# COMAR Title 10 — Maryland Department of Health

## Subtitle 57 — Board for the Certification of Residential Child Care Program Professionals

### Chapter 04 — Continuing Education

**Authority:** Health Occupations Article, §20-205, Annotated Code of Maryland

**Administrative History:** Effective date:

**Administrative History:** Regulations .01—.04 adopted as an emergency provision effective January 7, 2008 (35:9 Md. R. 894); adopted permanently effective April 7, 2008 (35:7 Md. R. 749)

**Administrative History:** Chapter revised and recodified from COMAR 10.57.03 effective April 19, 2010 (37:8 Md. R. 617)

**Administrative History:** Regulation .01A amended effective March 3, 2014 (41:4 Md. R. 302)

#### Regulation .01 Conditions of Certification Renewal; Continuing Education Units Required.

*COMAR 10.57.04.01*

A. The Board shall renew a certificate for an additional 2-year period if the certified program administrator:

  (1) Otherwise is entitled to be certified as set forth in COMAR 10.57.02;

  (2) Pays to the Board the renewal fee as set forth in COMAR 10.57.06; and

  (3) Submits to the Board:

    (a) A renewal application on the form that the Board requires; and

    (b) Satisfactory evidence of having completed:

      (i) For a certificate holder who obtained initial certification 2 years to 18 months before the renewal date, 40 continuing education units approved by the Board;

      (ii) For a certificate holder who obtained initial certification within 18 months to 1 year before the renewal date, 30 continuing education units approved by the Board;

      (iii) For a certificate holder who obtained initial certification within 1 year to 6 months before the renewal date, 20 continuing education units approved by the Board; and

      (iv) For a certificate holder who obtained initial certification within 6 months before the renewal date, 10 continuing education units approved by the Board.

B. The Board shall renew the certificate for an additional 2-year period if the certified residential child and youth care practitioner:

  (1) Otherwise is entitled to be certified as set forth in COMAR 10.57.03;

  (2) Pays to the Board the renewal fee as established in COMAR 10.57.07; and

  (3) Submits to the Board:

    (a) A renewal application on the form that the Board requires; and

    (b) Satisfactory evidence of having completed, within the 2-year period before the renewal date, a minimum of 20 continuing education units approved by the Board.

#### Regulation .02 Qualifying Continuing Education.

*COMAR 10.57.04.02*

A. The certified program administrator or certified residential child and youth care practitioner shall complete continuing education units that foster improvement, advancement, and extension of the certified program administrator's or certified residential child and youth care practitioner professional skill and knowledge relating to residential child care programs.

B. Continuing education may include:

  (1) Academic course work which qualifies for credit toward an undergraduate or a graduate degree from an accredited institution with one semester hour of academic course work equivalent to 15 continuing education units and one quarter hour of academic course work equivalent to 3.75 continuing education units;

  (2) Workshops, seminars, symposiums, conferences, institutes, audiovisual self-study, and similar programs with 1 hour of attendance equivalent to 1 continuing education unit unless otherwise noted by an automatic or authorized sponsor;

  (3) Publications with 1 hour of authoring, editing, or review equal to 1 continuing education unit, up to a maximum of 12 continuing education units in a renewal period;

  (4) Presentations or teaching up to a maximum of twice the number of continuing education units available to a participant in the program;

  (5) Staff development, including but not limited to an educational program planned by an agency to assist employees in becoming knowledgeable and competent in fulfilling role expectations within that agency with 1 hour of attendance equivalent to 1 continuing education unit;

  (6) Invited speaker sessions, in-house seminars, and case conferences which are specifically designed for training, teaching, or both, with 1 hour of attendance equivalent to 1 continuing education unit;

  (7) Attendance or presentation of programs offered at professional meetings of local, state, regional or international professional organizations or societies;

  (8) Home-study courses provided by automatic sponsors or approved sponsors with proof of satisfactory completion up to a maximum of 10 continuing education units in a renewal period; or

  (9) Attendance at Board meetings with 1 hour of attendance equivalent to 1 continuing education unit up to a maximum of 2 continuing education units.

C. Of the required continuing education units in each 2-year period, a maximum of 5 continuing education units may have a content area focusing on behavior management.

D. Continuing education may not include certification or recertification in CPR or first aid.

#### Regulation .03 Obtaining Board Approval for Continuing Education Activities.

*COMAR 10.57.04.03*

A. Authorization of Sponsors of Continuing Education.

  (1) The following organizations are recognized by the Board as automatic sponsors, and may sponsor, or approve, or both, continuing education:

    (a) State, regional, national, or international associations for:

      (i) Child and family services;

      (ii) Dietetics;

      (iii) Education;

      (iv) Medical or allied health professionals;

      (v) Professional counseling or therapy;

      (vi) Psychiatry;

      (vii) Psychology;

      (viii) Nursing; and

      (ix) Social work;

    (b) National, regional, or State accredited academic institutions offering academic courses or programs that apply to the field of residential child care;

    (c) Agencies, institutions, organizations, or individuals authorized as automatic sponsors or approved sponsors of continuing education by the State Board of Social Work Examiners under COMAR 10.42.06; and

    (d) Agencies, institutions, organizations, or individuals approved by any State licensing or certification boards under Health Occupations Article, Annotated Code of Maryland.

  (2) The following may be authorized to sponsor continuing education on application and approval by the Board:

    (a) Licensed health professionals;

    (b) Individuals with documented expertise in an area related to the practice of residential child care; and

    (c) Agencies, institutions, or organizations not entitled to automatic authorization, but which provide continuing education programs.

B. Application for Authorization to Sponsor Continuing Education.

  (1) Applicants meeting the requirements of this chapter, who are not automatically authorized to sponsor continuing education programs, may apply to the Board for authorization to sponsor programs.

  (2) The Board shall:

    (a) Provide the applicant with an application form; and

    (b) Charge a fee for processing the application to sponsor continuing education programs as provided in COMAR 10.57.07.

  (3) An applicant for authorization to sponsor continuing education shall submit an application on the form provided by the Board for approval of the sponsor's credentials at least 45 days before conducting the sponsor's first program.

  (4) The Board shall give notice to an applicant that the applicant has been approved or disapproved as a sponsor.

  (5) If approved, the sponsor shall be placed on a provisional status until five continuing education programs have been submitted and approved as meeting the objectives of this chapter.

  (6) Within 30 days after conducting each of the five programs required to become an authorized sponsor, a provisional sponsor shall submit:

    (a) A summary of attendance including the number of participants grouped by profession; and

    (b) A summarized report of the participant evaluations of the continuing education program.

  (7) The Board shall notify the provisional sponsor in writing after receiving documentation of completion of all of the requirements of this regulation, if the requirements to be an authorized sponsor have been satisfied.

  (8) The Board may waive the fee charged for processing the application, if the sponsor applying for authorization has demonstrated a capacity to offer acceptable continuing education programs to residential child care program professionals for no cost or nominal cost.

  (9) Provisional sponsors may not be described as authorized sponsors in course description literature or other information.

C. Authorized Sponsor Requirements.

  (1) Authorized sponsors shall include the following in the program descriptions:

    (a) The number of continuing education units which will be certified by the sponsor in a certificate awarded to the residential child care program professional;

    (b) A statement that the named sponsor is authorized by the Board; and

    (c) A statement that the named sponsor maintains responsibility for the program.

  (2) The Board shall maintain a roster of authorized sponsors.

  (3) The Board shall require a sponsor to maintain documentation of continuing education for 4 years which includes:

    (a) Registration and attendance records;

    (b) Stated purpose;

    (c) Content of presentation;

    (d) Time and length of activity; and

    (e) Participant evaluations.

  (4) The Board may audit authorized sponsors at any time.

D. Suspension or Revocation of Sponsorship Authorization.

  (1) Authorization as a sponsor or status as a provisional sponsor may be suspended or revoked if the sponsor does not comply with the requirements of §C of this regulation.

  (2) The Board shall provide an opportunity for a hearing on request for reconsideration of the Board's decision to suspend or revoke sponsorship authorization, if a written request for reconsideration and hearing is received by the Board within 30 days after the affected party has been notified of the Board's action.

#### Regulation .04 Reporting, Documenting, and Auditing Compliance with Continuing Education Requirements.

*COMAR 10.57.04.04*

A. A certified program administrator or certified residential child and youth care practitioner who has completed the continuing education requirements shall attest to that on a form supplied by the Board as part of the application for certificate renewal.

B. The Board shall audit a percentage of certified program administrators and certified residential child and youth care practitioners, to be determined by the Board, for each reporting period.

C. On request by the Board, a certified program administrator or certified residential child and youth care practitioner shall provide full documentation of the credit hours completed in accordance with the requirements of this regulation.

D. Documentation. A certified program administrator or certified residential child and youth care practitioner shall provide to the Board:

  (1) An official transcript for credit hours earned in a course taken for credit;

  (2) A certificate of completion;

  (3) If a certificate of completion is not available:

    (a) Dates on which the program was presented;

    (b) Names of the presenters;

    (c) Topics presented; and

    (d) An outline of the presentation;

  (4) If a certificate of completion is not available for an audiovisual instruction program or a home study course, proof of completion of the program or course, such as post-test passing score or other satisfactory proof as determined by the Board;

  (5) Proof of presentations made;

  (6) Reprints of publications;

  (7) Dates, times, and names of participants in journal clubs and organized learning experiences; or

  (8) If credit is claimed for instruction of students, letters from educational institutions.

E. Record and Retention for Active or Lapsed Certificate.

  (1) Active Certificates.

    (a) A certified program administrator or certified residential child and youth care practitioner shall retain records documenting completion of continuing education requirements for 1 year after the certificate renewal date for which the report of continuing education was submitted to the Board.

    (b) Documentation may be requested by the Board at any time within that 1-year period.

  (2) Lapsed Certificate. A certified program administrator or certified residential child and youth care practitioner with a lapsed license shall:

    (a) Retain records documenting completion of continuing education requirements for each 2-year period that the license was lapsed, up to a maximum of 80 credit hours; and

    (b) File with the Board documentation of completion of continuing education units at the time of reinstatement.

#### Regulation .05 Waiver of Continuing Education Requirements.

*COMAR 10.57.04.05*

The Board, at its discretion, may waive all or part of the requirements of Regulation .01A(3)(b) or B(3)(b) of this chapter.