Ohio Administrative Code|Rule 4757-9-05 | Approval of continuing professional education programs required for renewal of licenses and certificates of registration issued by the board.

                                                
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
				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) 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.


Last updated November 29, 2021 at 4:34 PM