04-24-1996 Additions - Laserfiche WebLink

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Mr. Thomas reported that there are no licensing requirements for avocational schools because the thought is since these schools do not prepare people for employment, the students will not be going out and working with the public. Mr. Thomas reported that State Law requires massage therapy schools which prepare students for employment to be licensed (for - profit) or registered (non- profit). I mentioned our licensing requirements to Mr. Thomas who indicated that the push in the State is to have ordinances require a minimum of 500 hours of training. I informed Mr. Thomas of Ms. Gudmundsen's application and certificate of completion from Touch of Life School. Mr. Thomas was very shocked at the 800 hours in Basic Swedish, and requested a copy of the certificate. Mr. Thomas was concerned with the certificate's validity. It was his understanding that Touch of Life provided several programs, including Basic Swedish, and that these programs averaged approximately 54 hours each. Mr. Thomas said that he knew of no school, licensed, registered, or avocational, which offered an 800 hour or 1,000 hour course, although he indicated that some schools are considering this. Mr. Thomas stated that Touch of Life is not on record as ever offering a program even close to 800 hours in length, and Touch of Life has never been licensed or registered with the State. I checked with the City of Shoreview, who also has a Massage Therapy Ordinance. Shoreview requires a Comprehensive Certificate of Massage from a school recognized by the MN Higher Education Board with a minimum of 500 class credit hours and is a member in good standing of the MN Therapeutic Massage Network or the American Massage Therapy Association or other organizations possessing the same or similar standards and having an enforcement code of ethics. Vadnais Heights also licenses massage therapy. However, they have not adopted an ordinance regulating massage therapy. As you know, the educational requirements we adopted were taken from the City of Roseville's ordinance. Other surrounding cities (Maplewood, Falcon Heights, Arden Hills) do not license massage therapy. This afternoon I got a call from Officer Bill Bjorklund (673- 3637) of the Minneapolis Organized Crime Unit of the Minneapolis Police Department. Bjorklund was in contact with the staff at Sister Rosalind's, and they informed him of my phone call to them. Bjorklund reported that Minneapolis will be considering adopting a massage therapy ordinace in the next month or two. The ordinance he is proposing requires 500 hours of training at a registered or licensed school as well as 8 hours of continuing education each year. Bjorklund asked for information about what Little Canada was doing as well as a copy of our ordinance. I explained our ordinance requirements and the fact that the Council will be considering Ms. Gudmundsen's applications this evening. Bjorklund asked about Gudmundsen's education, and when I informed him of the 800 hour certificate, he questioned its Page 4