OAR 877-025-0006: Types of Continuing Education

To meet the requirements of OAR 877-025-0011, continuing education must be one of the following: (1) A conference, seminar, book, journal article or workshop that: (a) Addresses subjects related to the regulated social worker’s work practice; (b) Is attended (or read as applicable) by the regulated social worker in person or on-line; and (c) Is provided or approved by a credentialing body recognized and approved by the board. The board considers the following criteria and practices, among others, in determining whether to recognize and approve a credentialing body: (A) Use of an established process for determining which training to provide or approve; (B) Use of an established process for determining who will present the training; (C) Provision of written materials that demonstrate the relevance of the training to the field of clinical social work; (D) Establishment of an appropriate number of continuing education credits for the training; (E) Verification of the credentials of the presenters of the training; (F) Use of an established system for the evaluation of presenters; and (G) Provision of a certificate of completion to those who attend, based on actual attendance. (2) A conference, seminar, book, journal article, or workshop described in subsection (1) that is not provided or approved by a credentialing body recognized and approved by the board may be approved by the Board based on the regulated social worker’s written application. (a) The application must contain the following information: (A) Name and summary of the event including a brief description sufficient to show how the training applies to the applicant’s practice and that it meets the requirements of section (1)(a) of this rule; (B) Date of the event; (C) Name and credentials of each presenter; (D) Number of continuing education units requested; and (E) Copy of the certificate of completion. (b)The application must be received by the at least 60 days prior to the renewal deadline (the last day of the birth month of the regulated social worker ) . (c) No more than 10 hours of continuing education described in OAR 877-025-0006(2) may be credited in a report. (3) An in-service, agency-sponsored program that otherwise meets the requirements of subsection (2) of this rule section. CE credit from such a qualifying in-service can be used for up to half the applicable CE hours required for renewal. (4) A course related to social work completed at an accredited college or university. (5) A training video or audio recording approved by a credentialing body recognized and approved by the board using the standards provided in section (1)(c) of this rule. Successful completion is demonstrated by a document of completion awarded to the regulated social worker by the credentialing body. (6) Participation in a study group, subject to the following limitations: (a) The group must contain a minimum of five and a maximum of ten — mental health professionals who meet for a minimum of an hour on a scheduled basis to discuss topics directly related to the field of social work; (b) The focus of the group’s meeting must be a presentation or discussion of a book or article published by a professional body; (c) The topics of the group’s discussion must be directly related to established mental health care and relevant to good practice; (d) A maximum of two hours may be credited for a single group meeting; (e) Credit for participation in a study group must be approved by the board. To apply for approval a regulated social worker must submit the names of the group members and discussion topics to the board. Continuing education credit for participation in a study group is limited to no more than one-half of the total number of hours required per renewal period. (7) Development and presentation of a course offered at a conference, workshop, or seminar that would be eligible for credit under section (1) or (2) of this rule, limited to the number of hours earned by participants in the course. (8) A language course taken and completed with a passing grade at an accredited college, community college or university for the purpose of improving the regulated social worker’s capacity to serve clients with increased competency. No more than 25% of the continuing education credited in a report can originate from language credit as provided for in this subsection. (9) Supervision of social work practicum, internship or other field placement students enrolled in a social work education program accredited by or considered in candidacy status by a credentialing body recognized by the board, limited to no more than 6 hours per academic year. CE hours may be prorated based on completion of a partial academic year.