Resolving and Avoiding Conflicts
With Healthcare Licensing Boards
Practicing in a health, wellness or nutrition profession in North America is illegal unless you are:
- Licensed in a profession that allows you to practice health, wellness or nutrition by your state, province or country, or -- if your profession is not licensed --
- Certified by an independent -- not run by a manufacturer, distributor, dealer, association or education organization -- and accredited by an accepted accreditation agency. Here's the most complete and accurate list of such certification boards we know about.
If you are certified by one of these boards and practicing legally, NTCRS will defend you pro bono. Our services will cost you nothing. If you are certified by one of these boards and practicing illegally, you will need additional services from an attorney in your state or province.
If you are not licensed and not certified -- or certified by a paper mill -- we will assist you in your defense as an expert witness. But you really need an attorney in your state or province. We do charge an expert witness fee.
Just so you know. Our record as an expert witness is outstanding. Our record with properly credentialed professionals practicing legally is even better -- no losses.
Avoiding Conflicts
Having the proper credentials is the only way to avoid any difficulty with any licensing board in any state, province or country. Having the proper credentials is your best protection and your best defense. Lacking the proper credentials, you are not practicing legally, professionally, responsibly or ethically. Lacking the proper credentials you are practicing unprofessionally, irresponsibly, unethically and illegally.
How to Avoid Needing Our Services
How Licensing Boards Investigate Suspects
Especially for Dark Field Microscopists
Why Licensing Boards Investigate Professional People
Licensing boards are legally bound to protect the public by licensing only qualified professionals based on education and reputation. To perform this duty they create a list of requirements to obtain a license. Then they police the people who obtain their license to determine that they are practicing according to the scope of practice determined by the licensing board. If the licensed individual is doing anything to harm the public in any way, they will sanction that person.
That's the way it's supposed to work.
In practice, the politically astute professionals within any licensed profession set the standards for new candidates to obtain and keep a license. These standards normally get higher and higher as the board attempts to control the number of people entering their profession. That's one way the board protects the income of those who are licensed.
The second way the boards protect the income for those they license is to investigate and prosecute non-licensed professionals whom they suspect are practicing their profession without a license. Over the past few years the number of these investigations has escalated as the public turns more and more to alternative healthcare.
If you read nothing else, read this:
How Licensing Boards Investigate Suspects
When do You Need Conflict Resolutions With a Licensing Board?
The best time to enter into conflict resolution is when you feel you might be under investigation for practicing something without a license. There are a number of happenings that might give you this impression. The most common is that a friend in your profession unexpectedly "retires" and cuts off communication with you and other professionals in your profession.
When that happens, one reason is that person reported you for practicing without a license. If you guess that's what happened, you may be right, but you may also be wrong. Either way, there are a number of things you can do to become proactive and protect yourself.
More About Protecting Yourself
The next best time to enter into conflict resolution is when you know you are being investigated for practicing something without a license. The first thing you do is protect yourself as described above. The second thing you do is find an attorney or a mediator who knows how to negotiate with licensing boards. If you don't know, that's our area of expertise. But we have a set of guidelines to help you and your attorney obtain a favorable result.
Guidelines for Negotiating With Licensing Boards
Resolving Conflicts
Natural Therapies Conflict Resolution Services (NTCRS) is a leader in resolving conflicts for properly credentialed alternative, holistic, integrative and natural therapies providers. NTCRS also resolves conflicts for property licensed spiritual healers. For properly credentialed providers, our services include resolving any conflicts you have with any licensing board or governmental agency concerning your healthcare business and services.
Services We Do Not Provide
NTCRS no longer assists non-licensed, non-certified practitioners who chose to practice illegally, unprofessionally, unethically and irresponsibly. NTCRS does not provide any legal services of any kind concerning legal matters. We are among the most successful mediators in this business.
If your attorney requires the services of one of our major competitors to help you close your business and stay out of prison, please contact them directly. We recommend both Paula and Tony.
Please contact NTCRS anytime you need our assistance.