Continuing Professional Development Program

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House Bill 09-1086 enacts continuing professional development requirements to certain mental health professionals who apply to renew, reinstate or reactivate their license or certificate on or after January 1, 2011. The affected license and certificate types are:
 

• Licensed Social Workers
• Licensed Clinical Social Workers
• Licensed Professional Counselors
• Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists
• Licensed Addiction Counselors
• Certified Addiction Counselors Levels II and III

The Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Program is now in full effect. Anyone wishing to renew, reinstate or reactivate one of the above license or certificate types must comply with CPD in order to do so. You may fall into one of several groups:
 

• If you completed the Professional Survey or Rubric and drafted a Learning Plan in order to renew your license or certificate in 2011, you will want to “Submit” that completed Learning Plan, which should demonstrate that you’ve accrued at least 40 Professional Development Hours (PDH) during the 2011 – 2013 cycle. Activities prior to July 1, 2011 will not count.
   
• If you were licensed between May 1, 2011 and August 31, 2011, your license expiration date was pushed back to the next renewal, however, since you were licensed for the full cycle, your requirement will also be 40 PDH to renew in 2013.
   
• If you were licensed after September 1, 2011, your PDH requirements will be pro-rated. Licensees are required to accumulate 1.66 PDH for each month, or portion of month, that they’re licensed. For example, someone licensed on September 30, 2011 would need to include that month in their calculation and would be required to demonstrate completion of 38.18 PDH.
   

•  If you reinstated a license that was lapsed for less than two years, you were required to attest that you’ve accrued 1.66 PDH for each month your license was in an "expired" status beginning in September of 2011. Once your license is reinstated, the number of PDH required for the next renewal is pro-rated. For example, someone who reinstated a license in July of 2012 was required to demonstrate that they’ve accrued 18.26 PDH since September of 2011. Once the license is “active” again, the licensee would then be required to accrue the remainder of the PDH before the next renewal.

Online Portal

The CPD Portal is the preferred method of compliance for CPD. Mental health professionals with Continuing Competency requirements will need to create a user ID and password on their first visit to the CPD Portal. The status bar will direct you through each step of the CPD program. However, a detailed "Portal Guide" with screen shots and a "Sample Learning Plan" can be accessed by clicking the buttons on the left. The CPD portion of the portal allows you to:

• Create a secure user account to manage your Continuing Professional Development;
• Access the Reflective Practice tools such as the Professional Practice Survey or the Professional Practice Rubric;
• Draft, update and submit your Learning Plan
   

Stay Informed!

Sign up for e-mail updates from the Division. You may update your e-mail address using Online Services.

Public Information Sessions Webinar

The webinar is now available online. The webinar offered on December 9, 2010 reviewed the main requirements of the program including information on new requirements to renew a license in 2011. Download the Power Point Presentation and the Questions/Answers Log. The Division will be hosting an additional webinar in 2011. Email updates will be sent when registration for that webinar opens.

Download the Webinar Presentation

Download the Questions/Answers Log

Tips

Certain license and certificate types are not to participate in the CPD program. These types are:
 

• Certified Addiction Counselors Level I
• Psychologists
• Registered Psychotherapists
  
   

2012 Legislation

Legislation passed during the Legislative Session impacts the Division of Professions and Occupations. The Division is developing an implementation process at this time. Please check back in the near future to learn about any changes to rules, requirements and important deadlines.

 
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