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<chapter num="04" heading="Continuing Education" title_num="10" subtitle_num="57">
  <regulation prefix="Regulation" num=".01" heading="Conditions of Certification Renewal; Continuing Education Units Required.">
    <paragraph num="A.">
      <text>The Board shall renew a certificate for an additional 2-year period if the certified program administrator:</text>
      <paragraph num="(1)">
        <text>Otherwise is entitled to be certified as set forth in COMAR 10.57.02;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(2)">
        <text>Pays to the Board the renewal fee as set forth in COMAR 10.57.06; and</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(3)">
        <text>Submits to the Board:</text>
        <paragraph num="(a)">
          <text>A renewal application on the form that the Board requires; and</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(b)">
          <text>Satisfactory evidence of having completed:</text>
          <paragraph num="(i)">
            <text>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;</text>
          </paragraph>
          <paragraph num="(ii)">
            <text>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;</text>
          </paragraph>
          <paragraph num="(iii)">
            <text>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</text>
          </paragraph>
          <paragraph num="(iv)">
            <text>For a certificate holder who obtained initial certification within 6 months before the renewal date, 10 continuing education units approved by the Board.</text>
          </paragraph>
        </paragraph>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="B.">
      <text>The Board shall renew the certificate for an additional 2-year period if the certified residential child and youth care practitioner:</text>
      <paragraph num="(1)">
        <text>Otherwise is entitled to be certified as set forth in COMAR 10.57.03;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(2)">
        <text>Pays to the Board the renewal fee as established in COMAR 10.57.07; and</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(3)">
        <text>Submits to the Board:</text>
        <paragraph num="(a)">
          <text>A renewal application on the form that the Board requires; and</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(b)">
          <text>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.</text>
        </paragraph>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
  </regulation>
  <regulation prefix="Regulation" num=".02" heading="Qualifying Continuing Education.">
    <paragraph num="A.">
      <text>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.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="B.">
      <text>Continuing education may include:</text>
      <paragraph num="(1)">
        <text>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;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(2)">
        <text>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;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(3)">
        <text>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;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(4)">
        <text>Presentations or teaching up to a maximum of twice the number of continuing education units available to a participant in the program;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(5)">
        <text>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;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(6)">
        <text>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;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(7)">
        <text>Attendance or presentation of programs offered at professional meetings of local, state, regional or international professional organizations or societies;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(8)">
        <text>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</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(9)">
        <text>Attendance at Board meetings with 1 hour of attendance equivalent to 1 continuing education unit up to a maximum of 2 continuing education units.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="C.">
      <text>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.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="D.">
      <text>Continuing education may not include certification or recertification in CPR or first aid.</text>
    </paragraph>
  </regulation>
  <regulation prefix="Regulation" num=".03" heading="Obtaining Board Approval for Continuing Education Activities.">
    <paragraph num="A.">
      <text>Authorization of Sponsors of Continuing Education.</text>
      <paragraph num="(1)">
        <text>The following organizations are recognized by the Board as automatic sponsors, and may sponsor, or approve, or both, continuing education:</text>
        <paragraph num="(a)">
          <text>State, regional, national, or international associations for:</text>
          <paragraph num="(i)">
            <text>Child and family services;</text>
          </paragraph>
          <paragraph num="(ii)">
            <text>Dietetics;</text>
          </paragraph>
          <paragraph num="(iii)">
            <text>Education;</text>
          </paragraph>
          <paragraph num="(iv)">
            <text>Medical or allied health professionals;</text>
          </paragraph>
          <paragraph num="(v)">
            <text>Professional counseling or therapy;</text>
          </paragraph>
          <paragraph num="(vi)">
            <text>Psychiatry;</text>
          </paragraph>
          <paragraph num="(vii)">
            <text>Psychology;</text>
          </paragraph>
          <paragraph num="(viii)">
            <text>Nursing; and</text>
          </paragraph>
          <paragraph num="(ix)">
            <text>Social work;</text>
          </paragraph>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(b)">
          <text>National, regional, or State accredited academic institutions offering academic courses or programs that apply to the field of residential child care;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(c)">
          <text>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</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(d)">
          <text>Agencies, institutions, organizations, or individuals approved by any State licensing or certification boards under Health Occupations Article, Annotated Code of Maryland.</text>
        </paragraph>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(2)">
        <text>The following may be authorized to sponsor continuing education on application and approval by the Board:</text>
        <paragraph num="(a)">
          <text>Licensed health professionals;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(b)">
          <text>Individuals with documented expertise in an area related to the practice of residential child care; and</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(c)">
          <text>Agencies, institutions, or organizations not entitled to automatic authorization, but which provide continuing education programs.</text>
        </paragraph>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="B.">
      <text>Application for Authorization to Sponsor Continuing Education.</text>
      <paragraph num="(1)">
        <text>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.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(2)">
        <text>The Board shall:</text>
        <paragraph num="(a)">
          <text>Provide the applicant with an application form; and</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(b)">
          <text>Charge a fee for processing the application to sponsor continuing education programs as provided in COMAR 10.57.07.</text>
        </paragraph>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(3)">
        <text>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.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(4)">
        <text>The Board shall give notice to an applicant that the applicant has been approved or disapproved as a sponsor.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(5)">
        <text>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.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(6)">
        <text>Within 30 days after conducting each of the five programs required to become an authorized sponsor, a provisional sponsor shall submit:</text>
        <paragraph num="(a)">
          <text>A summary of attendance including the number of participants grouped by profession; and</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(b)">
          <text>A summarized report of the participant evaluations of the continuing education program.</text>
        </paragraph>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(7)">
        <text>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.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(8)">
        <text>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.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(9)">
        <text>Provisional sponsors may not be described as authorized sponsors in course description literature or other information.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="C.">
      <text>Authorized Sponsor Requirements.</text>
      <paragraph num="(1)">
        <text>Authorized sponsors shall include the following in the program descriptions:</text>
        <paragraph num="(a)">
          <text>The number of continuing education units which will be certified by the sponsor in a certificate awarded to the residential child care program professional;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(b)">
          <text>A statement that the named sponsor is authorized by the Board; and</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(c)">
          <text>A statement that the named sponsor maintains responsibility for the program.</text>
        </paragraph>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(2)">
        <text>The Board shall maintain a roster of authorized sponsors.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(3)">
        <text>The Board shall require a sponsor to maintain documentation of continuing education for 4 years which includes:</text>
        <paragraph num="(a)">
          <text>Registration and attendance records;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(b)">
          <text>Stated purpose;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(c)">
          <text>Content of presentation;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(d)">
          <text>Time and length of activity; and</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(e)">
          <text>Participant evaluations.</text>
        </paragraph>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(4)">
        <text>The Board may audit authorized sponsors at any time.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="D.">
      <text>Suspension or Revocation of Sponsorship Authorization.</text>
      <paragraph num="(1)">
        <text>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.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(2)">
        <text>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.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
  </regulation>
  <regulation prefix="Regulation" num=".04" heading="Reporting, Documenting, and Auditing Compliance with Continuing Education Requirements.">
    <paragraph num="A.">
      <text>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.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="B.">
      <text>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.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="C.">
      <text>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.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="D.">
      <text>Documentation. A certified program administrator or certified residential child and youth care practitioner shall provide to the Board:</text>
      <paragraph num="(1)">
        <text>An official transcript for credit hours earned in a course taken for credit;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(2)">
        <text>A certificate of completion;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(3)">
        <text>If a certificate of completion is not available:</text>
        <paragraph num="(a)">
          <text>Dates on which the program was presented;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(b)">
          <text>Names of the presenters;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(c)">
          <text>Topics presented; and</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(d)">
          <text>An outline of the presentation;</text>
        </paragraph>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(4)">
        <text>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;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(5)">
        <text>Proof of presentations made;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(6)">
        <text>Reprints of publications;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(7)">
        <text>Dates, times, and names of participants in journal clubs and organized learning experiences; or</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(8)">
        <text>If credit is claimed for instruction of students, letters from educational institutions.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="E.">
      <text>Record and Retention for Active or Lapsed Certificate.</text>
      <paragraph num="(1)">
        <text>Active Certificates.</text>
        <paragraph num="(a)">
          <text>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.</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(b)">
          <text>Documentation may be requested by the Board at any time within that 1-year period.</text>
        </paragraph>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(2)">
        <text>Lapsed Certificate. A certified program administrator or certified residential child and youth care practitioner with a lapsed license shall:</text>
        <paragraph num="(a)">
          <text>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</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(b)">
          <text>File with the Board documentation of completion of continuing education units at the time of reinstatement.</text>
        </paragraph>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
  </regulation>
  <regulation prefix="Regulation" num=".05" heading="Waiver of Continuing Education Requirements.">
    <text>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.</text>
  </regulation>
  <annotations>
    <annotation type="Authority">Health Occupations Article, §20-205, Annotated Code of Maryland</annotation>
    <annotation type="History" subtype="Administrative History">Effective date:</annotation>
    <annotation type="History" subtype="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)</annotation>
    <annotation type="History" subtype="Administrative History">Chapter revised and recodified from COMAR 10.57.03 effective April 19, 2010 (37:8 Md. R. 617)</annotation>
    <annotation type="History" subtype="Administrative History">Regulation .01A amended effective March 3, 2014 (41:4 Md. R. 302)</annotation>
  </annotations>
</chapter>