N.J. Admin. Code § 13:34-15.2

Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 21, November 4, 2024

Section 13:34-15.2 - Contact-hour requirements for licensed professional counselors

(a) A licensed professional counselor shall complete at least five of the 40 contact hours required by 13:34-15.1 in ethical and legal standards in the counseling profession regardless of the number of contact hours accrued during the biennial period.

(b) A licensee shall complete at least three of the 40 contact hours of continuing education as required by 13:34-15.1 in the subject area of social and cultural competence. For the purposes of this subsection, social and cultural competence includes, but is not limited to, an understanding of the cultural context of relationships; issues and trends in a diverse society related to such factors as culture, ethnicity, nationality, age, gender, sexual orientation, mental and physical characteristics, education, family values, religious and spiritual values, socioeconomic status; and unique characteristics of individuals, couples, families, ethnic groups and communities including any of the following:

1. Multicultural and pluralistic trends, including characteristics and concerns between and within diverse groups nationally and internationally;

2. Attitudes, beliefs, understandings, and acculturative experiences, including specific experiential learning activities;

3. Individual, couple, family, group, and community strategies for working with diverse populations and ethnic groups;

4. Counselors' roles in social justice, advocacy and conflict resolution, cultural self-awareness, the nature of biases, prejudices, process of intentional and unintentional oppression and discrimination, and other culturally supported behaviors that are detrimental to the growth of the human spirit, mind, or body;

5. Theories of multicultural counseling, theories of identity development and multicultural competencies; and

6. Ethical and legal considerations relating to issues of diversity.

(c) Commencing with the biennial renewal period beginning on December 1, 2018, at least one of the 40 contact hours of continuing education shall, pursuant to P.L. 2017, c. 341, be in educational programs or topics concerning prescription opioid drugs, including the risks and signs of opioid abuse, addiction, and diversion. This one credit shall not be eligible for carry-over as described in (e) below.

(d) The continuing education contact hours required by the NBCC to maintain the specialty certification, referred to in N.J.A.C. 13:34-14.1, may be used to satisfy the Committee's continuing education requirements for the licensed professional counselor set forth in this subchapter.

(e) If the licensed professional counselor earns more than 40 contact hours during a biennial period, the professional counselor may carry a maximum of 10 contact hours into the next succeeding biennial period.

N.J. Admin. Code § 13:34-15.2

Amended by 49 N.J.R. 655(a), effective 4/3/2017

Amended by 53 N.J.R. 538(b), effective 4/5/2021