Section 4999.76.

(a) Except as provided in subdivision (c), the board shall not renew any license pursuant to this chapter unless the applicant certifies to the board, on a form prescribed by the board, that he or she has completed not less than 36 hours of approved continuing education in or relevant to the field of professional clinical counseling in the preceding two years, as determined by the board.

(b) The board shall have the right to audit the records of any applicant to verify the completion of the continuing education requirement. Applicants shall maintain records of completed continuing education coursework for a minimum of two years and shall make these records available to the board for auditing purposes upon request.

(c) The board may establish exceptions from the continuing education requirement of this section for good cause, as defined by the board.

(d) The continuing education shall be obtained from one of the following sources:

(1) A school, college, or university that is accredited or approved, as defined in Section 4999.12. Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed as requiring coursework to be offered as part of a regular degree program.

(2) Other continuing education providers, including, but not limited to, a professional clinical counseling association, a licensed health facility, a governmental entity, a continuing education unit of a four-year institution of higher learning that is accredited or approved, or a mental health professional association, approved by the board.

(e) The board shall establish, by regulation, a procedure for approving providers of continuing education courses, and all providers of continuing education, as described in paragraphs (1) and (2) of subdivision (d), shall adhere to procedures established by the board. The board may revoke or deny the right of a provider to offer continuing education coursework pursuant to this section for failure to comply with the requirements of this section or any regulation adopted pursuant to this section.

(f) Training, education, and coursework by approved providers shall incorporate one or more of the following:

(1) Aspects of the discipline that are fundamental to the understanding or the practice of professional clinical counseling.

(2) Significant recent developments in the discipline of professional clinical counseling.

(3) Aspects of other disciplines that enhance the understanding or the practice of professional clinical counseling.

(g) A system of continuing education for licensed professional clinical counselors shall include courses directly related to the diagnosis, assessment, and treatment of the client population being served.

(h) The board shall, by regulation, fund the administration of this section through continuing education provider fees to be deposited in the Behavioral Sciences Fund. The fees related to the administration of this section shall be sufficient to meet, but shall not exceed, the costs of administering the corresponding provisions of this section. For the purposes of this subdivision, a provider of continuing education as described in paragraph (1) of subdivision (d) shall be deemed to be an approved provider.

(i) The continuing education requirements of this section shall fully comply with the guidelines for mandatory continuing education established by the Department of Consumer Affairs pursuant to Section 166.

(Amended by Stats. 2012, Ch. 799, Sec. 78. Effective January 1, 2013.)