As a licensed professional counselor (LPC) in the state of Ohio, 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 Ohio LPCs in order to renew their license every cycle.
Licensee Requirements for Ohio Licensed Professional Counselors
Licensed professional counselors in the state of Ohio share most of the same continuing education requirements as their MFT and LCSW counterparts, with the only real difference being what constitutes a board-approved program. LPCs in Ohio must earn a total of 30 hours of continuing education ahead of their license expiration every two years in order to renew their license. Within those required 30 hours, three hours need to be on a topic related to ethics in the field. As far as accepted programs go, only those deemed approved by the board can be considered toward the continuing education requirement. A program is considered approved for LPCs if it has a “C” in the approval number (example: MCSTX0000). LPCs can also count programs approved by the OH CSWMFT Board, NASW Ohio Chapter, and NBCC toward their continuing education credits. It’s important to note that programs offered by NBCC will not be accepted if they are approved for less than one full hour. Finally, all 30 required hours can be obtained through distance learning, which provides added flexibility for licensees.
Key Takeaways:
- Ohio LPCs are required to earn 30 hours of continuing education every two years
- Three hours must be related to the topic of ethics
- All of the necessary 30 hours can be obtained through distance learning programs
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. 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 Ohio, LPCs can clarify anything about their license by contacting the Ohio Counselor, Social Worker, and Marriage and Family Therapist Board at the number (614) 466-0912 or email cswmft.info@cswb.ohio.gov.
Reference Links:
https://cswmft.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/cswmft/about-the-board/contact
