Board of Clinical Social Workers_877

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The Oregon Administrative Rules contain OARs filed through January 15, 2010

BOARD OF CLINICAL SOCIAL WORKERS

DIVISION 25

CONTINUING EDUCATION REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

877-025-0001

General

A licensed clinical social worker must complete and report continuing education according to the requirements in this division of rules.

Stat. Auth.: ORS 675.510(3), 675.530(1)(3), 675.535(1), 675.537(1)(3), 675.560 (2), 675.571(4), 675.595(3), 675.600(1)(a)
Stats. Implemented: ORS 675.510 - 675.600
Hist.: BCSW 1-2008, f. 6-27-08, cert. ef. 7-1-08

877-025-0006

Types of Continuing Education

To meet the requirements of this division of rules, continuing education must be one of the following:

(1) A conference, seminar, or workshop that:

(a) Addresses subjects related to the licensee’s work practice;

(b) Is attended by the licensee in person, on-line or through a web cast; and

(c) Is provided or approved by a credentialing body recognized and approved by the board. The board recognizes and approves a credentialing body based on the following practices of the body:

(A) The body uses an established process for determining which training to provide or approve.

(B) The body uses an established process for determining who will present the training.

(C) The body provides, with respect to the training, written materials that demonstrate the relevance of the training to the field of clinical social work.

(D) The body establishes an appropriate number of continuing education credits for the training.

(E) The body verifies the credentials of the presenters of the training.

(F) The body uses an established system for the evaluation of presenters.

(G) The body provides a certificate of completion to those who attend, based on actual attendance.

(2) A conference, seminar, or workshop that:

(a) Meets the following requirements:

(A) Is related to the field of clinical social work;

(B) Addresses subjects related to the licensee’s work practice;

(D) Is attended by the licensee in person, on-line, or through a web cast.

(b) Is approved by the board based on the licensee’s written application that:

(A) Contains the following information:

(i) Name or description of the event

(ii) Date of the event

(iii) Brief description of the training sufficient to show that the training meets the requirements of section (2)(a) of this rule.

(iv) Name and credentials of each presenter

(v) Number of continuing education units requested

(vi) Copy of the certificate of completion

(B) Is received by the board not later than the time of the submission of the report required by OAR 877-025-0021 and not later than 45 days prior to the last day of the birth month of the licensee.

(3) A course related to social work at an accredited college or university.

(4) A training video or audio recording approved by a credentialing body recognized and approved by the board. Successful completion is demonstrated by award to the licensee by the credentialing body.

(5) Participation in a study group, subject to the following limitations:

(a) The group must contain a minimum of five and a maximum of 10 licensed mental health professionals who meet for a minimum of an hour on a scheduled basis to discuss topics directly related to the field of clinical social work.

(b) The focus of the group’s meeting must be a presentation or discussion of a book or article published by a professional body.

(c) The topics of the group’s discussion must be directly related to established mental health care and relevant to good practice.

(d) A maximum of two hours may be credited for a group meeting.

(e) Credit for participation in a study group must be approved in advance by the board. To apply for approval, a licensee must submit the names of the group members and discussion topics to the board.

(6) Development and presentation of a conference, workshop, or seminar that would be countable for credit under section (1) or (2) of this rule.

877-025-0011

Required Hours of Continued Education

(1) Generally.

(a) A licensee is required to report continuing education for all periods during which the licensee’s license is active except for the period covered by the initial license, unless a waiver is granted under section (2) of this rule. An initial license is the first license issued by the board to the licensee.

(b) Following the first renewal of a license, except when the licensee is on inactive status, the licensee must complete continuing education in each reporting period at the times described in OAR 877-025-0021. The holder of an inactive license is not required to submit the biennial report.

(c) A report covering a two-year period must contain a minimum of 40 hours of creditable continuing education. A report that covers shorter period, as may happen in the case of the first report by a new licensee or following the reactivation of a license, must contain a minimum of 20 hours of creditable continuing education for each year covered by the report.

(2) Waiver of requirement.

(a) Upon timely written request of a licensee, made as soon as the licensee is aware of the possible need for a waiver, the board may reduce the number of hours required in the event the licensee is unable, due to circumstances beyond the reasonable control of the licensee, to complete the number of hours of continued education required by this division of rules.

(b) A reduction authorized by the board would normally reflect the licensee’s ability to attend training during the time not affected by the adverse circumstances leading to the request. For instance, a licensee unaffected by the adverse circumstance during the first year of a two-year reporting period would be expected to obtain 20 hours of credit.

(A) A circumstance beyond the reasonable control of the licensee makes it impracticable for the licensee to attend training for an extended time.

(B) The health of the licensee or of another person makes it impracticable for the licensee to attend training for an extended time.

877-025-0016

Limitations on Types of Continuing Education

The number of hours creditable in a two-year reporting period is subject to the following provisions:

(1) A licensee must report a total of six or more hours of continuing education in ethics:

(a) In the first biennial report required by OAR 877-025-0021 for a two-year period that ends after January 1, 2009; and

(b) In each alternate biennial report due thereafter.

(2) No more than 10 hours of continuing education described in OAR 877-025-0006(2)(b) may be credited in a report.

(3) No more than 20 hours of continuing education described in OAR 877-025-0006(5) may be credited in a report.

(4) A licensee who reports more than 40 hours for a two-year reporting period or 20 for a one-year reporting period may carry over the excess hours to the next required report. No more than 10 hours may be carried over to the next reporting period.

(5) If the first reporting period is one year rather than two, the limits in sections (2) and (3) of this rule are pro-rated.

877-025-0021

Reporting Requirements

(1) Licensees must report the completion of continuing education every two years in a manner prescribed by the board. The report must be made at the time the licensee submits an application to renew a license as follows:

(a) A licensee whose license number ends with an odd number must submit the report with an application for renewal effective in an odd-numbered year.

(b) A licensee whose license number ends with an even number must submit the report with an application for renewal effective in an even-numbered year.

(2) The report is part of the renewal application and must contain information sufficient to demonstrate that the licensee has met the requirements in this division of rules. A licensee who fails to meet the requirements is subject to a denial of the application for renewal unless the failure was due to circumstances beyond the reasonable control of the licensee and the licensee agrees to a plan to compensate for the deficiency.

(3) The board conducts routine, random audits of compliance with continuing education requirements. Licensees must retain completion certificates, program information, and other documents needed to demonstrate that the licensee met the requirements of this division of rules for a minimum of 24 months after reporting completion of continuing education requirements to the board and must provide them to the board upon request.

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