OAR 877-025-0011: Required Hours of Continued Education

(1) A regulated social worker is required to report continuing education for all periods during which the person’s registration or license is active except for the period covered by the initial certificate of registration or license, unless a waiver is granted under section (2) of this rule. An initial issuance is the first issuance of the board of a certificate of registration or license to the regulated social worker. (2) Following the first renewal of a certificate of registration or license, except when the regulated social worker is on inactive status, the regulated social worker must complete continuing education in each reporting period at the times described in OAR 877-025-0021. The holder of an inactive certificate of registration or license is not required to submit the biennial report. (3) A report covering a two-year period must include: (a) For a registered baccalaureate social worker, a minimum of 20 hours of creditable continuing education, including a minimum of 3 hours of ethics and 3 hours in cultural competence. (b) For a master's social worker, a minimum of 30 hours of creditable continuing education, including a minimum of 4 hours of ethics and 4 hours in cultural competence. (c) For a licensed clinical social worker, a minimum of 40 hours of creditable continuing education, including a minimum of 6 hours of ethics and 6 hours in cultural competence. (4) A regulated social worker who reports more than the total hours required for a two-year reporting period may carry over the excess hours to the next required report. No more than 10 hours may be carried over to the next reporting period. (5) In a report that covers a shorter period than two years, as may happen in the case of the first report by a new regulated social worker or following the reactivation of a registration or license, the number of hours required by sub-section (c) of this section is pro-rated. (6) Upon timely written request of a regulated social worker, made as soon as the regulated social worker is aware of the possible need for a waiver, the board may reduce the number of hours required by section (1) of this rule in the event the regulated social worker is unable, due to circumstances beyond the reasonable control of the regulated social worker, to complete the number of hours of continued education required by this division of rules. (7) A reduction authorized by the board would normally reflect the regulated social worker’s ability to attend training during the time not affected by the adverse circumstances leading to the request. For instance, a regulated social worker unaffected by the adverse circumstance during the first year of a two-year reporting period would be expected to obtain 20 hours of credit. (8) Examples of circumstances that may justify a waiver are: (a) A circumstance beyond the reasonable control of the regulated social worker makes it impracticable to attend training for an extended time. (b) The health of the regulated social worker or of another person makes it impracticable to attend training for an extended time. (9) Continuing education in cultural competence must meet requirements established by the Oregon Health Authority under the provisions of ORS 413.450, 676.850 and OAR 943-090-0010(3).