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Ohio Administrative Code (Last Updated: January 12, 2021) |
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4757 Counselor, Social Worker, and Marriage and Family Therapist Board |
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Chapter4757-9. Continuing Education |
4757-9-05. Approval of continuing professional education programs required for renewal of licenses and certificates of registration issued by the board
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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 shall not be accepted.
Continuing education credits may be obtained in several ways: attendance at programs offered by approved providers, approved programs, post-approved programs, 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, programs, and offer post-program approval 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. Issues on undue burden or disability accommodations should be addressed to the federal department of justice "ADA" technical assistance section. The technical assistance section can be reached through searching online for the contact number. In January 2014, the number was 800-514-0301 and online at www.ada.gov.
(A) The following meanings shall apply to all continuing education rules promulgated by the counselor, social worker, and marriage and family therapy board.
(1) "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.
(2) "Co-sponsorship" means an approved provider works jointly with another entity to develop and offer a joint program by both entities. The continuing education program developed may use the approved provider's number and the approved provider shall keep all records as listed in paragraph (C)(6)(h) of this rule. Only the board may authorize a continuing education program when an entity with provider status has not been directly involved as a co-sponsor.
(B) Guidelines for continuing education program approval:
(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.
(2) Approved 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) Counselors, social workers or marriage and family therapists with appropriate expertise in the content area shall clearly be accepted.
(ii) Related professionals with the ability to connect content to counseling, social work or marriage and family therapy practice shall usually be accepted.
(iii) Expert presenters with no apparent link to counseling, social work and marriage and family therapy, 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 social work, counseling, marriage and family therapy, or human services 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 meet the professional needs of the intended clientele, which shall include counselors, social workers, and/or marriage and family therapists.
(c) The program shall have a minimum duration of one clock hour.
(d) The program shall have written goals and objectives which are responsive to the needs of prospective counselor, social worker and marriage and family therapist attendees. Applications shall include agendas with content and time frames for each session of the program.
(e) 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. Individuals or organizations seeking approval for programs with content, which is not clearly related to these content areas for generalist theory or practice or specifically referenced in counseling, social work and marriage and family therapy accredited academic training programs may be required to provide the following additional information to substantiate the direct applicability of the content to social work, marriage and family therapy, and/or counseling professionals.
(i) Explain and justify the content applicability to counseling, social work and marriage and family therapy theory or practice and the implications for generalist practice.
(ii) Programs with content in areas or subjects not specifically taught or referenced in counseling, social work and marriage and family therapy curriculum, in order to be approved, require inclusion with the application of peer reviewed journal articles, which validate the direct application to counselors, social workers and marriage and family therapists of the theory or intervention, which is the focus of the continuing education program.
(iii) Peer reviewed journals shall meet the following criteria:
(a) have an independent editorial board,
(b) be sponsored by a national professional society for counseling, social work, marriage and family therapy, psychology or psychiatry, and
(c) have paid subscribers. Articles appearing in publications dealing with the specific program topic area shall not constitute validation.
(f) 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.
(g) The program shall include an evaluation component directly related to its stated goals and objectives.
(h) The program shall be offered in a place and manner which is accessible to persons who are physically challenged.
(i) The program approval request shall be submitted for review, on a form 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.
(j) 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.
(k) 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.
(l) 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.
(m) 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;
(n) Applicants shall use the form prescribed by the board for approval of the continuing education program. Applicants shall pay a fee set in rule 4757-1-05 of the Administrative Code for each program submitted and each renewal.
(C) Guidelines for provider approval:
(1) Approved provider status for newly approved providers shall be granted for a one-year period and is subject to renewal for two year periods if the provider meets the requirements of this rule.
(2) Providers for counselor and marriage and family therapist programs are not independent authorizing entities for continuing education programs offered by other entities. Providers for social work programs are not independent authorizing entities for continuing education programs offered by other entities except that national social work associations may be approved as independent providers per paragraph (D) of this rule. continuing education offerings that include outside presenters, that are not co-sponsorships, shall be submitted separately and independently to the board for approval. If approved, that program shall use the individual program number of the applying entity.
(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: counseling, social work and marriage and family therapist 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 on a form provided 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) Submit to the board, no later than two months before the end of the probationary period, a synopsis of all programs during the previous ten months;
(c) Apply for renewal of approved provider status two months prior to the desired two-year period;
(d) Provide or arrange for appropriate educational facilities and instructional aids and offer programs and facilities that are accessible to persons who are handicapped.
(e) Have program presenters who have the professionally recognized skills to conduct the programs being offered in accordance with paragraph (A) of this rule;
(f) Conduct programs that satisfy one or more of the program areas in counseling, social work or marriage and family therapy as defined in rules 4757-9-01, 4757-9-02 and 4757-9-03 of the Administrative Code and/or in counseling, social work or marriage and family therapy as defined in division (A), (C) or (H) of section 4757.01 of the Revised Code;
(g) Include an evaluation component in all programs offered;
(h) 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;
(i) The sponsor of the program shall provide program participants with 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.
(j) 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.
(k) Each program shall have review and or input by a counselor, social worker and/or marriage and family therapist as appropriate.
(l) Provider status shall not be approved for applicants that plan to provide less than five programs during the initial approval year nor renewed for applicants that plan to offer less than eight programs during a two-year renewal period. These applicants should request individual program approvals.
(m) 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.
(n) 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.
(o) 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 one year from date of approval and renewals are valid for two years.
(D) Guidelines for continuing education program advertising: All advertising for board approved programs by approved continuing education providers and program sponsors 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 counseling, social work, or marriage and family therapy professions, 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 Administsrative 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) Post program approval:
(1) Social work licensees or registrants shall apply on a form prescribed by the board for post-approval for relevant journal articles; books; presentations of in-service training workshops, seminars and/or conference presentations; distance learning; out of state continuing professional education programs; and/ or coursework in related disciplines.
(2) Counselor licensees shall apply on a form prescribed by the board for post-approval for relevant journal articles; books; presentations of in-service training workshops, seminars and/or a conference presentations; distance learning; out of state continuing professional education programs; and/or coursework in related disciplines.
(3) Licensees shall apply for post-program approval, on a form designated by the board, within ninety days of completing a program.
(4) Marriage and family therapists may apply on a form prescribed by the board for post-approval for relevant journal articles; books; presentations of in-service training workshops, seminars and/or conference presentations; distance learning; out of state continuing professional education programs; and/or coursework in related disciplines.
(5) To obtain a post-program approval, the licensee shall provide the following:
(a) Appropriate information needed for board review of journal articles; books; and/or presentations of in-service training workshops, seminars and/or conference presentations; or
(b) Appropriate information needed for board review of distance learning, out of state continuing professional education programs and/or coursework in related disciplines including:
(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.