Current through Register Vol. 54, No. 44, November 2, 2024
(a)
Definitions. The following words and terms, when used in this
section, have the following meanings, unless the context clearly indicates
otherwise:
Biennium-The period from December 1 of
an odd-numbered year to November 30 of the next odd-numbered year.
CEU-Continuing Education Unit-A unit
for measuring contact hours of continuing education. One CEU equals 10 contact
hours.
Contact hour-A unit of measure equaling
50 to 60 minutes of participation in an approved continuing education course or
program.
(b)
Continuing education requirement for biennial renewal. As a
condition of biennial renewal, a psychologist shall have completed during the
preceding biennium a minimum of 30 contact hours (3 CEUs) of continuing
education in acceptable courses, programs or activities which shall include at
least 3 contact hours per biennium in ethical issues. At least 2 of the
required contact hours shall be completed in approved courses relating to child
abuse recognition and reporting, in accordance with §
41.77(b)
(relating to child abuse recognition and reporting-mandatory training
requirement). The Board will accept child abuse courses approved in accordance
with §
41.78 (relating to child abuse
recognition and reporting course approval process) without regard to whether
the course otherwise meets the Board's standards for acceptable courses,
programs and sponsors in subsection (d). Up to 10 contact hours in excess of 30
from the immediately preceding biennium may be carried over from one bien-nium
to the next. Excess hours in ethical issues may not be used to satisfy the
ethics requirement for the succeeding biennium but may be credited toward the
total requirement. Excess hours in child abuse recognition and reporting may be
counted toward the total 30 contact hours in the biennium in which they are
completed but may not be carried over.
(c)
Reports to the Board. A
psychologist shall certify to compliance with the contact hours requirement at
the time of biennial renewal. A psychologist shall retain for at least two
bienniums, certificates, transcripts or other documentation showing completion
of the prescribed number of contact hours. These records are subject to audit
by the Board.
(d)
Approved
sponsors; acceptable courses and programs.
(1) Courses and programs approved by
Board-approved sponsors will be accepted as satisfying all or part of the
continuing education requirement. It is the responsibility of the psychologist
to ascertain the approval status of the sponsor before undertaking a continuing
education activity.
(2)
Irrespective of the sponsor, the Board reserves the right to reject a
continuing education course/program submitted by a psychologist if it is
outside the scope of practice of psychology or is otherwise unacceptable
because of presentation or content. The Board will not accept courses/programs
which are unrelated to the actual practice of psychology-for example,
instruction in office management or practice building. A psychologist will be
notified of a rejected course/program in writing, along with the reason for the
rejection.
(3) The Board has
approved the following sponsors:
(i)
Accredited colleges or universities as long as the course/program corresponds
to the scope of practice of psychology and generates semester/quarter hour
credit.
(ii) The American
Psychological Association (APA) and APA-approved sponsors.
(iii) Sponsors approved by the American
Medical Association who meet the criteria of paragraph (4). Programs offered by
these sponsors shall relate to the practice of psychology.
(4) The Board will consider for approval, on
a biennial basis, National and regional professional associations which offer
courses and programs for psychologists, and sponsors approved by these
associations. An association seeking Board approval for itself or its sponsors
shall submit an application to the Board. The applicant will be notified of
approval or disapproval in writing. Notifications of disapproval will set forth
reasons. The Board will not approve a sponsor unless it:
(i) Offers courses/programs with specific
learning objectives.
(ii) Has a
procedure for determining consumers' perceptions of the extent to which the
objectives have been met.
(5) The Board may withdraw approval of a
sponsor for cause. The sponsor will be notified in writing of the reasons for
withdrawal of approval.
(e)
Home study. A
psychologist may accrue up to 15 of the required contact hours in home study
courses offered by approved sponsors as long as the course has specific
learning objectives and the sponsor evaluates the extent of learning that has
taken place.
(f)
Instruction.
(1) A
psychologist may accrue up to 15 of the required contact hours by offering one
of the following:
(i) A course in psychology
for a regionally accredited college or university if the course generates
semester/quarter hour credit.
(ii)
A workshop for an approved sponsor.
(2) A clock hour of instruction equals 1
contact hour. An individual course or workshop may be credited to the
instructor only once every 4 years. The hours of continuing education granted
to a psychologist who participates as a workshop instructor will be determined
by dividing the number of continuing education hours granted for the workshop
by the number of instructors participating in the workshop.
(g)
Professional writing.
(1) A psychologist may accrue the equivalent
of up to 10 of the required contact hours by writing one of the following:
(i) An article published in a journal
abstracted in PSYCHLIT.
(ii) A
chapter, or more, in a text or trade book for psychologists published by a
commercial publisher or a state or National psychological
association.
(2) No more
than 10 contact hour equivalents of professional writing may be granted for one
article or chapter published during the preceding biennium. Ten hours per
publication, divided by the number of authors, will result in the number of
contact hours granted per person per publication.
(h)
Exemptions and
prorations.
(1) With the exception of
the 2 hours of mandatory training in child abuse recognition and reporting
required under §
41.77(b), the
Board will exempt from the continuing education requirement a psychologist who
received a license within 2 years of the psychologist's first application for
biennial renewal.
(2) A
psychologist who is licensed under §
41.52 (relating to persons
licensed in other states) shall comply with the continuing education
requirement, including completion of at least 2 hours of mandatory training in
child abuse recognition and reporting, but the psychologist's contact hours
will be prorated on a quarterly basis from the date of licensure in this
Commonwealth to the next biennial renewal date. Each quarter will consist of 3
months. Beginning with the quarter immediately following license in this
Commonwealth, at least 3.75 contact hours (375 CEU) shall be earned for each
quarter.
(i)
Reinstatement of licensure. Reinstatement of licensure shall
be subject to the following conditions:
(1) A
person whose license has lapsed or been inactive shall show compliance with the
continuing education requirement during the biennium immediately preceding the
request for reinstatement.
(2) A
person whose license has been suspended or restricted shall show compliance
with the continuing education requirement during the period of suspension or
restriction.
(j)
Waivers. A psychologist who cannot meet the continuing
education requirement may apply to the Board in writing for a waiver. The
request shall include a description of circumstances sufficient to show why
compliance is impossible. Waiver requests will be evaluated by the Board on a
case-by-case basis and will be approved or disapproved at its
discretion.
(k)
Curing
deficiencies. A psychologist with a deficiency in contact hours may
apply to the Board in writing for leave to make up the contact hours in
arrears. The request shall include an explanation of why the deficiency
occurred and a plan, along with the estimated time needed, for curing it.
Requests will be evaluated by the Board on a case-by-case basis and will be
approved or disapproved at its discretion.
The provisions of this §41.59 issued under section
3.2(2) of the
Professional Psychologists Practice Act (63 P.S. §
1203.2(2)); amended under
sections 3.2(2) and 15 of
the Professional Psychological Practice Act (63 P.S. §§
1203.2(2) and
1215).
This section cited in 49 Pa. Code §
41.13 (relating to reactivation of
license); and 49 Pa. Code §
41.52a (relating to licensure by
endorsement).
