Section 17-7008. CONTINUING EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS

 

7008.1Except as provided in § 7008.2, this section shall apply to applicants for the renewal, reactivation, or reinstatement of a license.

 

7008.2Section 7008 shall not apply to applicants for an initial District of Columbia license or to applicants for the first renewal of each licensure level.

 

7008.3 Continuing education credits (CEUs) may be granted only for programs or activities approved by the Board pursuant to § 7009.

 

7008.4 Except as provided in Subsection 7008.2, beginning with the renewal period ending July 2015, all applicants for renewal of a license shall have completed forty (40) hours of approved continuing education credit during the two (2)-year period preceding the date the license expires, which shall include:

 

(a)  A minimum of six (6) hours of continuing education credits in live, in-person face-to-face ethics course(s) in which the participant and presenter are physically present in the same room;

 

(b)  A minimum of three (3) hours of continuing education credits in Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) training or other Board-mandated topic as specified by the Board, which the Board shall give notice of at least twelve (12) months in advance of the renewal date; and 

 

(c)  A maximum of twelve (12) continuing education hours in independent home studies, distance learning continuing education activities, or internet courses.

 

7008.5 An applicant for renewal of a license shall:

 

(a) Have completed the continuing education requirements as set forth in § 7008.4 during the two (2) year period preceding the date the license expires;

 

(b) Attest to completion of the required continuing education credits on the renewal application form; and

 

(c) Be subject to a random audit.

 

7008.6 A licensee who is selected to participate in the Board’s continuing education audit shall, within thirty (30) days after being deemed served notice of the selection, submit proof pursuant to § 7008.13 of having completed the required approved continuing education credits during the two (2)-year period immediately preceding the date the license expires.

 

7008.7To qualify for a license, an applicant in inactive status, within the meaning of § 511 of the Act (D.C. Official Code § 3-1205.11 (2007 Repl. & 2011 Supp.)), for two (2) years or less who applies for reactivation shall submit proof of completing forty (40) hours of approved continuing education credit during the two (2) years immediately preceding the application date, which shall include:

 

(a)  A minimum of six (6) hours of continuing education credits in live, face-to-face ethics course(s);

 

(b) A minimum of three (3) hours of continuing education credits in Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) training; and

 

(c)  A maximum of twelve (12) continuing education hours in independent home studies, distance learning continuing education activities, or internet courses.

 

7008.8 To qualify for a license, an applicant in inactive status within the meaning of § 511 of the Act (D.C. Official Code § 3-1205.11 (2007 Repl. & 2011 Supp.)) for more than two (2) years, but less than five (5) years, who applies for reactivation shall submit proof of completing sixty (60) hours of approved continuing education credit during the two (2) years immediately preceding the application date; which shall include:

 

(a)  A minimum of twelve (12) hours of continuing education credits in live, face-to-face ethics course(s);

 

(b)  A minimum of three (3) hours of continuing education credits in Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) training; and

 

(c)  A maximum of twelve (12) continuing education hours in independent home studies, distance learning continuing education activities, or internet courses.

 

7008.9 To qualify for a license, an applicant in inactive status within the meaning of § 511 of the Act (D.C. Official Code § 3-1205.11 (2007 Repl. & 2011 Supp.)), for more than five (5) years, who applies for reactivation shall:

 

(a)  Submit proof of completing eighty (80) hours of approved continuing education credit during the two (2) years immediately preceding the application date; which shall include:

 

(1) A minimum of sixteen (16) hours of continuing education credits in live, face-to-face ethics course(s);

 

(2) A minimum of three (3) hours of continuing education credits in Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) training; and

 

(3) A maximum of twelve (12) continuing education hours in independent home studies, distance learning continuing education activities, or internet courses; and

 

(b) A minimum of ninety (90) days, as determined by the Board based upon the applicant’s experience and education, of supervised practice under the supervision of a licensed independent social worker or licensed independent clinical social worker, as appropriate to his or her scope of duties.

 

7008.10 To qualify for a license, an applicant for reinstatement of a license whose license has been expired for two (2) years or less, shall submit proof of having completed a minimum of forty (40) hours of approved continuing education credit during the two (2) years immediately preceding the application date, which shall include:

 

(a)  A minimum of six (6) hours of continuing education credits in live, face-to-face ethics course(s);

 

(b) A minimum of three (3) hours of continuing education credits in Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) training; and

 

(c)  A maximum of twelve (12) continuing education hours in independent home studies, distance learning continuing education activities, or internet courses.

 

7008.11 To qualify for a license, an applicant for reinstatement of a license whose license has been expired for more than two (2) years and less than five (5) years, shall submit proof of having completed sixty (60) hours of approved continuing education credit during the two (2) years immediately preceding the application date, which shall include:

 

(a) A minimum of twelve (12) hours of continuing education credits in live, face-to-face ethics course(s);

 

(b) A minimum of three (3) hours of continuing education credits in Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) training; and

 

(c) A maximum of twelve (12) continuing education hours in independent home studies, distance learning continuing education activities, or internet courses.

 

7008.12 An applicant whose license has been expired for five (5) or more years shall not be eligible for reinstatement of licensure.  The applicant shall be required to apply for a new license and shall meet the requirements as they exist at the time that the applicant applies for licensure.

 

7008.13 Except as provided in § 7008.14, an applicant under this section shall prove completion of the required continuing education credits by submitting with the application the following information with respect to each program for which continuing education credit is claimed, and shall maintain for a period of at least five (5) years the following information with respect to each program:

 

(a) The name and address of the sponsor of the program;

 

(b) The name of the program, its location, a description of the subject matter covered, and the names of the instructors;

 

(c) The dates on which the applicant attended the program;

 

(d) The hours of credit claimed; and

 

(e) Verification by the sponsor of completion, by signature or stamp.

 

7008.14 Applicants for renewal of a license shall only be required to prove completion of the required continuing education credits by submitting proof pursuant to § 7008.13 if requested to do so as part of the random audit, or if otherwise requested by the Board to do so.

 

7008.15 An applicant for renewal of a license who fails to submit proof of having completed the continuing education requirements by the date the license expires may renew the license up to sixty (60) days after the expiration by submitting proof of completing the continuing education requirements and paying the required additional late fee.

 

7008.16 Upon submission of proof and payment, the applicant shall be deemed to have possessed a valid license during the period between the expiration of the license and the submission of the proof and payment.

 

7008.17 If an applicant for renewal of a license fails to submit proof of completion of continuing education requirements or pay the late fee within sixty (60) days after the expiration of the applicant’s license, the license shall be considered to have lapsed on the date of expiration.

 

7008.18 The Board may, in its discretion, grant an extension of the sixty (60) day period to renew after expiration if the applicant’s failure to submit proof of completion was for good cause. 

 

7008.19 An applicant under this section shall prove completion of continuing education course work which was audited under § 7010.3 by submitting with the application a verification of registration from the office of the registrar of the institution at which the course was audited.

 

authority

Section 302(14) of the District of Columbia Health Occupation Revision Act of 1985 (Act), effective March 25, 1986 (D.C. Law 6-99; D.C. Official Code § 3-1203.02(14) (2007 Repl.)), and Mayor’s Order 98-140, dated August 20, 1998.

source

Final Rulemaking published at 36 DCR 8281, 8284 (December 8, 1989); as amended by Final Rulemaking published at 52 DCR 10686 (December 9, 2005); as amended by Final Rulemaking published at 59 DCR 4209, 4211 (May 4, 2012); as amended by Final Rulemaking published at 60 DCR 8489 (June 7, 2013).