4723-26-05 Continuing education requirements.

(A) Except in the case of the first renewal of an active certificate to practice as a community health worker, to be eligible to renew an active certificate, a community health worker shall obtain fifteen contact hours of continuing education during each renewal period. For each reporting period, at least one of the required hours of continuing education must be directly related to Chapter 4723. of the Revised Code and the rules of the board in Chapters 4723-1 to 4723-23 of the Administrative Code. For each reporting period, at least one of the required hours of continuing education must be directly related to establishing and maintaining professional boundaries. This requirement applies to the reporting period set forth in paragraph (C) of this rule.

(B) A community health worker from another jurisdiction who applies for a certificate to practice as a community health worker by endorsement shall not be required to meet the continuing education requirement to obtain an initial certificate to practice as a community health worker.

(C) A community health worker who requests that the certificate to practice as a community health worker be placed on inactive status shall not be required to meet the continuing education requirement for the period of time the certificate is on inactive status. To return to active status the community health worker shall complete fifteen hours of continuing education that meet the requirements as set forth in paragraph (A) of this rule during the twenty-four months immediately preceding application for reactivating the certificate.

(D) When a certificate to practice as a community health worker is allowed to lapse the holder of the certificate shall complete fifteen hours of continuing education that meet the requirements of paragraph (A) of this rule during the twenty-four months immediately preceding application to restore the certificate.

(E) A community health worker shall verify completion of the continuing education required by this rule on the application for certificate renewal provided by the board, and at the discretion of the board, may be required to show proof of completion of the approved continuing education. Failure to so verify or provide such proof shall result in ineligibility to renew or restore a certificate to practice as a community health worker until the continuing education requirements are met.

(F) A community health worker who earns in excess of the number of contact hours of continuing education required for a single reporting period shall not apply the excess hours to satisfy future continuing education requirements.

(G) A community health worker who is ineligible to renew or restore a certificate to practice as a community health worker in Ohio due to failure to meet the continuing education requirements, may be required to show completion of up to thirty contact hours of continuing education, that meets the requirements of this rule, before being issued a current certificate by the board. The continuing education shall be obtained within the forty-eight months immediately preceding renewal or restoration of the certificate.

(H) A community health worker may use a waiver to satisfy the continuing education requirement only one time, and the community health worker shall notify the board in writing requesting the waiver. Once the community health worker notifies the board of the intent to use the waiver, the waiver shall not be rescinded and use of the waiver shall be documented on the community health worker’s certificate.

(I) The calculation of contact hours based on credit hours earned in an academic institution shall be made in accordance with paragraph (B) of rule 4723-14-04 of the Administrative Code.

(J) Educational activities that satisfy the requirements of this rule are the same as those set forth in rule 4723-14-05 of the Administrative Code.

(K) The board may conduct a retrospective audit of any holder of a certificate to practice as a community health worker to determine compliance with this rule. The audit shall be conducted in accordance with rule 4723-14-07 of the Administrative Code. A community health worker shall retain proof of completion of approved continuing education for a period of six years.

HISTORY: Eff 2-1-05

Rule promulgated under: RC 119.03

Statutory Authority: 4723.88

Rule Amplifies: 4723.85

R.C. 119.032 review dates: 02/01/2010