As a licensed professional counselor (LPC) in the state of Missouri, 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 Missouri LPCs in order to renew their license every cycle.
Licensee Requirements for Missouri Licensed Professional Counselors
In Missouri, all licensed professional counselors are required to complete 40 hours of continuing education every two years before their license expiration, if they wish to renew their license for another cycle. Of the required 40 hours, at least half must be earned through formal continuing education, which includes: post graduate coursework, attendance at professional meetings where attendance is verified, relevant workshops/seminars/courses hosted by acceptable providers (as outlined here), and written contributions to relevant publications. The remaining hours can be obtained through self-study programs. Note that at least two hours must be specifically regarding the topic of suicide assessment, referral, treatment, and management training (as of 2018).
Key Takeaways:
- Missouri Licensed Professional Counselors (LPCs) must complete 40 hours of continuing education every two years
- At least 20 hours need to come from formal, approved, continuing education
- Three of the 40 hours are required to be in suicide prevention, specifically
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 if you are selected for an audit, and must be maintained for at least four years, 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 Missouri, LPCs can clarify anything about their license by contacting the Committee for Professional Counselors at the number (573) 751-0018 or via email at profcounselor@pr.mo.gov.
Reference Links:
https://pr.mo.gov/counselors.asp
https://pr.mo.gov/boards/counselors/continuingeducationreminder.pdf
