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Continuing Education and LEPs

As an LEP, you may not be used to collecting continuing education units to renew your license. The Board of Behavioral Sciences, after holding hearings and revising its recommendations, began to enforce new regulations in July 2011 that put LEPs somewhat in line with marriage and family therapists, social workers and clinical counselors when it comes to licensure renewal. Like MFTs, LCSWs and LPCCS, LEPs will now need 36 units (hours) of continuing education credits before they can renew their licenses every two years.

LEPs, however, must take three required courses before they can renew in 2012 or 2013. LEPs with 2012 renewal dates must have 18 units. However, they must have six hours of Law and Ethics, seven hours of Child Abuse Assessment and 15 hours of Alcoholism and Other Chemical Substance Dependency. (Yes, that adds up to more than 18 hours. We didn’t write the regulations.) LEPs renewing in 2013 will also need those courses, plus other continuing education units equal to or more than 36 units. The Child Abuse Assessment and Alcoholism and Other Chemical Substance Dependency courses need only be taken once; the Law and Ethics course must be taken over every two-year licensure period.

You may have some questions about what you are supposed to do and how to do it. Here are some suggestions.

The BBS has lists of Continuing Education Providers, of which CASP is just one. All have been approved by the BBS to offer continuing education for the licensees under its jurisdiction. CASP is striving to offer the mandated courses over the next two years throughout the state. For information on when and where these workshops will be held, consult the CASP website at .

So, what happens when you get to one of the mandated workshops offered through CASP?

All attendees wanting the BBS CEUs must sign in before entering the workshop. The sign-in sheet asks for the attendee’s name and license number. The attendee must also note the time he or she enters the workshop and initial that time. This is repeated as the workshop breaks for lunch and upon the attendee’s return. Then, at the end of the workshop, the attendee must note the time and sign out on the attendance sheet. CASP is mandated to keep this document for its records.

Each attendee will also be handed an evaluation sheet. This sheet not only asks the attendee to rate the workshop, but also records the attendee’s name, license number and email address. Give this to the registration desk attendant before you leave the workshop. CASP must also maintain the evaluation sheets in case it is audited by the BBS.

In the weeks following the workshop, each attendee will be emailed a copy of his or her attendance certificate, which includes his or her name and license number. Each attendee must keep this document as proof that the course was taken and that CEUs were earned. In other words, the BBS might want to see a copy the next time you renew your license.

Nearly all CASP workshops qualify for CEUs under BBS Provider No. 1599. These include workshops offered at the annual convention, conferences and under special arrangement with CASP affiliates. So, making sure you have the required number of hours during each licensure period is easy.

For more information on renewing your LEP, please visit the BBS website at bbs. (which was recently updated with a new brochure on LEP renewals) or reach the BBS at 1625 N Market Blvd # S200, Sacramento, CA 95834-1924. Phone: (916) 574-7830. And, check the CASP website for more information – .

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