Mignon Jordan, a licensed clinical social worker and co‑owner of Olive Tree Therapy and Wellness in Hiram, asked the City Council at its July work session to amend Article 7, massage/spa establishment (Section 12-4-16), to explicitly exempt licensed mental‑health professionals who supervise or integrate licensed massage therapists into trauma‑informed care.
Jordan said her practice serves adults, seniors, veterans and children who have experienced trauma and that a number of evidence‑based, body‑focused interventions are delivered under clinical supervision. “We are a healthcare facility,” Jordan said. “We have an EHR and follow medical record protocols. Under the SPA ordinance there are prohibitions — we can't keep doors locked, we can't have minors without a parent — that make it difficult to provide trauma‑informed services.”
The request prompted legal analysis from City Attorney Jason, who said state licensing definitions and existing Georgia statutes govern what may properly be exempted. “I don't think it's as simple as just adding an additional exception,” Jason said, noting that state law sets definitions for social work and for what constitutes massage therapy and that some professions already have statutory carve‑outs. He advised staff to review the relevant state statutes and to work with the speaker to identify alternate ways the city could accommodate trauma‑informed practice without creating a broad, potentially abusable exemption.
Why it matters: The city's massage/spa rules affect how therapeutic services are delivered locally. Jordan said the current language prevents her from supervising licensed massage therapists in her facility and can limit services for veterans and survivors of domestic violence who may need locked rooms or different client‑privacy practices.
Council members asked procedural and legal questions but did not adopt an ordinance change at the meeting. The council took no formal vote on an exemption; Jason and staff will study the interactions between state law and the local ordinance and consult further with the applicant before drafting proposed language.
Next steps: The attorney offered to examine whether a narrowly tailored exception or alternative regulatory approach could accomplish Jordan's goals; the council did not set a timetable for action.