Compilation of Rules and Regulations of the State of Georgia
Department 135 - RULES OF GEORGIA COMPOSITE BOARD OF PROFESSIONAL COUNSELORS, SOCIAL WORKERS AND MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPISTS
Chapter 135-9 - CONTINUING EDUCATION
Rule 135-9-.01 - Requirements - Beginning October 01, 2020

(a) Synchronous activities require participants and instructors to be present at the same time. These activities can be face-to-face or online. Lectures, discussions, and presentations must occur at a specific time at which all participants are present. It may be a virtual classroom, but must allow participants to ask and teachers to answer questions instantly, either face-to-face or through instant messaging. Synchronous activities may include, but not be limited to, the following:

(b) Asynchronous activities are online courses or a recording of a previously held program that one can access on one's own schedule.

(c) Independent Study means a variety of self-directed professional study activities including, but not limited to, writing papers or books for presentation or publication; making presentations on major professional issues or programs; reading professional journals and books; preparing for initial consultation, teaching, or training assignments; and engaging in independent study, research, or tutorial projects.

(d) Academic Hour means one (1) academic semester hour of graduate level coursework shall be equivalent to fifteen (15) clock hours of continuing education. One (1) academic quarter hour of course credit shall be equivalent to ten (10) clock hours of continuing education.

(e) Core hours mean continuing education hours acquired in activities in the specialty in which the license is held; e.g. professional counseling core hours must reflect professional counseling content, social work core hours must reflect social work content, and marriage and family therapy core hours must reflect marriage and family therapy content.

(f) Related hours mean continuing education hours acquired in activities in a specialty other than the one in which the license is held or in the allied professions of psychiatry, psychiatric nursing or psychology.

(a) Thirty-five (35) hours of continuing education are required to be obtained within the two (2) year biennial licensure cycle to renew each license, including associate level licenses. The biennial licensure cycle is the two (2) year period beginning October 1st of each even numbered year, and ending on September 30th of every subsequent even numbered year.

(b) A minimum of five (5) of the thirty-five (35) hours shall be specifically designated as continuing education in professional ethics relating to any of the specialties of professional counseling, social work, or marriage and family therapy. Ethics hours shall be obtained through synchronous activities only.

(c) Of the remaining thirty (30) hours, a minimum of fifteen (15) shall be core hours and not more than fifteen (15) shall be related hours.

(d) A maximum of ten (10) hours of continuing education may be obtained asynchronously for each two-year renewal period.

(e) Core hours shall be obtained through synchronous or asynchronous activities sponsored, co-sponsored, or approved by:

(f) Related hours are continuing education hours acquired in activities in a specialty other than the one in which the license is held or in the allied professions of psychiatry, psychiatric nursing or psychology. Related hours may be obtained from:

(g) Independent Study is limited to five (5) hours. Neither ethics nor core hours may be obtained through independent study. If selected for a continuing education audit at renewal, the licensee shall submit a notarized affidavit attesting to number of hours of independent study completed.

(h) The professional association, academic department, licensing or certification board, state, or local government agency, or licensed hospital that sponsors, co-sponsors or approves the continuing education activity shall certify the number of clock hours of education content in each activity. The certificate of attendance for the continuing education hours should include whether the activity was synchronous or asynchronous.

(i) A Standards Committee may, in its discretion, accept continuing education hours obtained from sources substantially similar to those listed in (e) and (f) above.

(j) No more than twenty (20) hours of continuing education shall be from any one continuing education or academic coursework, workshop, or presentation. This limit does not apply to professional conferences which offer multiple presentations.

(k) Any continuing education hour may be applied towards the renewal of a license in more than one specialty, provided that the continuing education hour meets the requirements set out in (e) or (f) above.

(l) Continuing education hours earned in professional ethics exceeding the five (5) required for renewal may be applied to meet requirements for core or related hours when they meet the requirements set out in (e) or (f) above.

(m) If, at the Board's request, a licensee completes a peer review of an alleged violation of the law or the Board's Rules, the licensee shall satisfy the five (5) hours of continuing education required in professional ethics. Such a review must be submitted as a written report to the Board.

(a) For those selected for a Board continuing education audit, the CE Audit Reporting Form is required to be submitted to the Board in addition to the certificates of attendance or other supporting documents. The Board will not review any CE documentation without the required audit form being included with the submission.

(b) If, following a continuing education audit, the Board disqualifies any of the documented continuing education hours and the licensee no longer meets the requirements set out in this Rule, 135-9-.01, the license will be renewed under the condition that the licensee obtains the required continuing education hours within six months of the notice of deficiency.

(c) If the licensee does not cure the deficiency within this six-month period, the license may be subject to discipline for failure to meet the requirements for renewal.

(a) Each licensee shall, for a period of four (4) years, maintain documentation of completion of continuing education hours. Licensees may utilize a data bank service. The Board will not maintain continuing education files for licensees.

(b) Licensees shall attest, on their biennial license renewal application, that they have satisfied the continuing education requirements as set forth in Chapter 135-9. False attestation of satisfaction of the continuing education requirements shall subject the licensee to disciplinary action, including revocation.

(c) Each renewal cycle, the Board shall audit a fixed percentage of the renewal applications' continuing education hours. Licensees whose renewal applications are audited will be required to submit documentation of their continuing education activities. Except for independent study, such documents must be in the form of a certificate of attendance verifying whether activity is synchronous or asynchronous, a statement signed by the provider verifying participation in the activity, or an official transcript. Documentation of independent study shall be in the form of a notarized affidavit which includes a description of the activity, the subject material covered, the dates and numbers of hours involved.