Current through Reg. 49, No. 38; September 20, 2024
(a) Minimum
Continuing Education Hours Required:
(1) A
licensee must complete 30 hours of continuing education during each renewal
period that they hold a license. The 30 hours of continuing education must
include 6 hours in ethics and 3 hours in cultural diversity or
competency.
(2) A licensee may
carry forward to the next renewal period, a maximum of 10 hours accrued during
the current renewal period if those hours are not needed for renewal.
(b) Special Continuing Education
Requirements.
(1) A licensee with supervisory
status must complete 6 hours of continuing education in supervision.
(2) The special continuing education
requirements set out in this subsection may be counted toward the minimum
continuing education hours required under subsection (a) of this
section.
(c) Acceptable
ethics hours include, but are not limited to continuing education on:
(1) state or federal laws, including agency
rules, relevant to the practice of social work;
(2) practice guidelines established by local,
regional, state, national, or international professional
organizations;
(3) training or
education designed to demonstrate or affirm the ideals and responsibilities of
the profession; and
(4) training or
education intended to assist licensees in determining appropriate
decision-making and behavior, improve consistency in or enhance the
professional delivery of services, and provide a minimum acceptable level of
practice.
(d) Acceptable
cultural diversity or competency hours include, but are not limited to
continuing education regarding age, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender
identity, language, national origin, race, religion, culture, sexual
orientation, and socio-economic status.
(e) Acceptable Continuing Education
Activities.
(1) All continuing education hours
must have been received during the renewal period unless allowed under
subsection (a)(2) of this section, and be directly related to the practice of
social work;
(2) The Council shall
make the determination as to whether the activity claimed by the licensee is
directly related to the practice of social work;
(3) Except for hours claimed under subsection
(h) of this section, all continuing education hours obtained must be designated
by the provider in a letter, email, certificate, or transcript that displays
the licensee's name, topic covered, date(s) of training, and hours of credit
earned; and
(4) Multiple instances
or occurrences of a continuing education activity may not be claimed for the
same renewal period.
(f)
Licensees must obtain at least fifty percent of their continuing education
hours from one or more of the following providers:
(1) an international, national, regional,
state, or local association of medical, mental, or behavioral health
professionals;
(2) public school
districts, charter schools, or education service centers;
(3) city, county, state, or federal
governmental entities;
(4) an
institution of higher education accredited by a regional accrediting
organization recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, the
Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, or the United States Department of
Education;
(5) religious or
charitable organizations devoted to improving the mental or behavioral health
of individuals;
(6) a licensee that
is a Council-approved supervisor;
(7) a hospital or hospital system, including
any clinic, division, or department within a hospital or hospital system;
or
(8) any provider approved or
endorsed by a provider listed herein.
(g) Licensees shall receive credit for
continuing education activities according to the number of hours designated by
the provider, or if no such designation, on a one-for-one basis with one credit
hour for each hour spent in the continuing education activity.
(h) Notwithstanding subsection (f) of this
section, licensees may claim continuing education credit for each of the
following activities:
(1) Passage of the
jurisprudence examination. Licensees who pass the jurisprudence examination may
claim 1 hour of continuing education in ethics.
(2) Preparing and giving a presentation at a
continuing education activity. The maximum number of hours that may be claimed
for this activity is 5 hours.
(3)
Authoring a book or peer reviewed article. The maximum number of hours that may
be claimed for this activity is 5 hours.
(4) Teaching or attending a university or
college level course. The maximum number of hours that may be claimed for this
activity is 5 hours.
(5)
Self-study. The maximum number of hours that may be claimed for this activity
is 1 hour. Self-study is credit that is obtained from any type of activity that
is performed by an individual licensee acting alone. Such activities include,
but are not limited to, reading materials directly related to the practice of
social work. Time spent individually viewing or listening to audio, video,
digital, or print media as part of an organized continuing education activity,
program or offering from a third-party is not subject to this self-study
limitation and may count as acceptable continuing education under other parts
of this rule.
(6) Successful
completion of a training course on human trafficking prevention described by
§
116.002 of the
Occupations Code. Licensees who complete this training may claim 1 hour of
continuing education credit.
(7)
Providing field or practicum instruction to social work students. A field or
practicum instructor may claim one hour of continuing education credit for each
hour of college or university credit that is awarded to the social work student
receiving instruction. The maximum number of hours that may be claimed for this
activity is 10 hours per renewal period, and hours claimed may not be counted
toward the ethics or cultural diversity or competency requirements.
(i) The Council does not
pre-evaluate or pre-approve continuing education providers or hours.
(j) Licensees shall maintain proof of
continuing education compliance for a minimum of 3 years after the applicable
renewal period.
(k) Subsection (f)
of this rule is effective January 1, 2024.