RPP & BCPP CHANGES

(republished from the APTA Newsletter Oct 2016)

REINSTATEMENT OF THE RPP
The RPP is back!   As discussed in August on the Conference Calls, it is a consensus among the Board that reinstating the RPP is the best way to honor the educational achievements of past members who have not yet taken the BCPP Exam, and grow our membership moving forward.  We received approval from a majority of school owners in support of this change. We are excited about this reinstatement as a way of honoring the past, while also keeping an eye on the future and accreditation of our BCPP program.

HOW THE RPP HAS CHANGED
It’s important to note:  the RPP has changed in terms of how APTA is marketing and defining it.  The RPP is now defined as a mark of educational completion, en route to becoming a BCPP.  It is akin to graduating medical school, but not yet having completed a residency or taken a board exam ….

• Anyone with 675 hours of training according to standards may apply for and receive RPP Status with APTA.
  Like the APP, the RPP can be used as an adjunct to other healthcare professions / licenses … or for non-professional use with family and friends.
• The RPP may satisfy the training requirements in some states to practice professionally, but BCPP will increasingly be the standard by which Polarity Practitioners can legally practice in many states. We leave it up to the individual to understand the regulations in their state and be compliant with the law.
• APTA’s official stance is to only endorse BCPPs for independent professional practice.  We encourage all RPPs to take the exam and become a BCPP as soon as possible.
• APTA will reach out to encourage RPPs to take the BCPP Exam, and is intending to develop an Exam Preparation in the near future to assist.
• If a school prefers, they may only offer APP and BCPP trainings, and not offer the RPP. Some states may require this setup, and APTA supports you if it is necessary to structure your program in this way.

WHO CAME UP WITH THIS IDEA?
This idea to have the RPP remain a mark of education was put forth by Roger Gilchrist last year … thank-you, Roger!  It also was proposed separately by our Accreditation Consultants, Seacrest. It is one of several scenarios explored by a committee who worked on this issue this year – including Board Members, some ATMs, a member of the CGC, and our Director of Education.  They exhaustively explored APTA’s options, and believe this proposal will give APTA the maximum chance to grow, while still paving the way for Accreditation. ICE / NCCA (the Accrediting agency) was also consulted with while making this decision.

RAISING BCPP TRAINING HOURS
The BCPP Hours are changing.  The Certification Governing Council voted to raise the training hours for BCPP to 800 hours, which takes effect in 2017.  The exact date the change will happen is still under negotiation and will depend on a number of factors related to NCCA Rules & Regulations and our application for accreditation. We will notify you of the changeover date as soon as possible. Any current BCPP class that graduates in the 2016-2017 school year will qualify to take the exam with 675 hours if they apply before the cutoff date.

• 125 new hours will be added to the training requirements for BCPP (from 675 hours, where it stands currently).  Total 800 Hours.
• This allows for additional clinical / supervision time as an individual prepares to take the exam.
• This will raise the profile and professionalism of our practice
• It will make us competitive with other certified therapies, and will benefit our entire community with respect to future regulation.

GOOD NEWS FOR ALL CURRENT BCPPS!:   If someone is currently a BCPP, there are NO additional hours you need to document (as was originally announced in August).  You remain a BCPP as long as you re-certify every two years with the normal 15 hours of CEUs….  Current BCPPs will not be impacted by the raised hours.

A note to BCPP Training Managers:
APTA will be holding a conference call with the CGC and all BCPP Training Managers in the coming months to more clearly define the content of these new 125 hours.  They will be primarily clinical work / supervision.

• 800 hours is already advertised on APTA’s new website as what constitutes a BCPP Training.  You are encouraged to update your site and marketing materials as soon as possible.
• If you have students graduating this school year, they will be able to take the exam with 675 hours.
• We do not have email access to your former RPP and BCPP students, but you do.  Please contact them and encourage them to take the BCPP exam as soon as possible (if they have not already). Also please encourage them to join APTA!
• If you prefer APTA to contact your former students related to APTA business that impacts them, please forward their email addresses … or have them visit the new website where they can sign up for email updates, even if they are not members.

RPP vs BCPP. What’s the Difference?
The RPP

• The RPP indicates a level of advanced study in Polarity;  it is an educational achievement en route to becoming a BCPP.
  It would include 675 hours of study. It is analogous to completing medical school, an academic program of study, versus the additional 125 BCPP hours would be akin to a residency, a time for clinical practice in a supervised environment before taking the exam to become an independent practitioner.
• RPPs may practice Polarity non-professionally (i.e. on family and friends) or use their knowledge for their own personal growth and health.
• RPP designation indicates a level of advanced study in Polarity which may complement other licensed / certified professions.
•  RPPs are required to understand their state laws and insure their practice does not violate those laws. Increasingly, states will be requiring BCPP to practice Polarity professionally
• We encourage all RPPs to become BCPPs and will assist in this process by developing an exam preparation course in the next year.
• There is no requirement that schools offer an RPP program if they don’t want to. If they prefer they can offer only APP and BCPP; they just need to insure the BCPP program meets the 800 hour requirement starting in 2017.The BCPP
• The BCPP is the ONLY credential APTA endorses for independent professional practice. It will become the basis for your legal right to practice in many states, as states increasingly look to regulate traditional and complementary medicine, and  somatic therapies like Polarity.
• The BCPP Training Hours will be raised by 125 hours in 2017, to a total of 800 hours. We believe 125 hours of clinical work will provide additional hands-on experience and supervision that will ready the individual for independent practice. This will also be a time period when the candidate can review the APTA standards and prepare for the exam.
• This change makes us competitive in terms of hours with most massage trainings and other bodywork trainings, which will be important in terms of protecting our right to practice.
• Many APTA approved programs already exceed 675 hours.