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CMTO: New Standards of Practice approved by council

The College of Massage Therapists of Ontario (CMTO) is pleased to announce that Council approved the new Standards of Practice at the February 9th, 2021 Council meeting.CMTO would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who contributed to this multi-year project. Feedback from RMTs, Massage Therapy clients and other stakeholders played a key role in shaping the new Standards of Practice.

Standards of Practice play a key role in healthcare regulation and public protection by setting the requirements and expectations for all Registered Massage Therapists (RMTs/MTs) across Ontario. Standards of Practice are crucial to the safe and effective delivery and provision of Massage Therapy care.

The new Standards of Practice are:
• Outcomes-based and aim to provide the fewest prescriptive requirements as possible while protecting public safety;
• Client-centric and include a client outcome statement that will help Massage Therapy clients understand what to expect;
• Applicable in all practice settings; even those that may be considered non-clinical in nature (e.g., a teacher modelling treatment in a Massage Therapy course would be expected to meet the Standards requirements); and
• Offer flexibility. RMTs may apply the Standards in a way that is appropriate for their practice, as long as they first meet all the minimum requirements outlined in each Standard of Practice.

How Did the College Develop the New Standards of Practice?

CMTO undertook a project to update its Standards of Practice in 2019. During this process, CMTO reviewed the existing CMTO Standards, legislation, policies, guidelines, complaints data and standards from similar organizations in Ontario, across Canada and internationally.
In the initial stages of the project, CMTO established a Standards of Practice Advisory Group (SPAG), comprised of RMTs from across the province with varying experience and backgrounds. The SPAG provided input into the development of the new Standards throughout the project making suggestions and recommendations on proposed content and wording, and offered solutions to identified issues.
The College then consulted more broadly with RMTs, the public and other stakeholders by circulating an electronic survey, along with proposed draft Standards of Practice, for comment and feedback. A total of 1,624 individuals participated in the survey. The vast majority of survey participants indicated the proposed draft Standards were clear, easy to understand, and applicable to a wide range of practice settings. For an in-depth look at the survey results, please refer to the Standards of Practice Revision Project: Final Report.

What’s Next?
The new Standards of Practice will come in effect in January 2022, to allow enough time for RMTs and other stakeholders to familiarize themselves with the updated requirements. Until then, RMTs should follow the expectations outlined in the current Standards of Practice.

For more information about the new Standards, please reach out to our Practice Specialist at practicespecialist@cmto.com.