As a licensed professional counselor (LPC) in the state of Alabama, 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 Alabama LPCs in order to renew their license each year.
Licensee Requirements for Alabama Licensed Professional Counselors
Licensed professional counselors in Alabama are required to complete 40 hours of continuing education in their two-year licensing period. At least 75% of those hours need to be earned through live participation seminars, classes, presentation, workshops, or training programs. That does not mean a licensee needs to be physically present in the activities – even online activities count as long as interactive technology is utilized (to allow for participation). Alabama requires all activities be offered by approved entities, and that six of the 40 hours be on counseling ethics in specific. All continuing education credits must be earned before the July 31 deadline in odd-numbered years.
Key Takeaways:
- Alabama Licensed Professional Counselors (LPCs) must fulfill a requirement of 40 hours of continuing education biennially
- 75% of hours must be live (in-person or online) and six hours must specifically relate to ethics
- Licenses expire on July 31 of odd-numbered years
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 40 or more certificates throughout the course of two years). As proof is required when you apply for renewal, 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 Alabama, LPCs can clarify anything about their license by contacting the Alabama Board of Examiners in Counseling at the number (334) 420-7229 or at the email questions@abec.alabama.gov.
Reference Links:
https://abec.alabama.gov/PDFs/Education/LicenseRenewalContinuingEducation.pdf
