The goals of the board's continuing
professional education requirements are to assist licensees in maintaining and
expanding professional competence and expertise, in becoming aware of new
professional issues and developments; and in providing responsible, quality and
competent service to clients and community. Continuing education to promote
personal growth of the licensee or to develop general business skills, or to
develop skills such as in CPR or first aid, shall not be accepted.
Continuing education credits may be obtained in
several ways: attendance at programs offered by approved providers, approved
programs, and publications as cited in paragraph (B) of rule 4757-9-06 of the
Administrative Code and presentations as cited in paragraph (C) of rule
4757-9-06 of the Administrative Code. The board or its designee shall approve
providers under the following guidelines:
Any individual or business providing continuing
education courses for this board's licensees shall comply with federal law
title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act "ADA." Continuing
education programs shall be offered in locations and in a manner, which are
accessible to persons with disabilities, or offer alternative accessible
arrangements for such persons. Individuals or businesses who hold provider
status or are approved to provide individual programs are required to provide
auxiliary aides and services that are necessary to ensure equal access to the
goods, services, facilities, privileges or accommodations that it offers unless
an undue burden or a fundamental alteration would result.
(A) The following meanings shall apply to
all continuing education rules promulgated by the counselor, social worker, and
marriage and family therapy board.
"Provider Status" means an individual or entity granted
approval to develop continuing education program offerings without prior
approval from the board for each program offered. All continuing education
offerings shall utilize the same provider authorization number assigned by the
board. A licensed individual shall review each continuing education program as
noted on the provider application or most recent renewal application on file
with the board.
(B) Requirements for continuing education programs offered by
approved providers :
(1) Academic courses
offered in accredited education institutions by counseling, social work, and
marriage and family therapy degree programs as defined in paragraphs (A) of
rule 4757-13-01, (C)(1)(g) of rule 4757-19-01 and (A)(1) of rule 4757-25-01 of
the Administrative Code, are automatically granted program approval.
Transcripts and/or grade reports shall be used to document this training. If
the licensee audits an approved course, a letter from the professor shall be
required to verify actual number of hours of attendance, which shall be used to
determine hours of continuing education credit granted.
Continuing education programs presented by academic departments
or programs of counseling, social work, or marriage and family therapy are
accepted by the board for continuing education credit regardless of the
provider status of the department or program.
(2) Programs may be
sponsored by departments of accredited educational institutions; national,
regional, state, or local professional organizations or associations; public or
private human service agencies or organizations; private consultants; or
individuals. In order to obtain approved status from the board, a program shall
meet the following requirements:
(a) The program shall be presented by competent individuals as
documented by appropriate academic training and professionally recognized
experience. Presenters should have an identifiable involvement with human
services. In approving a particular presenter the board shall be guided by the
following range of presenter qualifications.
(i) Persons licensed by
the board, or those holding similar licenses in other states, with appropriate
expertise in the content area may be accepted.
(ii) Related
professionals with the ability to connect content to the professions licensed
by the board counseling, social work or marriage and family therapy practice
shall usually be accepted.
(iii) Expert presenters
with no apparent link to professions licensed by the board, or related practice
may or may not be acceptable based upon content to be presented and intended
audience.
(iv) Presenters with no
apparent professional qualifications nor link to the professions licensed by
the board shall not be accepted.
(v) Presenters providing
training in practice areas that would require licensure shall show evidence of
current licensure in Ohio or another state.
(b) The program shall have a minimum duration of one clock
hour.
(c) The program shall have goals and objectives which are
responsive to the needs of licensees and attendees. Applications shall include
agendas with content and time frames for each session of the
program.
(d) The program shall be related to counseling, social work
and/or marriage and family therapy content areas as listed in rules 4757-9-01,
4757-9-02 and 4757-9-03 of the Administrative Code.
Peer reviewed journals shall meet the following criteria: (i)
have an independent editorial board, (ii) be sponsored by a national
professional society for counseling, social work, marriage and family therapy,
art therapy, music therapy, psychology or psychiatry, and (iii) have paid
subscribers. Articles appearing in publications dealing with the specific
program topic area shall not constitute validation.
(e) The program shall be disseminated via appropriate
instructional methods, such as lecture, group discussion, video, film, computer
or other electronic means, written materials, or interactive
teleconferencing.
(f) The program shall include an evaluation component
directly related to its stated goals and objectives.
(g) The program shall be offered in a place and manner
which is accessible to persons who are physically challenged.
(h) The program approval request shall be submitted for
review, in a format designated by the board, at least sixty days prior to the
scheduled program date. Program approval requests received on or after the date
of the program shall be denied.
(i) The program's promotional information shall state
that program approval has either been applied for or has been granted, and to
which license(s) renewal requirements the program shall apply.
(j) The sponsor of the program shall provide program
participants certificates of completion on paper or electronically, which
contain the information in paragraphs (B)(2)(k)(i) to (B)(2)(k)(vi) of the
Administrative Code.
(i) The title and date(s)
of the program and the board's program approval number;
(ii) The name of the
sponsoring agency or organization;
(iii) The name of the
participant, which may be legibly handwritten, and the number of clock hours of
continuing professional education earned by the participant;
(iv) The signature of the
instructor or the official representative of the sponsoring
organization;
(v) The hours of ethics,
distance learning and/or supervision included in the program, if any;
and
(vi) A blank space on the
certificate of completion in which the participant may place their registration
or license number.
(k) The sponsor shall ensure that the program conforms to
the planned hours of attendance, attendance certificates are given to attendees
after the end of the program and that any late arrivals or early departees are
given certificates accurately reflecting their actual times of
attendance.
(l) The sponsor shall maintain records of program content,
presenter qualifications and individual participation, and individual
evaluation forms for five years and make such records available, if the board
requests them;
(C) Guidelines for provider approval:
(1) Continuing education
providers authorized to provide continuing education as defined in paragraphs
(F) and (G) of this rule and paragraph (F) of rule 4757-9-06 of the
Administrative Code are ineligible to apply for provider approval as described
in this rule.
(2) Approved provider status for newly
approved providers shall be granted for up to a to four year period and is
subject to renewal for up to a four year year period if the provider meets the
requirements of this rule. At its discretion, the board may establish an
initial approval period or renewal period of less than four years based on the
experience and performance of the provider.
(3) Providers may use
their own approval numbers for presentations by this board's staff
members, for example ethics or licensing presentations.
(4) The board may refuse to renew the
approved status of any provider who fails to comply with the requirements of
this rule. Approved provider status may be withdrawn for cause.
(5) Programs offered by a provider while
that provider does not have approved status shall not be accepted by the board
toward fulfillment of license renewal requirements unless program approval for
such programs was obtained as set forth in this rule.
(6) The board may grant provider status,
which may include but are not limited to: degree programs, national regional,
state, or local professional organizations, public or private human service
agencies, private consultants or individuals. The applicant for approved
provider status shall meet the following requirements:
(a) Make application for approval status in a format required by
the board at least two months prior to the date of the first scheduled program
offering. A list of proposed programs and program goals shall be included with
the application.
(b) Apply for renewal of approved provider status two
months prior to the expiration date;
(c) Provide or arrange for appropriate educational
facilities and instructional aids and offer programs and facilities that are
accessible to persons who are handicapped.
(d) Have program presenters who have the professionally
recognized skills to conduct the programs being offered in accordance with
paragraph (A) of this rule;
(e) Conduct programs that satisfy one or more of the
program areas in the professions licensed by the board as defined in rules
4757-9-01, 4757-9-02 and 4757-9-03 of the Administrative Code and/or as defined
in division (A), (C) or (H) of section 4757.01 of the Revised
Code;
(f) Include an evaluation component in all programs
offered;
(g) Maintains records of program content, presenter
qualifications and individual participation, and individual evaluation forms
for five years and make such records available, if the board requests
them;
(h) The provider shall give program participants
certificates of completion on paper or electronically, which contain the
information in paragraphs (C)(6)(i)(i) to (C)(6)(i)(vi) of the Administrative
Code.
(i) Name of the provider
and the approved provider number;
(ii) The name of the
participant, which may be legibly handwritten, and provide a blank space on the
certificate of completion in which the participant may place his or her
registration or license number;
(iii) The title and
date(s) of the program;
(iv) The hours of ethics,
distance learning and/or supervision included in the program if
any;
(v) The signature of the
instructor or the official representative of the sponsoring organization;
and
(vi) The number of clock
hours of continuing professional education earned by the
participant.
(i) Indicate, on any promotional literature disseminated,
the provider number issued by the board and the license(s) renewal requirements
to which the program(s) shall apply.
(j) Each program shall have review and or input by a
licensee of the board.
(k) The provider shall ensure that the program conforms to
the planned hours of attendance, attendance certificates are given to attendees
after the end of the program and that any late arrivals or early departees are
given certificates accurately reflecting their actual times of
attendance.
(l) Providers may purchase and/or contract for the
provision of continuing education programs that are not co-sponsored provided
the provider retains control of the contracted or purchased
program.
(m) Applicants shall use the form prescribed by the board
for approval of the continuing education provider status. Applicants shall pay
a fee set in rule 4757-1-05 of the Administrative Code for each provider
application submitted or renewed. Initial provider status is valid for a period
to be established by the board upon status approval.
(D) Guidelines for continuing education
program advertising: All advertising by approved continuing education providers
shall clearly indicate the target audience of any program being advertised. A
provider or sponsor offering continuing education programs shall
include:
(1) Approved for
counselors and/or social workers and/or marriage and family therapists each
listed as appropriate;
(2) If ethics or
supervision, then include: Approved for number of hours of ethics and/or number
of hours of supervision each listed as appropriate; and approved for counselors
and/or social workers and/or marriage and family therapists each listed as
appropriate.
(E) The board has the right to have a board employee attend
unannounced any approved continuing education program offered under this rule.
The staff member or board member attending the program may not claim continuing
education credit for the course without paying the requisite fee, if
any.
(F) Association approval status:
(1) National associations
or associations of state regulatory boards composed of licensed members or
stakeholders of the counseling, social work, or marriage and family therapy
professions that provide or approve continuing education for use in multiple
jurisdictions, or Ohio-based associations representing the professions licensed
by the board may apply to the board for association approval
status.
(a) National associations may apply to approve continuing
education programs, providers, or providers and programs.
(b) Ohio-based associations may apply to approve programs
only.
(c) Association approval status is approved by the board upon
recommendation of the appropriate professional standards
committee.
(d) Initial association provider approval status will be valid
for one year from the date of approval.
(e) After the expiration of the initial one year approval, the
board, at its discretion, may award association approval status for up to three
years.
(f) Association approval status may be restricted for cause or
revoked for cause. In such instances when the board intends to restrict or
revoke an approval status, the association will be provided an initial
ninety-day period, which may be extended at the board's discretion for a
one time sixty day period, in which to respond. During the response period the
association may continue to approve programs or providers. All restrictions,
non-renewals and revocations must be approved by the board upon a
recommendation of the appropriate professional standards committee.
Associations subject to a restricted approval status, non-renewal, or
revocation may reapply to the board for full approval status after one
year.
(g) Associations applying for association approval status must do
so on a form provided by the board and pay any fees assessed by the board for
continuing education approvals as defined in rule 4757-1-05 of the
Administrative Code.
(h) The association must agree to approve programs and providers
in accordance with rules 4757-9-01, 4757-9-02, and 4757-9-03 of the
Administrative Code.
(2) Annually the
association must report to the board the number of programs and providers
approved; the number of programs and providers denied and a reason for the
denial; apprise the board of any relevant issues related to the approval of
programs or providers.
(3) Continuing education
provided by associations with association approval status will be accepted to
meet continuing education renewal requirements without further action by the
board.
(G) Programs sponsored by or offered by
the following agencies of the state of Ohio or state of Ohio constitutional
offices shall be considered approved for continuing education credit provided
the subject matter of the training is relevant to the professions licensed by
the board : chemical dependency professionals board, state medical board of
Ohio, , department of developmental disabilities, bureau of workers
compensation, department of education, department of health, department of job
and family services, department of mental health and addiction services, board
of nursing, state board of psychology, depart of rehabilitation and
corrections, department of public safety, department of youth services,
attorney general of Ohio, and supreme court of Ohio.
(1) By a vote of the
board state agencies or constitutional offices not listed in paragraph (G) of
this rule may be approved to provided continuing education programs.
(2) The board may
restrict licensees from claiming continuing education credits for programs
provided by any agency listed in paragraph (G) of this rule or approved under
paragraph (G)(1) of this rule if the board determines a program or programs
offered by such an agency do not provide continuing education appropriate to
the scopes of practice defined in agency 4757 of the Administrative Code.
(3) Certificates for
programs offered may include the following statement to denote acceptance by
the board: "Accepted for continued education credit by the Ohio CSWMFT
Board under rule 4757-9-05 of the Administrative Code."
(H) Post program discontinued: approval:
(1) Effective with the
effective date of this rule, the board will discontinue review of continuing
education programs for post program approval. Programs previously eligible for
post program approval, as described in paragraph (H)(3) of this rule, will be
submited via the board's chosen system for continuing education program
without pre or post review by the board. Such programs are subject to audit and
may be rejected for license renewal if the program is determined not to be
qualified continuing education.
(2) Programs taken in person in the state
of Ohio that are not preapproved by the board or offered by an approved
provider, cannot be submitted as continuing education.
(3) , The licensee shall provide the
following in a manner required by the board:
(a) If a book, a copy of the front matter indicating the title,
author, and year of publication. Self-published books do not qualify for
continuing education credit.
(b) If a journal article, the first page(s) of the article that
includes the article title, abstract, and name of the journal.
(c) If a presentation of an of in-service training workshops,
seminars and/or conference presentations, a copy of the presenation or training
agenda; or
(d) If an in-person, out of state conference or
training:
(i) Documentation that
the program presenter(s) met the requirements of paragraph (B)(2)(a) of this
rule; and
(ii) A copy of the
program brochure and other documentation to demonstrate that the program met
the requirements of paragraphs (B)(2)(b) to (B)(2)(f) of this rule;
and
(iii) A certificate of
completion, transcripts, grade card, or signed statement from the presenter to
demonstrate the licensee's attendance at the program or
course.
