As a licensed professional counselor (LPC) in the state of Massachusetts, 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 Massachusetts LPCs in order to renew their license each year.
Licensee Requirements for Massachusetts Licensed Professional Counselors
Every two years, licensed professional counselors in Massachusetts must complete a total of 30 hours of continuing education in order to renew their license before the December 31 expiration of every odd-numbered year. Up to 50% of those hours can be completed online or through home-study, while the remaining hours must be completed in-person. Regardless of the format, all credits must be earned through courses or programs offered by Board-approved entities. Any programs or courses offered by the Massachusetts Mental Health Counselors Association (MAMHCA) or the National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC) are accepted. Given random audits are conducted, it is advised Massachusetts LPCs keep record of their continuing education certifications for at least four years (or two renewal cycles).
Key Takeaways:
- LPCs in Massachusetts are required to complete 30 hours of continuing education every two years, 50% of which can be online
- Licenses expire on December 31 of every odd-numbered year
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 30 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. Your hours and certificates are tracked, then you are notified when it’s time to submit for your renewal – something you’ll never have to monitor yourself again. 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 Massachusetts, LPCs can clarify anything about their license by contacting the Board of Registration of Allied Mental Health and Human Services Professions at the number (617) 701-8683 or the email amh.board@mass.gov.
Reference Link:
https://www.mass.gov/files/documents/2017/09/zw/mh-ceu-info.pdf https://search.mass.gov/?q=BOARD%2BOF%2BREGISTRATION%2BOF%2BALLIED%2BMENTAL%2BHEALTH%2BAND%2BHUMAN%2BSERVICES%2BPROFESSIONS
