N.J. Admin. Code § 13:34C-5.2

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

Section 13:34C-5.2 - Continuing education contract hour requirements

(a) All licensees and certificate holders shall complete the minimum number of required contact hours of continuing education directly related to the profession of alcohol and drug counseling.

(b) If the applicant initially obtains a license or certificate within the first year of the biennial period, the applicant shall complete 20 required contact hours of continuing education for the first renewal period.

(c) If the applicant initially obtains a license or certificate within the second year of the biennial period, the applicant shall be exempt from completing continuing education requirements for the first renewal period.

(d) All licensees and certificate holders shall complete at least six required contact hours of a Committee-approved continuing education course in legal standards related to the practice of alcohol and drug counseling in New Jersey during the initial biennial period. Beginning August 1, 2018, for each biennial period after the initial biennial period, all licensees and certificate holders shall complete at least three required contact hours of a Committee-approved continuing education course in legal standards related to the practice of alcohol and drug counseling in New Jersey.

1. These contact hours may be used towards the required continuing education hours set forth in N.J.A.C. 13:34C-5.1.

2. These contact hours shall focus on N.J.S.A. 45:1-1 through 45:1-55 and 45:2D-1 through 45:2D-17 and this chapter.

3. These contact hours shall require in-person instruction, which includes webinars that are live (not previously recorded) and synchronous (the instructor and licensee or certificate holder interact with each other in real time).

4. An individual is not precluded from completing the six required contact hours for the initial biennial period prior to applying for licensure or certification, but the fulfillment of this requirement shall not be substituted for N.J.A.C. 13:34C-2.3(b)4v(1) and/or (2).

(e) All licensees and certificate holders shall complete a minimum of three contact hours of the 40 or 60 contact hours of continuing education, as applicable, required by N.J.A.C. 13:34C-5.1 in the subject area of social and cultural competence in every biennial period. For the purposes of this subsection, 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. Legal considerations relating to issues of diversity.

(f) The three contact hours of continuing education in the subject area of social and cultural competence required pursuant to (e) above shall be in addition to the required six contact hours of continuing education in legal standards as set forth in (d) above.

N.J. Admin. Code § 13:34C-5.2

Amended by 49 N.J.R. 664(a), effective 4/3/2017

Amended by 50 N.J.R. 1163(a), effective 4/16/2018