Commonly Asked Questions: 

What constitutes an hour of continuing education?
A minimum of 50 minutes equals one continuing education contact hour. Courses must be offered in terms of contact hours; no other time measurement is acceptable.

If I complete more than the 36 hours required for my current registration period may I “carryover” the excess hours to my next registration period? 
No. Under Education Law §8412(2), continuing education hours may not be carried over to a subsequent registration period. 

Must I complete one hour of continuing education in each month of my registration period? 
No. The required continuing education may be completed anytime during the current registration period. Thus, licensed creative arts therapists have the flexibility to select and schedule the continuing education activities that are most appropriate for their professional practice.

Must I take a specific number of continuing education courses each year during my registration period? 
No. You may take all courses in one year, if you wish. However, you must complete the required number of hours prior to the expiration date of your registration.

What courses are acceptable for continuing education? 
To be acceptable the courses must be administered:

• by a New York State Education Department-approved provider; and
• in an approved subject area (see here for a listing of approved subject areas)

Also, continuing education hours may be earned by:

• preparing and teaching a course offered by a Department-approved provider of creative arts therapy continuing education, provided that the course being taught has not been presented on more than one occasion without presenting new or revised material;
• preparing and teaching a course, acceptable to the Department, at a higher education institution or a psychotherapy institute, as defined in section 79-11.8(a)(2) and (3) of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education, relating to the practice of licensed creative arts therapy, provided that the course has not been taught by the licensee on more than one occasion without presenting new or revised material;
• making a technical presentation at a professional conference sponsored by an organization that is a Department-approved provider of licensed creative arts therapy continuing education, provided that the presentation has not been offered on more than one occasion without presenting new or revised material;
• completing a self-study program, offered by a Department-approved provider, provided that self-study hours do not comprise more than twelve hours in any three-year registration period or one-third of the hours for a registration period other than three years;
• authoring a first-time article in the practice of creative arts therapy published in a peer-reviewed journal or a chapter in a published book;
• authoring a first-time book in the practice of licensed creative arts therapy; and
• participating in a juried art show or performance activity, including engaging in dance, movement, drama, music or poetry performances and/or art installations, which is a competition in which participants’ works are judged by a person or panel of persons convened specifically to judge the participants’ efforts, either by the competition’s stated rubric or theme or by a subjective set of criteria dependent upon the nature of the competition or the judges themselves, provided that the amount of continuing education credit awarded for such show or activity shall be no more than two hours per year or six hours in a triennial registration period.

How many continuing education hours can I get for each activity? 

Each Department-approved provider determines the length of the course to be offered and then will determine the hours according to the following: the awarding of continuing education hours is based on a contact hour which is equivalent to 50 minutes of an organized learning activity and a 10 minute break. Thus, a program of two clock hours would be awarded 2.0 continuing education hours.

Other activities such as those listed in here may be approved for the amount of hours indicated.

Is there any limitation on the subject matter of the coursework?  

Yes. The subject matter must contribute to the professional practice of licensed creative arts therapy, as defined in section 8404 of the Education Law. Acceptable subjects may include, but are not limited to, clinical interventions and evidence-based practice and cross-disciplinary offerings from medicine, law, administration, education, behavioral and social sciences related to creative arts therapy practice, patient communications, recordkeeping, and matters relating to law and/or ethics which contribute to professional practice in creative arts therapy and the health, safety, and/or welfare of the public.

Are there subjects that are not acceptable for continuing education for licensed creative arts therapists?
Yes. Any continuing education that is designed for the sole purpose of personal development, marketing, business practices, and maximizing profits for the practice of a licensed creative arts therapist will not be considered by the Department as acceptable continuing education. 

Similarly, the supervision of a licensed creative arts therapist, limited permit holder, student or intern in a placement that is part of a license-qualifying program, is not considered as acceptable continuing education by the Department.

Are courses limited to a traditional “classroom setting” in which I am in the same room with the instructor?
Self-study courses are acceptable. They are structured study, offered by a Department-approved provider that are based on audio, audio-visual, written, on-line and other media. Self-study courses do not include live instruction (transmitted in person or otherwise) during which the student may communicate and interact with the instructor and other students. Please note that there is a limitation of 12 continuing education hours in a 36-month registration period, or one-third of the hours for a registration period other than 36 months, for self-study courses as described above. 

Can I complete more hours of on-line continuing education if the course includes live interaction with the instructor and other students?
Yes. There is no limit on the number of hours of acceptable continuing education you may take on-line through a Department-approved provider, when the course includes live interaction with the instructor and other students. 

Would in-service and training programs provided by my employer be acceptable continuing education?

In order to receive credit for in-service and training programs provided by an employer, the employer must be a Department-approved provider of continuing education for licensed creative arts therapists. Additionally, the in-service training must be clearly related to the enhancement of licensed creative arts therapy practice, skills, and knowledge and the health, safety, and/or welfare of the public. 

Record Keeping:

A Certificate of Completion should include the following information:

• name of licensee completing the course, licensed profession and license number;
• title of the course or program, subject area, and any identification number assigned to it by the provider;
• the educational method used (e.g., live in-person, live online, and/or self-study);
• number of contact hours completed;
• the approved provider’s name and any identifying number;
• verification by the provider of the licensee’s attendance or participation;
• the date and location (city/state) of the course or activity; and
• a statement indicating that the organization is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as a Department-approved provider of licensed creative arts therapist continuing education.

What information must I provide the Department when I renew my registration?

You will be required to attest on your Registration Renewal Document that you completed the required continuing education hours. If you did not complete the required hours, you will have to apply for a conditional registration. Please refer here for more information.

Do I have to send my continuing education records to the Department when I re-register?

No. However, you must retain your continuing education records for six years because you are required to make your continuing education records available for inspection by the Department upon its request. Random samples of mandatory continuing education records are audited by the Department to ensure compliance with the continuing education requirement. 

What documentation must I provide if my continuing education records are audited?

The Department randomly audits a percentage of licensees each month, as well as those licensees who applied for a conditional registration and those who previously failed an audit. You must provide the Department with your Certificates of Completion for each approved continuing education course or records for other educational activities, when requested. In no cases will self-reporting forms be acceptable. 

Please refer to the list below in understanding how many CE’s you are required to complete before your renewal date.

If you are due to register for the period beginning:	You will be required to complete the following number of hours of continuing education:
January 1, 2017	0
February 1, 2017	1
March 1, 2017	2
April 1, 2017	3
May 1, 2017	4
June 1, 2017	5
July 1, 2017	6
August 1, 2017	7
September 1, 2017	8
October 1, 2017	9
November 1, 2017	10
December 1, 2017	11
January 1, 2018	12
February 1, 2018	13
March 1, 2018	14
April 1, 2018	15
May 1, 2018	16
June 1, 2018	17
July 1, 2018	18
August 1, 2018	19
September 1, 2018	20
October 1, 2018	21
November 1, 2018	22
December 1, 2018	23
January 1, 2019	24
February 1, 2019	25
March 1, 2019	26
April 1, 2019	27
May 1, 2019	28
June 1, 2019	29
July 1, 2019	30
August 1, 2019	31
September 1, 2019	32
October 1, 2019	33
November 1, 2019	34
December 1, 2019	35
January 1, 2020	36