CE INSTITUTE LLC BLOG

By: Selena Belisle, Owner/Instructor CE Institute LLC, Miami FL

OSHA stands for:  Occupational Safety and Health Administration.[i]  OSHA provides information about workplace health and safety hazards. OSHA was created by congress to assure safe and healthful working conditions for working men and women by setting and enforcing standards and by providing training, outreach, education and assistance.

OSHA is part of the United States Department of Labor. The administrator for OSHA is the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health. OSHA's administrator answers to the Secretary of Labor, who is a member of the cabinet of the President of the United States.  OSHA covers most private sector employers and their workers, in addition to some public-sector employers and workers in the 50 states and certain territories and jurisdictions under federal authority.

Under federal law, you are entitled to a safe workplace[ii]. Your employer must provide a workplace free of known health and safety hazards. If you have concerns, you have the right to speak up about them without fear of retaliation. You also have the right to:

• Be trained in a language you understand
• Work on machines that are safe
• Be provided required safety gear, such as gloves or a harness and lifeline for falls
• Be protected from toxic chemicals
• Request an OSHA inspection, and speak to the inspector
• Report an injury or illness, and get copies of your medical records
• See copies of the workplace injury and illness log
• Review records of work-related injuries and illnesses
• Get copies of test results done to find hazards in the workplace

If you believe working conditions are unsafe or unhealthful, you may file a confidential complaint with OSHA and ask for an inspection. If possible, bring the conditions to your employer's attention. It is illegal for an employer to fire, demote, transfer or otherwise retaliate against a worker for using their rights under the law. If you believe you have been retaliated against in any way, file a whistleblower complaint within 30 days of the alleged retaliation

You can file a workplace complaint with OSHA by[iii]:

• Phone #: 1-800-321-OSHA. OSHA reps can discuss your complaint and respond to any questions you have about filing a complaint
• Address: OSHA, 200 Constitution Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20210
• Website (more details are available on this page to file a complaint): https://www.osha.gov/workers/file_complaint.html

To learn more, please register for quality, affordable, professional training at: https://ceinstitute.com/

 ________________________

This BLOG was written by Selena Belisle, the Founder of CE Institute LLC in Miami FL.  She is a retired professional athlete and has been practicing massage therapy for over 30 years.  Selena is an approved CE Provider with NCBTMB & the Florida Board of Massage.  She now teaches full time for the Complementary and Alternative Health Care Industries. You can learn more about Selena’s training and CE classes at www.CeInstitute.com

[i] “UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR.” Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Retrieved online: 19 May 2018, www.osha.gov/about.html.

[ii] “UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR.” Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Retrieved online: 19 May 2018, www.osha.gov/workers/index.html.

[iii] “UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR.” Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Retrieved online: 19 May 2018, www.osha.gov/workers/file_complaint.html.

Here's a clever article from Esthetician Edit that speaks to the importance of continuing education for estheticians....

We hope to see you at the next Miami International Esthetics Congress & Spa Show where we will teach more CE hour classes for estheticians, cosmetologists and massage therapists!

Here are a couple pictures from our last Miami Skin Care Show...come join the FUN!

There is a Florida Health Department Conference Call on July 21, 5:30 pm Call-In #: 888-585-9008 Conf Room ID: 208-305-233.

I sent the email above with questions about COVID-19 and massage therapy safety to hopefully be answered at this meeting. I believe Florida Licensed Massage Therapists would be welcome to call into and join this conference call, or send your own questions :)

Weekly Health Care Provider Telephone Conference Call Information from the Florida Department of Health

Beginning Tuesday, July 21, 2020, the weekly health care provider telephone conference call will resume with a new start time: 5:30 pm. Participants are asked to email questions in advance to Provider.COVID19@flhealth.gov no later than close of business on the Monday preceding the call.

All participants will be muted during these calls to help streamline information delivery. The State Surgeon General, Dr. Scott A. Rivkees, in collaboration with Secretary Mary Mayhew from the Agency for Health Care Administration, will provide updates from the Department of Health on the COVID-19 response efforts, provide a briefing from the Agency for Health Care Administration, offer updates from other state agencies and address questions submitted from our health care providers.

If you are interested in joining this weekly telephone conference call, please see the updated call-in information below:

Date: Every Tuesday
Time: 5:30 pm
Call-In Number: 888-585-9008
Conference Room ID: 208-305-233
Submit Questions in Advance: Provider.COVID19@flhealth.gov

By: Selena Belisle, Owner/Instructor CE Institute LLC, Miami FL

Do you want to earn some extra income, capitalize on your existing book of business, attract new clients and provide superior service?

How about working with athletes? Athletes are one of the most underserved populations in the spa industry for massage therapists. Yet, they are perhaps the easiest to upsell into an extended appointment.

Active, competitive training can cause such hardships as pain or stress. Your practice is the perfect place to work on these conditions.

How can we capitalize on these opportunities and turn an athlete’s spa appointment into a more successful experience? By upselling them into spa therapy add-ons that will augment their massage therapy session.

Ask the athlete about their goals. They will probably tell you that their goal for their spa appointment is to relax and relieve pain. Keep in mind that typically the most sought-after spa service by a pro athlete is a massage, and the second is a pedicure. Use this info to base your offerings around what will appeal to this clientele.

Here are some spa opportunities and appointment enhancements for your massage practice to help athletes relax and recover.

Hydrotherapy
Depending on what’s available at your facility, hydrotherapy is a wonderful way to start any massage, whether you’re an athlete or not.

For some hydrotherapy appointments, all you need is a simple foot bowl or shower stall.

You can purchase or create sports washes, oils or salts to customize spa hydrotherapy sessions for your sports enthusiasts.

Try using an essential oil blend to calm the mind and body. Lavender essential oil can help reduce stress and serves as an anti-inflammatory, as well as juniper oil and clove bud.

Use these oils to create a custom athletic concoction for your client. You can then place the essential oil mixture in a 2-ounce bottle and use it in a shower. This upgrade could command anywhere from about $10 to $30 for the upgrade or service. You can call it anything from Athletic Rain Forest to Sports Shower Blend.

You can also create a bath oil for your client.

Just add one to four drops of an unscented oil, like almond, grapeseed or sesame oil, into your 2-ounce bottle and add the entire contents to a hot bath. Warn the client that the bottom of the tub could be slippery when they get out, and provide assistance when appropriate.

You could call this treatment anything from The Sports Super Soak or Reconditioning Leather. Charge between $20 to $50 depending on the market.

Feet Treats: Offer an additional 10-, 15-, 20- or 30-minute foot massage or reflexology session.

You could call this treatment Feet Retreat. I would suggest an upcharge on this service depending on the market, but otherwise, charge the same price per minute as your standard massage appointments.

Rough-textured feet can be painful, unsightly (and even smell), and this is all too common in athletes.

Add a foot scrub or a scrub plus a foot soak to a massage appointment and scrub away that dry, dead skin. Add a drop or two of the essential oils used for athletes to customize the scrub.

After scrub product is removed, slather the feet in a menthol gel or crème to increase circulation. Make sure the product is worked into the foot or removed before the client stands so they don’t slip.

Hot Towels
Most sports massage appointments can be improved with a hot towel service.

First, soak about 10 hand towels in hot water with a few drops of juniper and lavender essential oil then heat in the hot towel cabi.

Apply the towels throughout the massage, starting with three to four towels to the client’s back before their back massage (and after if desired). Apply one towel at a time to the back and renew the heat with a fresh hot towel (removing the cold towel) repeatedly.

Always apply one hot towel to the face (similar to a barber shop application) and hot towels to the feet. Wipe off any massage oils or lotions while you’re on the feet so the floor will feel less slippery.

Body Scrubs
Most spas offer a body scrub, but have you ever added a facial steamer to a body scrub in the spa to your spa services?

Perform your body scrub as usual, but add steam to the area that’s being scrubbed with a facial steamer (those are the spa machines that stand about 3 to 5 feet high on wheels).

Keep the steamer arm about 14 to 18 inches from skin/scrub area. If the skin becomes red, the steamer may be too close to the skin or the scrubbing is too hard (especially with sensitive skins). Watch the skin for redness and adjust accordingly.

Move the steamer around to the different areas of the body being scrubbed.

Remember, that the steam time may not last longer than 10 to 20 minutes, so turn the steamer off while not scrubbing to ensure there is enough steam for the full body.

Some steamers have an area where aromatherapy or essential oils can be added. If you can add aromatherapy to your steamer, I suggest using something “minty” to refresh and energize the air.

Suggested spa treatment names include: Sports Steam and Scrub, or Athletic Body Polish. (Suggested upcharge: $20 in addition to the regular spa body scrub price with no extra time added to the scrub appointment.)

I regularly offer a simple back scrub before I start a back massage.

Add a drop or two of the essential oils used for athletes to customize the scrub and, if you use water and sponges to remove the scrub, add a few drops of essential oil to your water bath too.

Suggested spa treatment names include: Sports Back Scrub or The Back Shine. (Suggested Upcharge: $10 to $20 with no extra time added to the original appointment.)

The Take Away: These spa enhancements and services should be provided at an additional cost. They all require additional labor or product expense and should be charged accordingly. Always let the client know of the additional charge prior to providing the service.

These enhancements can also be provided for free, one time, as a way to bring in new clients.

Expanding a spa service menu is a brilliant way to capture increased appointments and income, in addition to serving many different under-capitalized populations.

Athletes, who show up stressed, in pain and with other issues need only a simple suggestion of available treatments to enhance their body, performance and life.

There are a lot of athletes—ranging from the weekend warrior to the professionals and retirees—who will love spa services. Let’s get our spa game on and give it to them!

Here's a spa in Paris getting their game on with add-ons at check-out when scheduling online: 

To learn more about massage precautions, etc., please register for quality, affordable, professional training at: https://ceinstitute.com/

In this article that we wrote for Massage Magazine (below), we review these add-on and upgrade methods.  Enjoy!

Last Friday, July 10, 2020, the Florida Board of Massage Therapy (FL Board) voted UNANIMOUSLY to allow distance learning in place of live hands-on CE class for the 2021 LMT renewal season.  I just received an update from the FL Board that explains their staff are still working on CE rule change updates and then, they have to provide those new CE rules to the Joint Administrative Procedures Committee for review. The committee could approve - or - return the new rules back to FL Board for revision. In summary, and according the FL Board itself, it's hard to provide new information about how to comply with new CE rules or requirements that are not yet in effect.

According to the FL Board's unanimous vote, it is sure that we will be able to provide distance/online learning in place of the live hands-on CE requirement for the 2021 season, but it's not possible to provide anymore information on this new CE rule because it has not yet been adopted or approved.  We will report new information as it becomes available from the Florida Board of Massage Therapy.

CE Institute LLC is working both with NCBTMB and the Florida Board of Massage Therapy to gain all new rules and get our live CE hands-on courses approved for distance learning.  We might not be able to get all of our massage subjects approved for distance learning, but we will offer a strongly discounted distance learning webinar program to support all Licensed Massage Therapists who have been through such a terrible time with the pandemic.  Our goal is to offer a special $99 - 24 hour Florida Licensed Massage Therapist CE Renewal Package by January 1, 2021.

I will post updates on our BLOG here and all of our social media - once I receive more information. Thank you for your patience as we work hard towards adopting these new CE practices into our school :) 

Author: Selena Belisle, Founder/Instructor, CE Institute LLC, Miami FL

We just had an article published about how to improve your workspace air quality for your spa, salon or massage therapy establishment with estheticianEDIT.  You can view the article in it's entirety by clicking HERE.

To learn more, please register for quality, affordable, professional training at: https://ceinstitute.com/

Author: Selena Belisle, Owner/Instructor, CE Institute LLC, Miami FL

Hair Braiding, Hair Wrapping, and Body Wrapping Practitioners

On June 30, 2020, Governor Ron DeSantis signed “The Occupational Freedom and Opportunity Act” (HB 1193) which eliminates unnecessary regulations and reduces barriers to entry for certain professions. Effective July 1, 2020, the bill removes all licensure requirements for hair braiding, hair wrapping, and body wrapping individuals. Therefore, persons will no longer be required to submit an application for licensure in any of these professions or as an education provider for these professions.

We do not have any further information beyond what we have reposted above.  The above language is copied from the DBPR Hot Topics Website page: http://www.myfloridalicense.com/DBPR/cosmetology/hot-topics/

Important disclaimer:  we do not advise practitioners about their individual licenses.  If you have any questions about your cosmetology license, you should call the Florida Board of Cosmetology/DBPR at: ‪(850) 487-1395‬.  Please confirm all of your licensing needs DIRECT - with the Florida Board of Cosmetology/DBPR.  Thank you

Author Selena Belisle is the Founder of CE Institute LLC in Miami FL. She is a retired professional athlete and has been practicing massage therapy for over 30 years. Selena is an approved CE Provider with NCBTMB & the Florida Board of Massage. She now teaches full time for the Complementary and Alternative Health Care Industries. You can learn more about Selena’s training and CE classes at www.CeInstitute.com

Author: Selena Belisle, Owner/Instructor, CE Institute LLC, Miami FL

The Florida Board of Cosmetology has stated they are going to provide a license renewal fee holiday this year's 2020 license renewals.  It's unclear if this includes establishments or whether they provided this same license fee "holiday" last year.  Regardless, this is a wonderful economic relief for cosmetologists, specialists and nail technicians this year during the pandemic. 

While I cannot find the rule or this news update on the Cosmetology website, I was able to find a Q & A on the DBPR site that provides some information about this fee holiday which you can view by clicking HERE.

Important disclaimer:  we do not advise practitioners about their individual licenses.  If you have any questions about your cosmetology license, you should call the Florida Board of Cosmetology/DBPR at: ‪(850) 487-1395‬.  Please confirm all of your licensing needs DIRECT - with the Florida Board of Cosmetology/DBPR.  Thank you

Author Selena Belisle is the Founder of CE Institute LLC in Miami FL. She is a retired professional athlete and has been practicing massage therapy for over 30 years. Selena is an approved CE Provider with NCBTMB & the Florida Board of Massage. She now teaches full time for the Complementary and Alternative Health Care Industries. You can learn more about Selena’s training and CE classes at www.CeInstitute.com