As a licensed professional counselor (LPC) in the state of Virginia, it is your responsibility to adhere to continuing education requirements each period in order to renew your license. Beyond license renewal being key to you maintaining your practice, continuing education is essential to stay abreast of what is happening in your field – something your clients will always appreciate you taking seriously. Education is how we all continue to learn and further hone our skills and expertise, so it’s certainly something to be celebrated. Though education is fantastic, keeping on track with the many hours you need to fulfill can be a challenge. Thankfully, there is a fantastic resource available to help you with that. Before we dive into the resource, let’s start by outlining what is required of Virginia LPCs in order to renew their license.
Licensee Requirements for Virginia Licensed Professional Counselors
Licensed professional counselors have the same continuing education requirements as their MFT colleagues in the state of Virginia. LPCs must earn 20 hours of continuing education annually, with two specifically on ethics, laws, or standards of practice in counseling. Additionally, all 20 hours have to be obtained through courses or programs that are approved by the Board. More information on Board-approved continuing education can be found here. The Board also recommends LPCs focus on specific topic-areas for their continuing education, which is listed in point 19 at this link.
To allow room for added flexibility, there is no limit to how many hours can be earned in an online format, giving licensees access to the many online continuing education resources available. As a final note, continuing education certificates are not required with renewal applications, but they are required if a licensee is selected for an audit, so records should be maintained personally.
Key Takeaways:
- LPCs in Virginia must earn 20 hours of continuing education every year
- Two of those hours are required to be on ethics, laws, or standards in counseling
Given licensed professional counselors are likely to achieve their continuing education certificates in increments, from various workshops, conventions, agencies, and institutions, there is a lot of documentation to keep track of (potentially 20 or more certificates throughout the year). As proof is required if you are selected for an audit, it’s imperative you keep all of those certificates in a safe place – easily accessible and easy to track your progress. CE Hub is the safe place you need to work through your continuing education with ease.
What is CE Hub?
CE Hub is an app built specifically for counselors. Recognizing the difficulty that is storing continuing education certificates and keeping track of your hours, CE Hub was created to take the stress out of continuing education requirements. Instead of worrying throughout the period that you may not be on track, or perhaps that you may have lost a document or two, CE Hub provides you the peace of mind you need to enjoy the learning process. Using the platform is simple: you sign up, upload your continuing education certificates as you obtain them, then CE Hub handles the rest. All of your continuing education credits are tracked for you, and you even receive a reminder when it’s time to renew your license. Alleviate the stress of continuing education requirements by taking advantage of CE Hub today!
Disclaimer: this content is for informational purposes only. Licensees should always confirm their continuing education requirements with their respective governing agency. In the state of Virginia, LPCs can clarify anything about their license by contacting Board of Counseling by email at Coun@dhp.virginia.gov.
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