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Mandatory Continuing Education Requirements for Mental Health Practitioners

After January 1, 2017, in order to register and practice the profession, each mental health counselor, marriage and family therapist, creative arts therapist, and psychoanalyst, licensed under the Education Law, must complete 36 hours of continuing education (CE) from a Department approved provider during each three-year registration period. Frequently asked questions about the specific CE requirement for each mental health practitioner profession may be found on the web page for that profession. These profession-specific web pages include applications for individuals and organizations that wish to offer CE courses to licensed mental health counselors, licensed marriage and family therapists, licensed creative arts therapists and licensed psychoanalysts.

The law exempts from the triennial continuing education requirement those licensees who are inactive (not practicing the profession or using the restricted title) and newly licensed practitioners in their first registration period after licensure. In addition, the CE requirement is phased in, so that licensees, who must complete CE, can satisfy this requirement by completing a pro-rated number of hours, based on the number of months between January 1, 2017 and the starting date of the licensees’ next registration period. Licensees should review the FAQs to learn more about the CE requirement for the specific mental health practitioner profession they are licensed in.

A prospective provider of CE must submit to the Department an application, with the required $900 fee, that demonstrates that it meets the profession-specific requirements in the section 8412 of the Education Law and the Commissioner’s Regulations for the specific profession. Both a separate application and $900 fee must be submitted by an individual or organization for each specific profession in which the applicant wishes to become a Department-approved CE provider. The State Board Office will review prospective provider applications in the order received, so that licensees can complete their required pro-rated hours of CE starting on January 1, 2017.

A licensee seeking to register for a period starting after January 1, 2017, who is not exempt from the requirement as noted above, may only meet the requirement by completing CE activities from Department-approved providers or other allowed education activities after January 1, 2017. If your next registration period starts after January 1, 2017, you should not submit the registration application and fee until you have met the CE requirement after January 1, 2017, to avoid a hold on your registration application.

Licensees and prospective providers should review the FAQs and profession-specific requirements for each of the four mental health practitioner professions established under Article 163 of the Education Law. You can access the web pages by using the left-hand navigation bar on these pages.