The Alliance for Massage Therapy Education is a non-profit organization established to serve as an independent voice, advocate and resource for the entire education sector – from entry-level massage training programs through post-graduate studies. The Alliance is the only organization that brings Schools, Teachers, and Continuing Education Providers together under one roof.
The Alliance provides a comprehensive range of services to this community, and represents their interests in all domains. This advocacy comes into play in dealing with regulatory issues, accreditation, standard-setting initiatives such as the Alliance’s National Teacher Education Standards Project, as well as ongoing efforts to get massage therapy better recognized by and integrated into the health care delivery system.
As the field of massage therapy moves forward in its evolution, it is clear that the education sector must have a champion of its own. In fact, nearly all professions have an organization of this type. And by strengthening and improving massage education, the Alliance will bring great benefit to massage schools, teachers and practitioners, along with everyone in the general public who receives massage therapy.
Our Interest in Interprofessional Practice and Education:
The Alliance For Massage Therapy Education is a Board Member of ACCAHC and supports the core competencies developed for Interprofessional Practice and Education. We passed a Board resolution in support the competencies and will work to help support this project.
Signature Programs and Activities:
Central to the mission of the Alliance is the commitment to strengthen and improve the quality of massage therapy education. In support of this, the Alliance has begun work on a comprehensive effort called the National Teacher Education Standards Project (NTESP). The initial phase of the project involved the development of the competency standards for teachers, which is broadly applicable across the continuum of entry-level, continuing education, advanced massage therapy training programs and specialty certification programs. Overall, the goal of the NTESP is to create a culture of teaching excellence in our field.
The National Teacher Education Standards Project (TESP) will be carried out through a progression of five phases:
- The Alliance’s Professional Standards Committee issued the final draft of the Core Competencies for Massage Therapy Teachers. A first draft of this document was sent to Alliance Members for review in advance of the 2011 Annual Massage Conference in Charleston, SC on August 18-20, 2011. At this meeting, discussion forums were held to receive feedback from the education community on the proposed standards. Following the Massage Conference, the Committee reviewed both verbal and submitted written comments, and a second draft was presented at the 2012 Annual Massage Conference for public comment by the massage therapy field. This last round of input will be considered as the final document is prepared for adoption.
- Once the standards are defined in the competencies document, a model teacher training curriculum will be created as a recommended template.
- That will lead to the next phase, which is the identification and development of teacher training resources.
- To create a way for teachers to demonstrate they have achieved the competencies, a voluntary certification program will be established.
- The final step will involve working with national accrediting commissions and state regulatory agencies to incorporate these teacher education standards.
Overall, it’s estimated this project will take 5-10 years.