Chapter 510-8 CONTINUING EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS

Rule 510-8-.01 Continuing Education Requirements

A total of 40 credits of continuing education relevant to the licensee's professional activities are required biennially to renew a license. Six CE credits must be earned in professional ethics at a personally attended workshop. The renewal period runs from January 1 of an odd numbered year to December 31 of the following even numbered year. Time counted shall be a clock hour for each hour's CE credit, except in area III Conference/Conventions where one conference day is equal to one hour of CE credit. Each psychologist shall report biennially on the renewal application, under oath, the number of CE credits of continuing education he/she completed.

(2)	Psychologists who are licensed by examination or by endorsement during the first year of the biennium (between January 1 and December 31 of the odd numbered year) must obtain 20 CE credits of continuing education, 3 CE credits of which must be in professional ethics.

(3)	Psychologists who are licensed by examination or by endorsement during the second year of the biennium (between January 1 and December 31 of the even numbered year) will not be required to complete any continuing education credits to renew the license for the first time.

(4)

Psychologists with disabilities may petition the Board for accommodations that facilitate their satisfaction of these requirements. The request for an accommodation by an individual with a disability must be made in writing and received in the Board office by at least 2 months prior to the end of the renewal period along with the appropriate documentation, as indicated in the Request for Disability Guidelines.

Rule 510-8-.02 Types of Continuing Education

(1)	Successful completion of the board examination of the American Board of Professional Psychology will satisfy all continuing education requirements in the biennium during which the examination is passed. Documentation from ABPP must be submitted to the Board.

(2)

Professional Ethics. A licensed psychologist must complete a minimum of 6 CE credits in professional ethics at a personally attended workshop to renew his/her license each biennium. These credits may be earned through Areas I or IV. The content of the ethics CE requirement must be related to ethical, legal, statutory or regulatory policies, guidelines, and/or standards that impact psychology and must be postdoctoral in nature. A psychologist who serves as a peer reviewer for the Board for an alleged violation of the laws or rules will earn 3 ethics CE credits for the current biennium if the completion of the review is acknowledged by the Board and if the review is submitted as a written report to the Board. A psychologist who serves on a subcommittee of the Board for oral examinations will be awarded 3 ethics CE credits for each day of service up to a maximum of 6 CE credits per biennium. A psychologist who serves as a member of the Ethics committee for the Georgia Psychological Association or as a Board member of the State Board of Examiners of Psychologists for the entire biennium will receive 6 ethics credits. If a psychologist serves as a member of the Georgia Psychological Association Ethics Committee or the Georgia State Board of Psychologists for half of the biennium, 3 ethics credits will be awarded; for service six months or less, 1 ethics credit will be awarded. The delivery method of the continuing education by the presenter and the attendance of the psychologist at the continuing education event must be in person.

(3)

Continuing Education credits may be met through the following areas. Each area states the minimum (if applicable) and maximum number of credits allowed as well as the required documentation. All credits in areas I (1, 2) II, III, and IV must be in person. The delivery method of the continuing education by the presenter and the attendance of the psychologist at the continuing education event must be in person.

(a)

Area I- Academic. This area includes three academic activities: Academic Courses, Instruction, and Publications. A maximum of 20 CE credits per biennium may be earned through Area I.

1.

Academic courses refers to taking, for credit, and passing a graduate-level course related to psychology from a regionally accredited university. A maximum of 20 CE credits per biennium is allowed for this activity. Required documentation is a graduate transcript showing the course taken and passing grade.

2.

Instruction refers to teaching, for the first time, a semester long (or equivalent) graduate or undergraduate course related to psychology in a regionally accredited institution. This activity counts for a maximum of 10 CE credits per course with a maximum of 20 CE credits per biennium. Instruction also refers to presenting for the first time, a day-long (6 credit hour) approved sponsor workshop or half-day long (3 credit hour) approved sponsor workshop that relates to the practice of psychology. For first time presented sponsor approved workshops, each hour of presentation counts for one hour of CE credit. A maximum of 12 CE credits each biennium is allowed for two 6 hour workshops and a maximum of 6 CE credits each biennium is allowed for two 3 hour workshops. Approved sponsors are identified in Area IV below. Both of these instructional activities (teaching a course or presenting a workshop) will count only when the course or presentation is conducted for the first time. Required documentation is both a copy of the presentation announcement, course catalog noting the course taught and instructor, or registration materials indicating the presentation; and an attestation from the psychologist stating that the course or workshop is being presented for the first time.

3.

Publications refers to first or second authoring of articles published in peer reviewed journals, books or book chapters, or editing or co-editing of a book or peer-reviewed journal related to the profession of psychology. A maximum of 5 CE credits per article for a total of 10 CE credits per biennium is allowed for publications. Required documentation is a copy of the journal abstract, book table of contents, or book or journal editor page inclusive of the author's name.

(b)

Area II-Ongoing Peer Group Consultation. This area includes research groups, journal clubs, and individual and group case consultation that has a structured, organized format, meet regularly, and focus on psychological activities related to one's practice. If one gets credit from this area, one must have a minimum of 10 CE credits from this area and a maximum of 20 CE credits from this area, with one hour of peer consultation equal to one credit. This means that any peer consultation activity must have at least a minimum of ten one hour sessions in length. However, one can only count a maximum of 20 one hour sessions for credit under this area. Required documentation is a contemporaneous log with a list of dates attended, topics discussed, location, identification of participants, and number of hours. The log must be attested to and notarized by the individual who is designated as the leader of the peer consultation group.

(c)

Area III Conference/Convention. This area refers to attending professional conferences/conventions related to psychology. A maximum of 5 CE credits per biennium is allowed in this area with one conference day being equal to one hour of CE credit. These credits are for activities at conventions and conferences such as luncheons or psychology related business meetings or gatherings for which the attendee does not earn approved sponsor continuing education credits under Area IV. For example, in one conference day there are two ways to earn 7 CE credits. One could earn 7 CE Credits by attending one 6 hour Area IV Approved Sponsor CE and adding 1 conference day CE Credit for attending other activities such as a business lunch or meeting, or evening activity. One could also earn 7 CE Credits by attending two 3 hour Area IV Approved Sponsor CE activities and adding 1 conference day CE Credit for attending other activities such as a business lunch or meeting, or an evening activity. One could earn 4 CE Credits in one conference day by attending one 3 hour Area IV Approved Sponsor CE Activity and adding 1 conference day CE Credit for attending other activities such as a business lunch or meeting, or an evening activity. Also, one could earn only 1 CE Credit in one conference day by only attending other activities such as a business lunch or meeting, or an evening activity. Required documentation is a copy of the conference/convention registration materials.

(d)

Area IV Approved Sponsored Continuing Education. This area refers to participation in any activity provided by approved sponsor organizations described below. A maximum of 40 CE credits per biennium is allowed in this area with one hour of activity being equal to 1CE credit. Required documentation is an official certificate of attendance/participation issued by the CE presenter/sponsoring organization and includes date, title, location, and hours. The delivery method of the continuing education by the presenter and the attendance of the psychologist at the continuing education event must be in person.

Approved sponsors of continuing education may include State Psychological Associations, the American Psychological Association or any of its approved sponsors approved through the American Psychological Association Sponsor Approval System (APA Standards and Criteria for Approval of Sponsors of Continuing Education for Psychologists, 2005), the Canadian Psychological Association Approval of Sponsor of Continuing Education for Canadian Psychologists (CPA, 2005), the Academies of the Specialty Boards of the American Board of Professional Psychology, Association for Psychological Science, National Association of School Psychologists, regionally accredited educational institutions that offer graduate training in psychology or related fields, Federal and State Government entities providing training at the post-doctoral level by licensed psychologists. Category I Continuing Medical Education (CME) of the American Medical Association, the Canadian Medical Association, American Bar Association, and the Canadian Bar Association, if relevant to the practice of psychology.

(e)

Area V -Self Instructional Activity. This is a broadly defined area intended to accommodate any self-development activities, which are relevant to one's professional interests. A maximum of 16 total CE hours per biennium are allowed in this area earned from the following categories:

1.

This area includes use of audiotapes, videotapes, books, journals and online CE offerings. Each hour of self-instructional activity qualifies for 1 CE credit. A maximum of 10 CE credits are allowed for the aforementioned activities. Required documentation is an affidavit which contains a description of the activity, the subject material covered, the dates, the number of hours involved, or a CE certificate from an online offering.

2.

A maximum of 6 hours of credit is allowed for interactive online CE in real time. Interactive CE is defined as an activity in which the participant interacts with a live person who is the instructor, and may also interact with other participants through a computer either through audio or audio/visual channels, in real time. Real time is defined as an activity in which both the instructor and the participant are on the computer at the same time. Any interactive CE hour over 6 hours may be counted under section (c) above.

(f)	On Line Continuing Education. Online instruction qualifies as CE credit only as described under Area V.

Rule 510-8-.03 Reporting/Documentation

(1)	Each licensee shall maintain for four years his/her own records of completed continuing education activities. The Board will not maintain continuing education files for licensees.

(2)

Each licensee shall attest, on his/her biennial license renewal application, that he/she has satisfied the continuing education requirements. Documentation of these activities should be retained by the licensee and not sent to the Board unless so requested. False attestation of satisfaction of the continuing education requirements on a renewal application may subject to licensee to disciplinary action, including revocation.

(3)

The Board will audit a fixed percentage of the renewal applications. Licensees whose applications are audited will be required to document the completion of his/her continuing education activities on the Continuing Education Report Form. Licensees will also be required to provide copies of the actual certificates earned for Area IV Approved Sponsored Continuing Education activities and also the documentation of any CE activities claimed from Areas I, II, III, and V as is required and specified in those areas.

(a)

If an audited licensee fails to provide the Board with acceptable documentation of the credits attested to on his/her renewal application, the license will not be renewed. The licensee may obtain the required continuing education credits within thirty one (31) days, however, the license will not be renewed until the requirements have been met and approved by the Board. Failure to satisfy the continuing education requirement shall result in revocation of the license by operation of law.

(b)

If, following the audit, the Board disqualifies any of the documented continuing education credits such that the licensee does not meet the continuing education requirements set out above, the license will not be renewed until the requirements have been met and approved by the Board. The licensee must obtain the required continuing education credits before the end of the late renewal period (January 31st of every odd numbered year following the even numbered year renewal/expiration date) or the license shall be revoked by operation of law.

(c)

Under conditions a or b, practicing without a renewed license subjects the licensee to penalties as set forth by the Board, and the licensee may be subject to disciplinary action, including revocation of license. A psychologist cannot practice psychology in the State of Georgia without an active, renewed license.

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