As a licensed professional counselor (LMHC) in the state of Washington, 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 Washington Licensed Professional Counselors in order to renew their license every cycle.
Licensee Requirements for Washington Licensed Professional Counselors
Licensed mental health counselors, MFTs, and LCSWs in Washington are all held to the same continuing education requirements. All of the licensees must complete 36 hours of approved continuing education every two years. Education is considered approved, and will likely be accepted by the board, if it is offered or approved by an industry-recognized organization like those listed here.
Within the required 36 hours licensees need to meet each two-year licensing cycle, they must also be sure to obtain at least six hours in ethics education. In addition, every six years, licensees need to earn six hours in suicide assessment, treatment, and management. Finally, to give licensees flexibility with their education, up to 26 hours of distance learning are permitted.
Key Takeaways:
- Washington Licensed Professional Counselors are expected to earn 36 hours of continuing education every two years
- A minimum of six hours must be on ethics
- Six hours, every six years, needs to be on suicide intervention training
- Up to 26 hours can be earned through distance learning programs
Given licensed mental health 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 36 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 Washington, LPCs can clarify anything about their license by contacting Washington State Department of Health by phone at (360) 236-4700
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