4 More Proposed CE Rules Changes Pt 2

Tuesday we started our review of the proposed ce rules changes by examining the 50% Rule and the Approved Provider list. Here's Part 2 of this 3-Part series.

More Proposed CE Rules Changes to Discuss

1. Jurisprudence Exam would be optional.
2. Ethics hours required would increase to (6), and that which would constitute "Acceptable Ethics Hours".
3. (3 Hrs) Cultural Diversity would be required.
4. The Carry-Forward Rule explained.
5. How Supervisor hours would be handled.
6. What would constitute "Acceptable CE Activities".
7. The "Yeah, But...." List of acceptable hours.

We'll do the first 4 items this week and finish up the list next Tuesday.

The Jurisprudence Exam

What can be said about a required bi-annual "test" that is impossible to fail? Under the proposed changes it would become optional and if you did take it you'd be credited with (1) ce hour. Still cost you $40 bucks or so and, as things are written, it does not appear to be an "Approved Provider" course even though it's a State administered test. Further clarification needed on that minor point.

Ethics Hours Increase

This requirement jumps (from (4 hrs) for LPC's) to (6 hrs) for all 4 licenses. I'm not going to complain too much about this one since as recently as 3-4 years ago I was making the argument that as a profession we're not taking enough ethics courses, or more specifically, ethics courses that have to do with State and Federal law. So, what would count as ethics hours?

Acceptable Ethics Hours Subject Matter

Acceptable hours would include courses that teach directly to the following points:

1. State or Federal Laws, including agency rules, relevant to the practice of professional counseling.

I believe that at least (3) of the (6) required ethics hours should be REQUIRED from this category for several reasons.

BHEC is still working its way out of the backlog of complaints inherited from DSHS, a backlog that partially owes its existence to a universal ignorance of our Board guidelines. We still have a long way to go to properly educate the 75,000 counselors in TX and now is not the time to remove the requirement.

The rule, as written, would allow someone to take all (6) hours in ACA ethics courses which are not, and never have been, the ruling body of law in TX.

2. Practice guidelines established by local, regional, state, national, or international professional organizations.

My objection to this point is the same one I have with Academia promoting ACA ethics to their customers as if the ACA ethics trump the State-level guidelines. They do not. To the degree that professional organization ethics guidelines conflict with the State-level rules I see issues with this one. Remember, the State rules & guidelines are the ones that count! This needs a limitation put on it.

3. Training or education designed to demonstrate or affirm the ideals and responsibilities of the profession.

All good here.

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.

I see no conflicts here. Speak up if you do!

The Cultural Diversity Requirement

This is a favorite child of the SW Board and now the Standards Committee wants it to apply to all of us. My objections here are several.

I am all for understanding the various cultures and how best to deal with clients who come from a different background than I do, but I took this stuff in school and have already taken it voluntarily several times since then. How many times do I have to take and pass the same course?

My main complaint is the social-agenda behind it that's driving the way in which it is presented. Why is it necessary to a) present it in a manner driven by guilt and shaming techniques (oh, yes, it is!) and b) required of me instead of making this optional? Think about this--->Learning your Board's Rulebook is optional but cultural diversity classes are not? I think our priorities are a bit off.

The Carry-Forward Rule

The rule says that, "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." Not needed, indeed. That might better read, "not needed or you can't use them 'cause they don't count!" See 50% Rule explained last week.

You can only carry them forward one renewal cycle, no more. Oh, and if you take the same course more than once during a renewal period you can only count it once during that cycle.

Most of us typically have a handful of extra ce hours each cycle but the 50% Rule as proposed would almost guarantee that you have a lot more. Apparently that's been the experience with the Psych Board as it sounds like this rule was/is their attempt at appeasing those who amass extra hours, otherwise why would you need it?

Summary

I'm glad the Jurisprudence exam would be optional. I'm comfortable with an ethics hours increase to (6) although I wish (3) of them would be required to be used towards State (your Board's Rulebook and various Codes) and Federal laws (HIPAA, HITECH, FERPA, etc). And I think a limitation on the number of Association delivered ethics hours is needed.

I would rather the cultural diversity topic be optional.  (Anyone know of a cultural diversity course being delivered without the humiliating social-agenda, and I'll let my wallet do the voting?)

And, the carry-forward rule probably wouldn't need to exist if the 50% Rule didn't!

This week I received an email from one of the State Associations not on the Standards Committee (you did, too, if you're on their mailing list), claiming "we don't find very much to complain about". Apparently those that we count on to do the heavy thinking on these matters are doing other things these days so we better start doing it ourselves if we want it done right.

Tell me your thoughts in the Comments below and we'll present Part 3 next week. If you haven't submitted your written thoughts to BHEC yet, please do so before the quickly approaching deadline (the next BHEC Meeting) occurs.

Plan Smart. Be Safe. Serve Others.

Kathleen Mills, LPC-S, CEAP