S.C. Code Regs. § § 36-16

Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 11, November 22, 2024

Section 36-16 - Continuing Education Requirements for Professional Counselors, Addiction Counselors and Marriage and Family Therapists

(1) Persons licensed as professional counselors, addiction counselors, or marriage and family therapists shall complete forty (40) hours of Board-approved continuing education, of which thirty-four (34) hours must be related to their respective professional license and six (6) hours must be specific to ethical standards related to their respective professional license during every two-year licensure period. A first-time licensee is not required to obtain continuing education for the licensing period in which the initial license was obtained. After this first renewal, the continuing education requirements shall apply. Persons holding more than one license must complete fifty (50) hours of continuing education during every two-year licensure period as a condition of renewal of their licenses. Of the fifty (50) hours, six (6) hours must be specific to ethical standards, and the remaining forty-four (44) hours divided as equally as possible among the related disciplines. Persons licensed as professional counselor supervisors, addiction counselor supervisors, or marriage and family therapy supervisors must complete ten (10) hours of continuing education in supervision of their discipline during every two-year licensure period as a condition of renewal of their license. Persons holding multiple supervision licenses must complete ten (10) hours of continuing education in supervision, dividing the hours as equally as possible among each discipline.

(2) Any continuing education program sponsored by a professional counselor certifying body, addiction counselor certifying body, marriage and family therapy certifying body, or body approved by the Board as a continuing education sponsoring body, or one of its regional or state divisions, is automatically approved.

(3) Unapproved sponsoring organizations must request advance approval on Board-approved forms ninety (90) days prior to each continuing education event. In order to request approval, the sponsoring organization must submit an agenda of the session, the curriculum vitae of all presenters and a copy of the evaluation documents.

(4) Continuing education hours may be obtained through continuing education programs and activities provided by Board-approved continuing education providers, or licensees may obtain up to twenty (20) hours of the required continuing education per two-year licensure period by completing one or more of the following:

(a) a first time presentation of a paper, workshop, or seminar for a national, regional, statewide, or other professional meeting may be approved for a maximum of five (5) continuing education hours; and

(b) a published paper in a referred journal may be approved for a maximum of five (5) continuing education hours and may be used only once; and

(c) preparation of a new or related course for an educational institution or organization may be approved for a maximum of five (5) continuing education hours; and

(5) No hours may be carried forward from the renewal period in which they were earned.

(6) Continuing education credit may be obtained in person or obtained online.

S.C. Code Regs. § 36-16

Added by State Register Volume 25, Issue No. 5, Part 2, eff May 25, 2001; State Register Volume 42, Issue No. 05, eff. 5/25/2018; State Register Volume 43, Issue No. 05, eff. 5/24/2019; State Register Volume 46, Issue No. 05, eff. 5/27/2022.