As a licensed psychologist in the state of Pennsylvania, 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 psychology – 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 Pennsylvania psychologist in order to renew their license each year.
Licensee Requirements for Pennsylvania Psychologists
In the state of Pennsylvania, licenses for psychologist expire on 11/30 of every odd-numbered year, which is stated in the mailed renewal notices two-three months prior. Before that date, psychologists are required to complete a total of 30 hours of continuing education through Board-approved continuing education sponsors and providers. A list of current Board-approved entities can be found here, for reference. In order for a certificate of attendance/completion to be accepted in your application, the certificate must include the following: your name, date of the course, number of continuing education hours earned, and a statement that the course was offered by a Board-approved entity.
Within the 30 required hours, only 15 hours can be accomplished via home study – the rest must be taken live (where real-time interaction can be done). For any psychologists that teach, 15 hours can be completed by teaching a course at an accredited college or university, or by hosting a workshop for a Board-approved sponsor. Additional requirements that must completed in your biennial 30 hours of continuing education are three hours of ethics continuing education, two hours in child abuse recognition and reporting, and one hour of suicide prevention continuing education.
Key Takeaways:
- Pennsylvania psychologists are required to complete 30 hours of continuing education every two years with the following requirements: only 15 hours can be home study, three hours must be on ethics, two hours must be regarding child abuse, and one hour must be for suicide prevention.
- Licenses expire on 11/30 of every odd-numbered year, of which you will be reminded in your renewal notice ahead of expiration.
Given psychologists 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 psychologists. 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 Pennsylvania, Psychologists can clarify anything about their license by contacting the State Board of Psychology at the number (717) 783-7155.
Reference Links:
https://www.dos.pa.gov/ProfessionalLicensing/BoardsCommissions/Psychology/Pages/Renewal.aspx
