1. (1) Continuing education status shall be approved prior to presenting continuing education programs. When a provider number is necessary, any continuing education event(s) sponsored or provided prior to the date a provider number is issued under this rule shall not be granted continuing education credit.

2. (2) Continuing education provider status shall be granted to continuing education providers who satisfy the following requirements:

   1. (a) Provide the Board with one sample continuing education program, three (3) to eight (8) hours in duration, including a detailed agenda specifying content and time frames for instruction, a copy of any power point or similar presentation materials, and a copy of the course materials, which has been designed or approved by the current continuing education director and meets all of the following criteria:

      1. Is a graduate level course, seminar, workshop, or institute which is relevant to, and focuses on clinical social work, marriage and family therapy or mental health counseling practice, theory, and method.

      2. Has stated learning objectives relevant to the material being taught and is of sufficient duration to present a topic in depth and detail to accomplish these objectives.

      3. Is appropriate for the purposes of furthering and maintaining the clinical skills or knowledge of licensed clinical social workers, mental health counselors, and marriage and family therapists.

      4. The sample program must identify the number of continuing education hours that will be earned. One continuing education hour is defined as a 60-minute clock hour in which there is no less than 50 minutes of uninterrupted instruction.

      5. Is instructed/presented by a person who meets at least one of the following criteria:

      a. Is a faculty member or former faculty member of a graduate program meeting the requirements of paragraph 64B4-6.002(1)(a) or (b), F.A.C.

      b. Has received specialized graduate or post-graduate level training in the subject taught in the program.

      c. Has extensive experience to include no less than 2 years of practical application or research involving the subject taught in the program.

   2. (b) Provide the Board a sample program evaluation form and a sample of the documentation of completion which meets the requirements of subparagraph (2)(f)2. of this rule.
   3. (c) Provide the Board a summary of the organization structure for the administration of continuing education programs that reflects the chain of command within the organization by name and title and the position of the continuing education director within the organization.
   4. (d) Provide the Board with the name, address and daytime telephone number of a person designated by the organization to act as the continuing education director.
   5. (e) Remit the appropriate continuing education provider application fee pursuant to rule 64B4-4.009, F.A.C. Such fee shall be required for each license biennium during which the provider seeks Board approval.

   6. (f) The current continuing education director must sign and abide by a written agreement to:

      1. Ensure that each program to be presented or approved by the provider for continuing education credit for clinical social workers, marriage and family therapists, and mental health counselors satisfies the requirements of this rule.

      2. Provide each participant who completes a program with documentation verifying that the program has been completed. The documentation shall contain the participant’s name, provider’s name and number, title of program, date of program, and number of hours of continuing education credits earned. In addition, for hypnosis training the documentation must state it meets the requirements of Rule 64B4-7.002, F.A.C., and, for sex therapy training, the documentation must state it meets the requirements of Rule 64B4-7.004, F.A.C.

      3. Notify the Board of changes relative to the maintenance of standards as set forth in these rules.

      4. Notify the Board within ten days of any change in continuing education director, mailing address, or telephone number.

      5. Ensure that all promotional material for each program intended for clinical social workers, marriage and family therapists and mental health counselors contains in a conspicuous place the complete provider number assigned by the Board, the specific program objectives, and speaker/presenter’s credentials.

      6. Comply with all audit requests within 21 days of receipt of such requests from the Board.

      7. Ensure that the provider complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, 42 USC §§12101-12213.

   7. (g) Provide a Statement about what steps would be taken if a course participant submitted a grievance about the course.
3. (3) Providers shall maintain records of each course offered for three (3) years following each licensure biennium during which the course was offered. Course records shall include a course outline which reflects its educational objectives, the presenter’s name, the presenter’s curriculum vitae, the date and location of the course, participants’ evaluations of the course, the hours of continuing education credit awarded to each participant and a roster of participants by name and license number.
4. (4) The Board shall deny continuing education provider status to any applicant who submits false, misleading or deceptive information or documentation to the Board.
5. (5) The Board retains the right and authority to review, audit and/or monitor the provider and individual programs, to include the right to review records and course materials given by any provider approved pursuant to this rule.

6. (6) The Board shall rescind the approved provider status or rescind or reject approval of individual programs if the Board’s review of the the provider or their individual programs determine that the provider:

   1. Failed to conform or abide by the rules of the Board;

   2. Failed to provide individual programs which are in compliance with the rules of the Board;

   3. Failed to provide individual programs which meet the criteria established in paragraph (2)(a) above; or

   4. Is in violation of any of the provisions of Chapter 456 or 491, F.S., to include any of the provider’s faculty members.

Rulemaking Authority 491.004(5), 491.0085(1), (3), (4) FS. Law Implemented 491.0085 FS. History–New 1-9-94, Formerly 61F4-6.004, Amended 10-2-94, 12-29-96, Formerly 59P-6.004, Amended 12-11-97, 2-9-99, 6-30-02, 8-13-08, 12-11-14, 3-18-19, 9-2-21.