EMPLOYER
INFORMATION
Can
Massage Therapists take the client files with them when
they leave their place of employment?
The College's Regulations specify that records
must be kept for each client and lists the information to
be recorded. The College specifies that the files must be
retained but does not specify who should retain them. Regardless
of who retains them, the files should be maintained for
a minimum of ten years from the date of the last treatment
for adult clients and until age 28 for minor clients. The
Regulations require a Massage Therapist to have access to
the records for a variety of reasons including:
To provide to a copy of the record to a
client upon their written request;
To provide to a copy to the College, if the College has
received a complaint against the therapist or has reason
to investigate the therapist's practice; or
To use in defence of the massage therapist should he/she
be sued by a client.
Ownership and access to the files can be
dealt with in the following ways:
| 1. |
The Massage Therapist may maintain his/her own records
and will take them with him/her when they leave the
clinic; |
| 2. |
The Massage Therapist may agree that the records belong
to the clinic and leave the files at the clinic but
obtain an agreement in writing that the clinic will
follow the College's requirements and allow the therapist
access to the records even after leaving; and/or |
| 3. |
Both may agree that the records belong to the clinic
but that when leaving the clinic the Massage Therapist
will photocopy all the records for which they have had
professional responsibility. |
The
decision about what to do with the files when a massage
therapist leaves your clinic can be dealt with by creating
a contract with them that clearly states what you will do
with the client's file. Making these decisions in advance
of your employment of, or association with the massage therapist,
will prevent disputes when the massage therapist leaves
the association with your clinic.
Can
you recommend a Massage Therapist?
The College of
Massage Therapists of Ontario maintains a Register of all
massage therapists. The College does not recommend therapists.
If you would like to confirm if someone is registered you
can call us at:
(416) 489-2626 or at 1-800-465-1933.
Can
an owner of a clinic, who is not a member of the College,
ask a Massage Therapist to do something that is contrary
to the Regulations of the College?
Business owners
frequently have business demands that may run contrary to
the provisions of the RHPA. As a member of the College,
the Massage Therapist is expected to uphold the Regulations
of the College regardless of contrary demands. The Massage
Therapist may wish to discuss their obligations with the
business owner to determine if there are ways to satisfy
the needs of both parties.
I
would like to hire a massage therapist. How can I advertise
a job opening?
The
professional association, the Registered Massage Therapists’ Association of Ontario (RMTAO),
posts employment opportunities. It may
be contacted through it’s website at www.rmtao.com, by e-mail
at info@rmtao.com, or
by phone at (416) 979-2010 or 1 (800) 668-2022.
Some massage therapy schools assist graduates who have become
registered with the College of Massage Therapists of Ontario
with job placements. Details on placement arrangements can
be obtained by contacting the schools directly. The list of
recognized schools and their contact information is located
on this website under the menu item "Becoming a Registered
Massage Therapist" and then select "Massage Therapy Education
in Ontario" from the submenu.
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