§ 7710. Mandatory continuing education. 1.
(a)Each licensed master\nsocial worker or licensed clinical social worker required under this\narticle to register triennially with the department to practice in this\nstate, shall comply with the provisions of mandatory continuing\neducation requirements prescribed in subdivision two of this section,\nexcept as set forth in paragraphs (b) and (c) of this subdivision.\nLicensed master social workers or licensed clinical social workers who\ndo not satisfy the mandatory continuing education requirements shall not\npractice until they have met such requirements and they have been issued\na registration certificate, except that a licensed master social worker\nor licensed clinical social worker may practice without having met such\nrequirements if
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§ 7710. Mandatory continuing education. 1. (a) Each licensed master\nsocial worker or licensed clinical social worker required under this\narticle to register triennially with the department to practice in this\nstate, shall comply with the provisions of mandatory continuing\neducation requirements prescribed in subdivision two of this section,\nexcept as set forth in paragraphs (b) and (c) of this subdivision.\nLicensed master social workers or licensed clinical social workers who\ndo not satisfy the mandatory continuing education requirements shall not\npractice until they have met such requirements and they have been issued\na registration certificate, except that a licensed master social worker\nor licensed clinical social worker may practice without having met such\nrequirements if he or she is issued a conditional registration\ncertificate pursuant to subdivision three of this section.\n (b) Each licensed master social worker or licensed clinical social\nworker shall be exempt from the mandatory continuing education\nrequirements for the triennial registration period during which they are\nfirst licensed. In accordance with the intent of this section,\nadjustment to the mandatory continuing education requirement may be\ngranted by the department for reasons of health that are certified by an\nappropriate health care professional, for extended active duty with the\narmed forces of the United States, or for other good cause acceptable to\nthe department which may prevent compliance.\n (c) A licensed master social worker or a licensed clinical social\nworker not engaged in practice, as determined by the department, shall\nbe exempt from the mandatory continuing education requirement upon the\nfiling of a statement with the department declaring such status. Any\nlicensee who returns to the practice of social work during the triennial\nregistration period shall notify the department prior to reentering the\nprofession and shall meet such mandatory education requirements as shall\nbe prescribed by regulations of the commissioner.\n (d) A licensed clinical social worker who is also licensed and\nregistered to practice as a licensed master social worker in the same\ntriennial registration period, shall not be required to complete more\nthan thirty-six hours of continuing education in the triennial\nregistration period, or one hour per month for a registration period\nother than thirty-six months.\n 2. During each triennial registration period an applicant for\nregistration as a licensed master social worker or licensed clinical\nsocial worker shall complete a minimum of thirty-six hours of acceptable\nformal continuing education. Any licensed master social worker or\nlicensed clinical social worker whose first registration date following\nthe effective date of this section occurs less than three years from\nsuch effective date, but on or after January first, two thousand\nfifteen, shall complete continuing education hours on a prorated basis\nat the rate of one hour per month for the period beginning January\nfirst, two thousand fifteen up to the first registration date\nthereafter. A licensee who has not satisfied the mandatory continuing\neducation requirement shall not be issued a triennial registration\ncertificate by the department and shall not practice unless and until a\nconditional registration is issued as provided for in subdivision three\nof this section. Continuing education hours taken during one triennium\nmay not be transferred to the subsequent triennium.\n 3. (a) The department, in its discretion, may issue a conditional\nregistration to a licensee who fails to meet the continuing education\nrequirements established in subdivision two of this section but who\nagrees to make up any deficiencies and complete any additional education\nwhich the department may require. The fee for such a conditional\nregistration shall be the same as, and in addition to, the fee for the\ntriennial registration. The duration of such conditional registration\nshall be determined by the department but shall not exceed one year. Any\nlicensee who is notified of the denial of registration for failure to\nsubmit evidence, satisfactory to the department, of required continuing\neducation and who practices without such registration may be subject to\ndisciplinary proceedings pursuant to section sixty-five hundred ten of\nthis title.\n (b) For purposes of this section "acceptable formal education" shall\nmean formal courses of learning which contribute to professional\npractice in social work and which meet the standards prescribed by\nregulations of the commissioner. Such formal courses of learning shall\ninclude, but not be limited to, collegiate level credit and non-credit\ncourses, professional development programs and technical sessions\noffered by national, state and local professional associations and other\norganizations acceptable to the department, and any other organized\neducational and technical programs acceptable to the department.\nContinuing education courses must be taken from a provider who has been\napproved by the department, based upon an application and fee, pursuant\nto the regulations of the commissioner. The department may, in its\ndiscretion and as needed to contribute to the health and welfare of the\npublic, require the completion of continuing education courses in\nspecific subjects to fulfill this mandatory continuing education\nrequirement. Licensed master social workers or licensed clinical social\nworkers shall maintain adequate documentation of completion of\nacceptable formal continuing education and shall provide such\ndocumentation at the request of the department. Failure to provide such\ndocumentation upon the request of the department shall be an act of\nmisconduct subject to disciplinary proceedings pursuant to section\nsixty-five hundred ten of this title.\n (c) The mandatory continuing education fee shall be determined by the\ndepartment. Such fee shall be payable on or before the first day of each\ntriennial registration period, and shall be paid in addition to the\ntriennial registration fee required by paragraph (g) of subdivision one\nand paragraph (g) of subdivision two of section seventy-seven hundred\nfour of this article.\n