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California Speech Therapy Continuing Education

How many continuing education hours are required during a reporting period?

Speech-Language Pathologists licensed in California are required to complete twenty-four (24) hours every two (2) years.

SLP Assistants licensed in California are required to complete twelve (12) hours every two (2) years.

Speech pathology and audiology licensees must receive sixteen (16) hours of continuing professional development courses for each license for a total of thirty-two (32) hours.

New Licensees

An initial licensee shall complete at least twelve (12) hours of continuing professional development.  A minimum of ten (10) hours must be directly relevant to the scope of practice of speech-language pathology or audiology.

How long is the reporting period?

A “renewal period” means the two (2) year period that spans from a license's expiration date to the licensee's next expiration date.

Due Date

Licensee’s expiration date.

How is credit hour defined?

A continuing professional development “course” means a form of systematic learning at least one hour (60 minutes) in length including, but not limited to, academic studies, extension studies, lectures, conferences, seminars, workshops, and self-study courses.

One (1) hour of instruction is equal to one (1) hour of continuing professional development credit.

One (1) academic quarter unit is equal to ten (10) hours of continuing professional development credit.

One (1) academic semester unit is equal to fifteen (15) hours of continuing professional development credit.

One (1) academic trimester unit is equal to thirteen (13) hours of continuing professional development credit.

Can CE credits be carried over into the next reporting period?

N/A

Are there any specific courses that must be taken?

A minimum of twenty (20) hours must be directly relevant to the scope of practice of speech-language pathology or audiology.

What types of activities can be used for the continuing education requirements?

The content of a course shall pertain to direct, related, or indirect patient/client care.

Examples of direct patient/client care courses for the practice of speech-language pathology include: fluency disorders, voice disorders, motor disorders of speech, dysphagia, speech science, oral and written language disorders, aphasia and neurogenic disorders of language and cognition, augmentative and alternative communication, phonological/articulatory disorders language science, and patient/client counseling to facilitate recovery from, or adjustment to, a communication disorder.

Examples of direct patient/client care courses for the practice of audiology include auditory and vestibular assessment, auditory habilitation/rehabilitation, hearing assistive technology, industrial audiology/hearing conservation and hearing science.

Indirect patient/client care courses cover pragmatic aspects of speech-language pathology or audiology practice (e.g., legal or ethical issues, consultation, record-keeping, office management, managed care issues, research obligations, technological applications related to assessment/diagnosis or intervention).

Courses that are related to the discipline of speech-language pathology or audiology may cover general medical or educational offerings including, but not limited to, social interaction, cultural and linguistic diversity as it applies to service delivery for diverse populations, professional service delivery models, interdisciplinary case management issues, or medical pathologies related to neurological disorders that also result in communication difficulties.

Are there limitations on the types of courses that can be taken?

SLP or Audiology License

A licensee may accrue no more than eight (8) hours of continuing professional development courses through the following activities during a single renewal period:

    • No more than six (6) hours of self-study activities,
    • No more than four (4) hours from courses related to the discipline of speech-language pathology or audiology or in indirect client care courses.
    • Not more than 50% of the continuing professional development hours required of a licensed non-dispensing audiologist, may be in hearing aid courses, but shall not be obtained from courses where the content focuses on equipment, devices, or other products of a particular publisher, company or corporation.

SLP and Audiology License

A licensee who holds both a speech-language pathology license and an audiology license, shall accrue at least sixteen (16) hours of continuing professional development courses for each license.

A licensee may accrue no more than five (5) hours of continuing professional development through the following activities for each license:

    • No more than two and one-half (2.5) hours of self-study activities,
    • No more than two and one-half (2.5) hours from courses related to the discipline of speech-language pathology or audiology or in indirect client care courses.

SLP and Audiology Dispensing License

A licensee who holds both a speech-language pathology license and a dispensing audiology license shall accrue:

At least sixteen (16) hours of continuing professional development courses in speech-language pathology biennially, of which no more than four (4) hours of the continuing professional development may be accrued through the following activities during a single renewal period:

    • No more than two and one-half (2.5) hours of self-study activities,
    • No more than two and one-half (2.5) hours from courses related to the discipline of speech-language pathology or in indirect client care courses.

At least eight (8) hours of continuing professional development courses in dispensing audiology annually, of which no more than two (2) hours of continuing professional development courses may be accrued through the following activities during a single renewal period:

    • No more than one (1) hour of self-study activities,
    • No more than one (1) hour from courses related to the discipline of speech-language pathology or in indirect client care courses.

What type of courses or activities are not allowed?

Courses considered outside the scope of continuing professional development include, but are not limited to, those in the following areas:

    • Money management, the licensee's personal finances or personal business matters;
    • General physical fitness or the licensee's personal health;
    • Presentations by political or public figures or other persons that do not deal primarily with the practice of either speech-language pathology or audiology;
    • Tort liability;
    • Courses that address increased office production or computerization, financial planning, employee benefits, marketing or motivational topics to increase productivity or profitability; and
    • Courses in which the primary beneficiary is the licensee, not the consumer.

What type of approval is needed for the courses?

A continuing professional development provider shall meet the Board's course content and instructor qualifications criteria, as provided under this article, to qualify to become a Board-approved provider.

A licensee shall only be credited with continuing professional development hours if he or she takes a course from a board-approved provider with a valid, current approval as a provider or from an entity listed:

    • American Speech-Language Hearing Association;
    • American Academy of Audiology;
    • California Medical Association’s Institute for Medical Quality Continuing Medical Education Program; or
    • Other entities or organizations approved as continuing professional development providers by the board, in its discretion.

What are the reporting requirements?

Upon completion of a course, a provider shall issue a record of course completion to a licensee (e.g., letters of verification of attendance, certificates, gradeslips, transcripts) containing the following information:

    • Name of licensee and licensee's license number;
    • Course title;
    • Provider name and address;
    • Provider approval number;
    • Date of course;
    • Number of hours of continuing professional development credit; and
    • Signature of course instructor, provider, or provider designee.

How long must continuing education records be retained?

 A licensee shall maintain records of course completion for a period of at least two (2) years from the date of license renewal for which the course was completed.

Waiver

A licensee may submit a written request for exemption from the continuing professional development requirement for any of the reasons listed below. The Board will notify the licensee, within thirty (30) working days after receipt of the request for exemption, whether the exemption was granted. If the request for exemption is denied, the licensee is responsible for completing the full amount of continuing professional development required for license renewal.

The Board shall grant the exemption if the licensee can provide evidence, satisfactory to the Board, that:

    • For at least one (1) year during the licensee's previous license renewal period the licensee was absent from California due to military service;
    • For at least one (1) year during the licensee's previous license renewal period the licensee resided in another country; or

During the licensee's previous renewal period, the licensee or an immediate family member, where the licensee has primary responsibility for the care of that family member, was suffering from or suffered a disability. A disability is a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of the major life activities of an individual. The disability shall be verified by a licensed physician or psychologist with special expertise in the area of disability. Verification of the disability shall include:

    • The nature and extent of the disability;
    • An explanation of how the disability hinders the licensee from completing the continuing professional development requirement; and
    • The name, title, address, telephone number, professional license or certification number, and original signature of the licensed physician or psychologist verifying the disability.

Audit

The Board may audit the course records of a licensee or a provider to ensure compliance with the Board's continuing professional development requirements.

References

16 CCR § 1399.160

16 CCR § 1399.170.14

About Us

Zachary Edgar JD, LLM is the managing partner for Therapy Comply.  Zachary is a healthcare attorney that specializes in federal and state healthcare regulatory issues particularly for physical, occupational, and speech therapy practices.  

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