24 Del. Admin. Code § 5300-9.0

Current through Register Vol. 28, No. 5, November 1, 2024

Section 5300-9.0 - Continuing Education (CE)

9.1 Renewal Requirements. Licensees shall complete 24 hours of approved CE during each biennial licensing period. Completion of the required CE hours is a prerequisite for renewing a license. Hours earned in a biennial licensing period in excess of those required for renewal may not be credited towards the hours required for renewal in any other licensing period.

9.2 Calculation of Hours. For academic course work, correspondence courses, or seminar/workshop instruction, one hour of acceptable CE shall mean 50 minutes of actual instruction. One academic semester hour shall be equivalent to 15 CE hours; one academic quarter hour shall be equivalent to 10 CE hours.

9.3 Pro-ration schedule:

9.3.1 If the license is issued more than 12 months prior to the next renewal date, the licensee shall complete 24 hours of acceptable CE during the licensing period.

9.3.2 If the license is issued less than 12 months prior to the next renewal date, the licensee shall complete 12 hours of acceptable CE during the licensing period.

9.3.3 Candidates for renewal who were first licensed or certified 12 months or less before the date of renewal are exempt from the CE requirement for the period in which they were first licensed or certified.

9.4 Licensees shall complete 24 hours of CE, which shall include:

9.4.1 Three hours in ethics, which may be taken in classroom or online;

9.4.2 Nine hours of Core credits which must be taken in a classroom, hands-on setting, except that for the licensure renewal period ending August 31, 2022 only, the required nine hours of Core credits may be taken in a classroom, hands-on setting or online; and

9.4.3 Twelve hours which may be Elective or Core credits and which may be taken on-line.

9.5 Board approval.

9.5.1 Courses approved by NCBTMB, American Massage Therapy Association ("AMTA") and Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals ("ABMP") are automatically approved for content.

9.5.2 To obtain credit for CE courses not approved by NCBTMB, AMTA or ABMP, those courses must be approved by the Board before license renewal. CE course participants or providers may apply for pre-approval of courses by submitting a written request to the Board that must include a program agenda, a syllabus indicating the time spent on each topic, the names and resumes of the presenters, and the number of CE hours and category requested. The Board reserves the right to approve less than the number of hours requested or to approve a course in a different category than requested.

9.5.3 Self-directed activity. The Board may approve credit for up to 6 hours for self-directed activities, including, but not limited to teaching, research, and preparation or presentation of professional papers and articles. Licensees may apply for pre-approval of self-directed activities by submitting a written request for pre-approval that must include an outline of the scope of the activity, the number of CE hours and category requested, the anticipated completion date, the role of the licensee in the case of multiple participants (e.g. research), and whether any part of the self-directed activity has ever been previously approved or submitted for credit by the same licensee. Research involving hands on protocols may be considered Core CE, at the discretion of the Board, with a limit of 6 CE credits.

9.5.4 Course preparation and instruction. The Board may approve up to six additional CE credits, on an hour for hour basis, to instructors for their initial preparation and presentation of an approved CE course (e.g. an instructor preparing and presenting an eight hour course for the first time may receive up to six additional credit hours.)

9.5.5 Board approval of a licensee's CE hours in a modality is not a Board endorsement of the licensee's competence to practice that modality.

9.6 Verification.

9.6.1 Verification of CE hours shall be by attestation. Attestation shall be completed online.

9.6.2 Post-Renewal Audit. The Board shall conduct random audits of renewal applications to ensure the veracity of attestations and compliance with the renewal requirements. Licensees selected for the random audit shall submit CE course attendance verification in the form of a certificate of attendance or completion that must be signed by the course presenter or by a designated official of the sponsoring organization. Licensees shall retain their CE course attendance documentation for each licensure period and for at least one year after renewal. Licensees found to be deficient or found to have falsely attested may be subject to disciplinary proceedings and may have their license disciplined. Licensees renewing during the late renewal period pursuant to Section 7.0 shall be audited.

9.6.3 A licensee's failure to notify the Board of a change in mailing address will not excuse the licensee from audit requirements, including possible sanctions for non-compliance.

9.7 Hardship. A candidate for renewal may be granted an extension of time in which to complete CE hours upon a showing of unusual hardship. "Hardship" may include, but is not limited to, disability, illness, extended absence from the jurisdiction, and exceptional family responsibilities. Requests for hardship extensions must be submitted to the Board in writing prior to the end of the licensing or certification period for which the request is being made.

9.8 Requirements for Late Renewal. Unless extended by the Board for hardship as defined in subsection 9.7, and subject to the one-year limitation set forth in Section 7.0, massage and bodywork therapists and massage technicians applying for late renewal must provide proof of completion of the required CE for the immediately preceding licensure period.

9.9 Requirements for Return to Active Status. Unless extended by the Board for hardship as defined in subsection 9.7, massage and bodywork therapists and massage technicians returning from inactive status must provide notice to the Board as set forth in subsection 8.2 and must provide adequate proof of the satisfactory completion of 24 hours of Board approved CE within the immediately preceding two-year period prior to the date of the notice to return to active status. CE hours required to return to active status may not be credited towards the hours required for renewal in any other licensing period.

9.10 Professional members of the Board, and licensees, may receive up to 2 hours of Elective CE in a renewal period for attendance at Board meetings. Such hours may be applied to CE required for licensure renewal.

24 Del. Admin. Code § 5300-9.0

20 DE Reg. 825 (4/1/2017)
26 DE Reg. 330 (10/1/2022) (Final)