Rule 4723-26-05 | Continuing education requirements.
[Comment: Information regarding the availability and effective date of the materials incorporated by reference in this rule can be found in paragraph (G) of rule 4723-1-03 of the Administrative Code.]
(A) Except in the case of the first renewal of a current, valid certificate to practice as a community health worker, to be eligible to renew a certificate, a community health worker shall complete 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 4723-27 of the Administrative Code. To qualify as continuing education directly related to Chapter 4723. of the Revised Code and the rules of the board, the continuing education must be approved by an OBN approver, or offered by an OBN approved provider unit headquartered in the state of Ohio. 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 (B) of this rule.
(B) 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 reactivate the certificate 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 prior to the application for reactivation.
(C) The holder of a lapsed certificate shall complete fifteen hours of continuing education that meet the requirements of paragraph (A) of this rule during the twenty-four months immediately prior to the application for reinstatement of the certificate.
(D) A community health worker shall verify completion of the continuing education required by this rule on the "Community Health Worker Renewal Application" or "Community Health Worker Reactivation and Reinstatement Application" for certificate renewal, reactivation or reinstatement, and at the discretion of the board, may be required to show proof of completion of the approved continuing education. Failure to verify or provide proof of completion shall result in ineligibility to renew, reactivate or reinstate a certificate until proof of completion of the continuing education requirements is provided to the board.
(E) A community health worker who earns more than the number of contact hours of continuing education required for a single reporting period cannot apply the excess hours to satisfy future continuing education requirements.
(F) A community health worker who is ineligible to renew or reinstate a certificate 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 their certificate is renewed or reinstated by the board. The continuing education shall be obtained within the forty-eight months immediately prior to the application for renewal or reinstatement.
(G) A community health worker may use a waiver to satisfy the continuing education requirement only one time, and must notify the board in writing requesting the waiver. Once requested the waiver cannot be rescinded and use of the waiver shall be documented on the community health workers certification record.
(H) The calculation of contact hours based on credit hours earned in an academic institution shall be made according to paragraph (B) of rule 4723-14-04 of the Administrative Code.
(I) 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.
(J) 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 according to 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.
(K) A community health worker certificate holder who is engaged in active military duty may be eligible for an extension of time to complete continuing education as provided in rule 4723-2-04 of the Administrative Code.
Supplemental Information