You worked hard to earn your massage therapy license. You went through 500, maybe even 1,000 hours or more of training. Maybe you took the time to get yourself certified in CPR. Then you had to take a licensing exam. The last thing you ever want to hear is that your license is in jeopardy.
Unfortunately, a single complaint can bring on an investigation from your state licensing agency, and once you're the subject of an investigation, there's no way of knowing where it may wind up.
If you're facing questions, it's important you know how to get help. Joseph D. Lento and his Professional License Defense Team have the background and experience to protect you. They know the law, and they know how your state board operates. Most important of all, they're on your side. They want to make sure you're treated fairly and that you get the best possible outcome. The moment you discover you're under investigation, contact Joseph D. Lento and the Lento Law Firm Team at 888-555-3686 to find out just what they can do for you.
Your License is Important
As a professional massage therapist, nothing is more precious than your license. It's not just that it grants you the right to practice your craft. You work in a profession that's dedicated to helping others, improving health and well-being, to making your clients' lives better. Your license says you take your responsibilities seriously. It tells everyone that you have the training and experience necessary to do your job. Maybe most important of all, it lets your customers know they can trust you.
When your license is threatened, there's more at stake than just whether or not a state board allows you to continue working as a massage therapist. Your personal and professional reputations are on the line. That's something you have to protect at all costs.
What Can Go Wrong?
What is it you need to worry about most as a massage therapist? In other words, what exactly can go wrong and put your license in danger?
- Practicing under the influence, whether of alcohol or drugs
- Unsanitary practices, like failing to clean linens or disinfect equipment between clients
- Inappropriate conduct with clients or crossing professional boundaries in some way
- Allowing unlicensed employees to perform tasks restricted to licensed professionals
- Acting in some way outside the scope of your professional license
Any one of these could potentially lead to an investigation. Of course, you can never know when a disgruntled customer, an employee, or a competitor may level a false accusation against you. If you're not careful, an investigation can damage your reputation even if you are ultimately cleared of any charges.
That's why it is so important to make sure you have professional representation. Joseph D. Lento and his Professional License Defense Team can handle any investigative meetings and hearings, but they can also help manage your image. They can pressure your licensing board to conduct its activities quietly and to limit your public exposure. They can make sure complainants aren't allowed to smear your good name in public. They can talk to the press if that becomes necessary and make sure you're treated fairly.
What Can You Expect?
Every state's licensing board uses its own processes and procedures for dealing with complaints. For the most part, though, you can expect a four-part investigation.
- Cases typically begin when someone lodges a complaint against you. That could be anyone, from a co-worker to a colleague, to a customer, to an insurer. In addition, your licensing board likely conducts its own periodic inspections, and a complaint can also arise out of this process.
- Next, your licensing agency will conduct a thorough investigation. They will probably meet with you to hear your side of the story. They'll collect any physical evidence. They'll talk to your co-workers. Ultimately, they'll turn over everything they find to your licensing board.
- If you admit to the charges against you, you'll face a sanction. That's typically recorded in a “Consent Order” that describes the nature of your infraction and what penalty the board has assigned you. Consent orders can sometimes be private, but more often, they are public documents meant to assure the public that the board takes violations seriously.
- You have the option, though, to challenge any decision against you through a formal hearing. At the hearing, you can present evidence and call witnesses. You can also cross-examine any witnesses against you. Most importantly, you have the right to an attorney, someone to represent you, to speak on your behalf, and to make sure your rights are protected.
Joseph D. Lento and the Lento Law Firm Team can help you with your case from the very moment a complaint is lodged against you. They can
- Review the complaint and make sure you understand the charges
- Work with you to prepare your case, help you come up with a defense strategy, track down witnesses for you, and collect any relevant evidence
- Represent you at all investigative meetings
- Keep abreast of developments in the case so you always know where you stand
- Draft an official response to the accusation
- Pressure the board to drop the charges
- Represent you at any hearings
- File any necessary appeals
While Joseph D. Lento and the Lento Law Firm Team can help you with any aspect of your license defense, it's important to recognize that the sooner you act, the better your chances of successfully defending yourself. You want to address any complaints as soon as they happen. If you wait until you're facing a board hearing to take the allegations seriously, it may already be too late to save your license.
Fighting for Your Future
You can't afford to take any threat to your license lightly. Your license is your livelihood, the stamp of approval from your state, your badge of honor that says you care about your patients and always have their best interests at heart. If your license is threatened for any reason, you need the best representation you can find. You need Joseph D. Lento and his Professional License Defense Team.
The Lento Law Firm Team have helped hundreds of licensed professionals defend their reputations and protect their licenses. They know the law. They know the massage therapy industry. They know your state board's requirements. More importantly, they believe in you and what you do, and they're ready to fight for your rights and your reputation.
To find out more about exactly what Joseph D. Lento and his Professional License Defense Team can do for you, contact the Lento Law Firm today at 888-555-3686, or use our automated online form.
