I Graduated Already, Why Do I Have to Take Continuing Education Classes?

You completed your undergraduate program, then your master’s degree. You might even have completed a Ph.D. program. You took a licensure exam. You worked under supervision for a year or two. Finally, you were fully licensed. 

But you’re not done with your education just yet. In fact, you likely won’t ever be done - not as long as you want to keep practicing in your profession.

Counselors, social workers, psychologists, and psychiatrists - in fact, most healthcare professionals - typically are required to take continuing education classes throughout their careers to maintain licensure. 

You can check your state’s CE requirements here. 

Each state has licensure laws that set minimum continuing education requirements. Why?

Modern technology provides an exciting opportunity for behavioral health professionals to deliver clinical services virtually, allowing many providers to significantly expand their client base and work remotely. Though many behavioral health professionals have always utilized technology for providing clinical services, more and more are accessing this option as the demand for telehealth has grown.  But, clinicians often jump into providing clinical services through the use of technology without FIRST assessing their level of competence and receiving the training to ensure legal and professional compliance.

In order for an LMHC to retain their license in NY they must complete 36 hours of continuing education every three years by a CE provider who has been approved by the NY Mental Health Practitioners Board.  Only 12 of these hours can consist of self-study activities.  Live webinar courses are considered live hours.

We just completed a very engaging telebehavioral health training via webinar. There is nothing like spending a total of 12 hours on video conferencing with other great clinicians while learning how to use video conferencing with clients.

I am glad to announce that the Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is now approved by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) as a provider of continuing education.

Telehealth Certification Institute LLC, #1609, is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved as ACE providers. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 05/02/2021 – 05/02/2024. 

We are also happy to hsare that we have ASWB ACE Invididual Course Approval for the following courses (specifically applicable to New Jersey Social Workers):

• The TeleMental Health Training Program, Online Self Study (THTC). Instructor: Raymond Barrett, CEO, LMHC, LPC
• TeleMental Health Law and Ethics, Online Self Study. Instructor: Raymond Barrett, CEO, LMHC, LPC
• TeleMental Health Clinical Skills, Online Self Study. Instructor: Raymond Barrett, CEO, LMHC, LPC
• Ethics & Risk Management in Telehealth: Standards for Social Works, Online Self Study. Instructors: Dr. Frederic G. Reamer, Ph.D, Robert P. Landau, J.D.

Click here to view all of our online self-study courses.