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

Many bodyworkers, massage therapists, spa and salon workers are not working right now because they cannot socially distance themselves during this pandemic aka COVID-19.  This work disruption has been economically devastating for most.  Today, I found a sweet article that told about how a wife took a job as a dishwasher in an assisted living facility right here in Jacksonville Florida, so she could still see her husband, after being separated from him for 114 days due to COVID-19.  It is fact that many of us have been separated from loved ones during this pandemic - so this could one creative example of seeing your loved one, while continuing to be of service and earning a little extra income too.

Now, I'm sure some of my colleagues will think that they didn't go to school and spend years or decades, perfecting their craft to do dishes.  But some of us do have to seek new opportunities right now, and I feel this is a perfect example of clever ingenuity.  There are many different and "new normals" to be had.  Please feel free to share your ideas here on this BLOG post, or on social media so that we can all help each other during this extraordinary time of COVID-19.  If you're being deprived of visiting a loved one in a restricted medical facility and need income, seeking alternative employment within their facility might help you and many, in more ways than one.   

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

Click HERE to see this story on Fox News:  https://www.foxnews.com/us/wife-dishwashing-job-nursing-home-alzheimers-husband

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

Every client must be able to provide informed consent for each service they request or receive at the spa, salon or massage therapy practice. Informed consent includes telling the client of any possible consequences for the service, including known risks and benefits. The client can only provide consent for the service once this information is shared.

A person who is under the influence of alcohol or drugs is not of legal capacity to provide informed consent. This person may exhibit slurred speech, may be off-balance or is not able to make sense of their surroundings, etc.—and usually is not of “sound mind” to provide consent.

As massage therapists, spa & salon service providers, we are not able to make medical diagnoses.  Unfortunately, a person exhibiting imbalance, slurred speech, etc., may be having an acute medical episode that requires immediate medical attention.  Regardless of the situation, personal care services can only be provided when an individual can provide informed consent. Personal care services should not be provided to an individual who is under the influence of alcohol or drugs that reduces the client’s capability to provide informed consent for any reason.

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

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 

Question: Is Prenatal Massage in the 1st Trimester (or any trimester) Safe?

Answer: YES, when performed by someone who is specially trained in Prenatal Massage

I hear this question a lot - is prenatal massage safe?  Or is massaging someone in their 1st trimester safe? The answer is yes it's safe, as long as the therapist is training to work with prenatal conditions.  There are some special contraindications with prenatal massage such as toxemia.  And there are some specialized positions, skills, strokes and equipment that can be used for prenatal massage clients too.  All of this requires specialized prenatal massage training, which can be easily provided in any board approved continuing education class.

So, why do so many people think that massage is not safe in the first trimester of pregnancy?  It is mostly because about 1/3 of pregnancies will miscarry, and about 80% of those miscarriages will happen in the first trimester - and there is regularly NO REASON WHATSOEVER to explain the miscarriage.  Miscarriages happen in both healthy and unhealthy women, active or sedentary women and so forth.  Unfortunately, a pregnant woman who has just miscarried could blame their massage appointment as a reason for why they miscarried.  But fortunately for massage therapists, common sense usually prevails when statistics are provided - which show that many pregnancies miscarry whether a woman has a massage, or not.

The safety of a prenatal massage should not be confused with employer or liability insurance requirements.  I teach prenatal massage and have been practicing prenatal massage in all trimesters for over 25 years now.  I have worked closely with Boston Hospital OBGYN Department Heads to provide prenatal massage to their pregnant clients.  But, when I worked at the Ritz Carlton in South Beach, FL, even I was not able to provide prenatal massage for celebrities, or any clients, during their 1st trimester at this hotel.  The spa manager told me that it was their liability insurance that would not cover a prenatal massage in the 1st trimester which created their policy to deny 1st trimester prenatal massage appointments - and not because the Ritz felt that a prenatal massage appointment would be unsafe with a trained and licensed therapist.  It is important to note that therapists should respect and follow whatever employment policies are provided to them - there are legal remedies to take if you feel your employer is being unfair in their policies, or you can simply find another job where their standards will match with own if you do not agree with what your current employer is telling you to do.  I liked my job at the Ritz Carlton so I followed their policies with prenatal massage as requested - even though I thought some were wrong - I understood they made this policy because of their insurance requirements.  Once I understood their reason for their decision (total transparency), I was okay in following it. This was a morality and ethical choice on my behalf to continue with the Ritz even when I thought their denial for 1st trimester prenatal massage appointments was wrong.  This was a personal choice that I decided to make, and any other therapist would have to make if they were in similar shoes. 

Back in the 1990s, I used to own a massage therapy center that employed over 40 Licensed Massage Therapists.  We often hired incredible therapists from a local school who taught that all prenatal massage was contraindicated (at least this is what their therapists told us when they continually refused prenatal massage training and clients).  So, I called the school and told them we would stop hiring their graduates if they continued providing such bad and erroneous information in their basic training.  And today, from what I understand, they no longer teach that pregnant women are contraindicated for massage.  Hopefully no school does.

Luckily, today, we have better information about the practice of massage therapy.  Massage has become professionally prevalent, and licensed massage therapists are being less associated with other elicit industries.  Our professionalism has helped establish the health benefits of our industry over the past 2 decades - which has helped people understand the benefits and qualities of prenatal massage.  Unfortunately, because of past teachings that were inaccurate, and because of bad insurance requirements and so forth, we have a lot of misinformation about what is safe (and what's not) with pregnant women and massage. 

I hope this BLOG post clears up some of the misinformation that is still being passed and provided today with prenatal massage.  Luckily, one of the reasons we have CE hour requirements for licensed professionals, is to gain updated information about our trade.  1st trimester prenatal massage is one of those updates that should be shared - it is safe when the client is not medically contraindicated - all massage modalities have some form of contraindication.  There are plentiful reasons why we have misinformation regarding this prenatal massage, but communication and education should get us all on the same page that prenatal massage is safe, including in the 1st trimester, when practiced by a trained prenatal massage therapist.

On a side-note - if you're not comfortable working with pregnant women, then you might not want to seek prenatal training or attempt to provide prenatal service.  Each therapist should pursue and practice whatever is in their hearts - because that is sincerely the best practice for all.  So, if you're not comfortable practicing on pregnant women, that's okay - but please do not tell others that prenatal massage practice is unsafe.  It is not.  Prenatal massage is one of the most wonderful relationships a therapist can share with a client, and it should not be prohibited for nefarious reasons.

Please click HERE to learn more about pregnancy massage and available prenatal massage CE classes at CE Institute LLC.

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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

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

It is important for all work professionals to care for our environment.  The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is a government office that is trusted to ensure that protection.

The EPA’s mission is to protect human health and the environment.  You can view more about the EPA and their work at their website: https://www.epa.gov/

The EPA works to ensure that:

• Americans have clean air, land and water;
• National efforts to reduce environmental risks are based on the best available scientific information;
• Federal laws protecting human health and the environment are administered and enforced fairly, effectively and as Congress intended;
• Environmental stewardship is integral to U.S. policies concerning natural resources, human health, economic growth, energy, transportation, agriculture, industry, and international trade, and these factors are similarly considered in establishing environmental policy;
• All parts of society—communities, individuals, businesses, and state, local and tribal governments—have access to accurate information sufficient to effectively participate in managing human health and environmental risks;
• Contaminated lands and toxic sites are cleaned up by potentially responsible parties and revitalized; and
• Chemicals in the marketplace are reviewed for safety.

To accomplish these missions, the EPA commits to:

Develop and enforce regulations: When Congress writes an environmental law, we implement it by writing regulations. Often, we set national standards that states and tribes enforce through their own regulations. If they fail to meet the national standards, we can help them. We also enforce our regulations, and help companies understand the requirements.

Give grants: Nearly half of our budget goes into grants to state environmental programs, non-profits, educational institutions, and others. They use the money for a wide variety of projects, from scientific studies that help us make decisions to community cleanups. Overall, grants help us achieve our overall mission: protect human health and the environment.

Study environmental issues:  At laboratories located throughout the nation, we identify and try to solve environmental problems. To learn even more, we share information with other countries, private sector organizations, academic institutions, and other agencies.

Research:  The EPA does not protect the environment on our own.  The EPA works with businesses, non-profit organizations, and state and local governments through dozens of partnerships. A few examples include conserving water and energy, minimizing greenhouse gases, re-using solid waste, and getting a handle on pesticide risks. In return, we share information and publicly recognize our partners.

Teach people about the environment: Protecting the environment is everyone's responsibility and starts with understanding the issues. The basics include reducing how much energy and materials you use, reusing what you can and recycling the rest. There's a lot more about that to learn!

What the EPA does not do

Some problems that seem like something we would handle are actually the responsibility of other federal, tribal, state or local agencies. It may be most appropriate for you to contact your city, county, or state environmental or health agency, or another federal agency, rather than EPA. For example:

• The Endangered Species Act is primarily managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
• The Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management addresses the problem of nuclear waste.

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

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This 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

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

The Florida State Worker’s Compensation Division is a government agency that oversees the execution of workers’ compensation.

The Florida State Workers’ Compensation Division’s GOAL is to actively ensure the self-execution of the workers' compensation system by:

• educating system participants of their rights and responsibilities
• leveraging data to deliver exceptional value
• holding participants accountable for fulfilling their obligations.[i]

You can contact the Florida State’s Workers’ Compensation Division directly at:

Phone:           850/413-1613

Fax:                850/413-1982

Email:            workers.compmedservice@myfloridacfo.com

Website:       www.myfloridacfo.com/Division/WC/

Injured Worker Responsibilities

If you have an accident or are injured on the job you must:

• Tell your employer you have been injured, as soon as possible. The law requires that you report the accident or your knowledge of a job-related injury within 30 days of your knowledge of the accident or injury, or within 30 days of a doctor determining you are suffering from a work-related injury.
• When you do so, you must ask your employer what doctor you can see. You must see a doctor authorized by your employer or the insurance company.
• Your employer may tell you to call the insurance company handling your claim; the name and phone number should be on the “Broken Arm” poster that should be posted at your workplace.
• If it is an emergency and your employer is not available to tell you where to go for treatment, go to the nearest emergency room and let your employer know as soon as possible what has happened.
• After you or your employer report the injury to the insurance company, many companies will have an insurance claim adjuster call you within 24 hours to explain your rights and obligations.

If you receive a message and a number to call, you should call as soon as possible to find out what you need to do to get medical treatment.

• Within 3-5 business days after you or your employer report the accident, you should receive an informational brochure explaining your rights and obligations, and a Notification Letter explaining the services provided by the Employee Assistance Office of the Division of Workers’ Compensation. These forms may be part of a packet which may include some or all of the following:
• A copy of your accident report or “First Report of Injury or Illness,” which you should read to make sure it is correct;
• A fraud statement, which you must read, sign and return as soon as possible, or benefits may be temporarily withheld until you do so;
• A release of medical records for you to sign and return; and
• Medical mileage reimbursement forms that you should fill out, after seeking medical treatment, and send to your claims adjuster for reimbursement.

If you do not receive a call or the information packet from the insurance company, you can call the workers’ compensation hotline for assistance at 1-800-342-1741.

Your employer is required by law to report your injury to the insurance company within 7 days of when you report your accident or injury. If they do not do this, and they do not give you a phone number for the insurance company to call, you can call the workers’ compensation (WC) hotline for assistance at 1-800-342-1741.

The entire contents of this single Worker's Compensation BLOG Post was taken directly from the Florida State Workers’ Compensation Website in May 2018.  You should check with your worker's compensation plan, employer and/or Florida State’s Workers’ Compensation Division for any updates to rules or regulations regarding workers compensation.

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] “About the Division.” Frequently Asked Questions, Retrieved online: 17 May 2018, www.myfloridacfo.com/Division/WC/contactUs.htm.