Continuing Education Questions PSYCH
The Council does not approve continuing education courses. Instead, the Council has adopted rules that outline what is considered appropriate professional development. This means a licensee can receive professional development from any person or organization that provides the education in accordance with the Council’s rules. No approval by the Council is needed for the individual or organization to engage in the delivery of professional development and no approval of specific courses are required. Licensees are still audited for compliance and during those reviews, staff evaluate the professional development documentation submitted. The rules on professional development course requirements can be found in each profession's consolidated rule book found here.
Licensees are encouraged to read rule 463.35(a) for professional development requirements.
Licensees are encouraged to read rule 463.35 for complete information on professional development hours and provider requirements.
The Council will send an audit notification to the licensee’s address of record 60 days prior to the renewal deadline. Therefore, it is important for licensees to keep their address of record current.
The Human Trafficking Course is required at every renewal and can be counted toward your professional development hours. To complete an approved human trafficking course, please visit the Health and Human Services (website).
Similar to professional development, an approved human trafficking course must be completed every renewal cycle.
Self-study refers to activities undertaken by a licensee that are informal and do not involve a CE provider. Reading professional journal articles is an example of self-study. A good rule of thumb is, “If you get a certificate at the completion of the endeavor, it’s NOT self-study.”
Licensees under CE audit receive a renewal notification letter while those not under audit receive a renewal notification postcard.
Licensees must get at least 50 percent of their required CE hours from providers (one or multiple) that each meet one of the criteria below. The other half of the required CE hours may be obtained from any CE provider regardless of whether they meet a criteria below. A licensee may receive all the required CE hours from a single provider, as long as that provider meets one of the criteria below.
CE provider criteria: (1) an international, national, regional, state, or local association of medical, mental, or behavioral health professionals; (2) public school districts, charter schools, or education service centers; (3) city, county, state, or federal governmental entities; (4) an institution of higher education accredited by a regional accrediting organization recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, or the United States Department of Education; (5) religious or charitable organizations devoted to improving the mental or behavioral health of individuals; (6) a hospital or hospital system, including any clinic, division, or department within a hospital or hospital system; or (7) any provider approved or endorsed by a provider listed herein.
The Council no longer approves specific providers. Instead, the Council has adopted rules that outline types of providers a licensee must receive continuing education from. Fifty percent of a licensee’s CE hours may come from any continuing education provider the licensee chooses. The remaining fifty percent must come from a provider that meets one of the following criteria.
CE provider criteria: (1) an international, national, regional, state, or local association of medical, mental, or behavioral health professionals; (2) public school districts, charter schools, or education service centers; (3) city, county, state, or federal governmental entities; (4) an institution of higher education accredited by a regional accrediting organization recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, or the United States Department of Education; (5) religious or charitable organizations devoted to improving the mental or behavioral health of individuals; (6) a hospital or hospital system, including any clinic, division, or department within a hospital or hospital system; or (7) any provider approved or endorsed by a provider listed herein.
Yes. Fifty percent of a licensee’s CE hours may come from any continuing education provider the licensee chooses. The remaining fifty percent must come from a provider that meets one of the following criteria, some of which can include international sources.
CE provider criteria: (1) an international, national, regional, state, or local association of medical, mental, or behavioral health professionals; (2) public school districts, charter schools, or education service centers; (3) city, county, state, or federal governmental entities; (4) an institution of higher education accredited by a regional accrediting organization recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, or the United States Department of Education; (5) religious or charitable organizations devoted to improving the mental or behavioral health of individuals; (6) a hospital or hospital system, including any clinic, division, or department within a hospital or hospital system; or (7) any provider approved or endorsed by a provider listed herein.
Council rules state that “all continuing education hours obtained must be designated by the provider in a letter, email, certificate, or transcript that displays the licensee's name, topic covered, date(s) of training, and hours of credit earned.”