Continuing Education Questions LPC
House Bill 2059 (86R) requires all licensed healthcare providers to complete a course in Human Trafficking Awareness approved by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. A list of available training courses is provided on HHSC’s Human Trafficking Resource Center webpage.
Similar to continuing education, an approved human trafficking course must be completed every renewal cycle.
The Council does not approve continuing education courses. Instead, the Council has adopted rules that outline what is considered appropriate continuing education. This means a licensee can receive continuing education 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 continuing education and no approval of specific courses are required. Licensees are still audited for continuing education compliance and during those reviews, staff evaluate the continuing education documentation submitted. The rules on continuing education course requirements can be found in each profession's consolidated rule book found here.
The Council does not approve continuing education providers. Instead, the Council has adopted rules that outline what is considered appropriate continuing education. This means a licensee can receive continuing education 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 continuing education. Licensees are still audited for continuing education compliance and during those reviews, staff evaluate the continuing education documentation submitted. If you were an “approved provider” with HHSC, you may continue to provide continuing education without having to renew. The rules on continuing education course requirements can be found in each profession's consolidated rule book found here.
Licensees under CE audit receive a renewal notification letter while those not under audit receive a renewal notification postcard.
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.”