Texas Register

TITLE 22 EXAMINING BOARDS
PART 34TEXAS STATE BOARD OF SOCIAL WORKER EXAMINERS
CHAPTER 781SOCIAL WORKER LICENSURE
SUBCHAPTER CAPPLICATION AND LICENSING
RULE §781.501Requirements for Continuing Education
ISSUE 04/22/2022
ACTION Proposed
Preamble Texas Admin Code Rule

(a)Minimum Continuing Education Hours Required:

  (1)A licensee must complete 30 hours of continuing education during each renewal period that they hold a license. The 30 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)The special continuing education requirements set out in this subsection may be counted toward the minimum continuing education hours required under subsection (a).

(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 social work;

  (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 and be directly related to the practice of social work;

  (2)The Council shall make the determination as to whether the activity claimed by the licensee is directly related to the practice of social work;

  (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; or

  (6)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)Licensees may claim continuing education credit for each of the following activities:

  (1)Passage of the jurisprudence examination. Licensees who pass the jurisprudence examination may claim 1 hour of continuing education in ethics.

  (2)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.

  (3)Authoring a book or peer reviewed article. The maximum number of hours that may be claimed for this activity is 5 hours.

  (4)Teaching or attending a graduate level course. The maximum number of hours that may be claimed for this activity is 5 hours.

  (5)Self-study. The maximum number of hours that may be claimed for this activity is 1 hour.

  (6)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.

The agency certifies that legal counsel has reviewed the proposal and found it to be within the state agency's legal authority to adopt.

Filed with the Office of the Secretary of State on April 11, 2022

TRD-202201315

Darrel D. Spinks

Executive Director

Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners

Earliest possible date of adoption: May 22, 2022

For further information, please call: (512) 305-7706



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