy. We see so many changes in massage therapy employment, contraction of massage therapy education and schools, and movement for the profession into two directions – relaxation vs. therapeutic approaches and practices.

Of course linked to all of this is the growth of research to inform massage practice.  It is our challenge to help our members deal with these changes and be successful in a profession that is also a passionate expression of themselves.

LA: There are more organizations and associations for the massage profession now than ever before. What do you see as the ideal relationship between them?

LL: Despite the reality that the profession has chosen to have multiple organizations to represent it, we all need to cooperate to support the profession.  Ultimately, we all serve the same stakeholders.  So, I believe, it is to the profession’s advantage to have these organizations work together.

LA: If you could only say one thing to your stakeholders, what would it be?

LL: This is an interesting question, because AMTA has so many direct stakeholders.  Unlike a for-profit company, AMTA exists to give back to all its stakeholders.  We were created to serve our members and improve business conditions for all in massage therapy.

AMTA continues to provide the widest range of benefits for its members and the best value. Our members consistently rate the association very highly and our members know they are involved in the decisions their association makes for them.  They know that being part of AMTA says something about them as professionals, students and school owners/teachers.  With AMTA, our members are the ones who profit from their membership.

Were it not for the fact that I have already posted a blog titled Financial Shock and Awe at the NCBTMB, I could certainly have used that for this one. The subject matter is the same: the Form 990 filing of the NCB, except this one is for the latest return, from the fiscal year 2008. The previous posting was about the 2007 form.

Here are the cold hard facts: Revenues were down by over a million dollars, while expenses were up almost that much.  The NCB is showing almost $2 million in losses for 2008. Their assets have declined by almost $3 million dollars. To borrow a phrase from another well-known pundit, Cliff Korn, “Can you spell fiduciary malfeasance?”

2008 was the year of the Feeley administration. If you need a rehash of all my real and imaginary issues with her tenure there, just read back through the blog roll. I spent much of 2008 picking on the fact that her compensation as a “volunteer” was $118,000, plus her expenses. Then there was the utter disgrace of holding a board meeting in Hawaii, and topping that off was the $20,000 gift because she supposedly couldn’t afford health insurance. What a resounding slap in the face to all the massage therapists out there who don’t make a fifth of that money and can’t afford any, either. Fiduciary malfeasance isn’t a strong enough term, but I try to avoid cursing on the blog.

Revenues were down across the board. The NCB took in less money in all areas, including examinations, recertification, CE provider approval, sale of study guides, and investment income.  We’re in a recession, one that was cranking up hard in 2008, and the revenue shown by the FSMTB for the MBLEx in 2008 was nowhere near enough (slightly over $300K)  to explain the losses by the NCB.  The NCB also spent a massive amount of money on entertaining volunteers at regional meetings, trying to improve their public image, and paying lawyers and lobbyists to interfere in state governance.

My blog  on the financial health of AMTA (Oct 2009) included the fact that they had taken an almost $6 million hit in their investments, along with lowered revenue and increased expenses. I gave them the chance to respond and they did. In the spirit of fairness I gave the same chance to the NCB. Paul Lindamood, who came on as the CEO in January of 2009, sent me a statement which I will reprint here:

“The chair and I began work on January 2 of 2009, immediately and expeditiously, to bring the business management and financial situation into order. Here is an overview, in part, of some of the steps that were taken:

• We promptly put into place a revised budget based on realistic projections and a thorough cost analysis.
• We changed the CFO function to include a third party firm, as well as incorporating finance committee oversight comprised of board members with clear separation from day to day operations. This afforded them objective oversightof monthly financials, forecasting and expense reduction.
• The board, under the guidance of Chair Delaporta, approved substantial changes designed to eliminate extraneous and excess cost associated with board and committee meeting venues, including transportation and per diem costs.
• Operational changes went into effect including such things as a re-assessment of job functions, redefining of work processes and such cost-cutting modifications as use of on-demand digital printing and in-house mailing.
• Elimination of certain outside vendor services and cost containment by bringing communications and public relations in house.
• Other cost reduction in many areas, ranging from cutbacks in marketing and legal expenditures to more judicious participation in professional and trade venues.

In short, we have worked hard to tighten belts and redefine how we manage our business. The bottom line is that NCBTMB should come very close to concluding 2009 in the black. I do not have December financials yet, but it looks promising. In any case, I think it’s fair to say that avoiding an operating loss after 2008 — and in this economic environment — represents a responsible and decisive overhaul.”

Lindamood went on to say ” since the 2009 audit won’t be available for a while, my estimates will have to suffice, but our CFO firm and our board will corroborate.  2008 notwithstanding, I am proud of the teamwork between board and staff here to turn the ship around. It was described, in fact, by one financial expert as a ‘textbook turnaround.’

I know that a solid 2009 neither explains nor mitigates the performance in 2008 (the year of the current 990’s). But I hope it demonstrates
that we have learned from the past, and have decisively identified and put into place changes that are helping us re-establish ourselves as
being back on course, as worthy stewards of certification for the profession. Thank you for the opportunity to respond.”

I appreciate the willingness of our professional organizations’ leaders to reply to my queries.

It did not give me any perverse pleasure to report that AMTA took a $6 million hit on investments, nor does it give me any pleasure to report that the NCBTMB was almost bankrupted during the Feeley administration. Another year of that,  and we’d probably all have seen the NCB on the auction block. I feel that as a certificant, I have the right to know, as do all their other stakeholders, and I also feel we have the right to know what’s being done to correct the situation. I hope they can pull out of the mess that was created, and that’s a hard row to hoe while we’re still in a recession economy.

Peace & Prosperity,

Laura Allen

In a press release issued earlier today, Angela Palmier and Christopher Alvarado have announced that they have brought an end to their role as Industry Relations Specialists for the NCBTMB after just five months on the job.

Palmier and Alvarado are partners and the principals of Resource ETC LLC, a company which provides consulting, education, and training services for not-for-profit, health care, and educational institutions. Both have a long record of experience as educators in the massage therapy and health care industries, and are leaders in association and volunteer development.

According to their press release, Alvarado and Palmier are proud of the improvements in industry relations they fostered with the NCB, appreciative of the dedication and cooperation they had from the staff during their time there,  and now intend to turn their attention toward raising the profile of the massage profession in the arena of integrative health care.

In a telephone interview this afternoon, Paul Lindamood, CEO of the NCB stated “They’ve done a great service for us. We wish Chris and Angela all the best, and will hopefully have opportunities for future collaboration.” He did not reveal any immediate plans to look for a replacement for the vacancy left by their departure, but did say that “exciting things are in the works, and I feel very optimistic about the coming year for the NCBTMB.”

Peace & Prosperity,

Laura Allen