| (a) Minimum Continuing Education Hours Required.
(1) An LPC must complete 24 hours of continuing education
during each renewal period that they hold a license. The 24 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) A licensee must successfully complete the Texas
jurisprudence examination each renewal period. Licensees who pass
the Texas jurisprudence examination may claim 1 hour of continuing
education in ethics.
(3) 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 professional counseling;
(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 professional
counseling;
(2) The Council shall make the determination as to
whether the activity claimed by the licensee is directly related to
the practice of professional counseling;
(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 with supervisor status;
(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) 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.
(2) Authoring a book or peer reviewed article. The
maximum number of hours that may be claimed for this activity is 5
hours.
(3) Teaching or attending a graduate level course.
The maximum number of hours that may be claimed for this activity
is 5 hours.
(4) 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 professional
counseling. 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
education under other parts of this rule.
(5) 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.
(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.
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