SECTION 675:15-1-3. Continuing education standards

(a)   Continuing education hours. The number of hours specified for each social work license specialty title is 16 clock hours of verified continuing education per specialty per licensing period. Any individual holding more than one license is required to obtain 6 additional hours of Category I continuing education credit for each additional license. Dual licensees should seek continuing education credits that reflect the nature of their licensures and scope of their practices. All licensees must receive a total of 3 hours of ethics training as defined by the Board. For individuals who have more than one license, ethics training can be obtained for either specialty. As specified in the Oklahoma Social Worker's Licensing Act, the license must be renewed every twelve months.

(b)   Categorical learning activities. It shall be the responsibility of the individual social worker to choose his/her own continuing education program. The continuing education experience may be organized into three main categories. Eight hours of the continuing education requirement must fall within the parameters of Category I learning experiences.

(1)   Category I - Formally Organized Learning Events. Category I includes formally organized learning events, involving face to face interaction with a teacher for the purpose of accomplishing specific learning objectives. Examples include courses, workshops, practice oriented seminars, and training offered by accredited programs of social work education, and live, interactive, video conferencing by an approved program. The Verification of Attendance form should be retained by the licensee and submitted to the Board on request.

(2)   Category II - Professional Meetings. Category II includes professional meetings on the national, state and local levels. Events in this category involve formally structured discussions among professionals about professional issues, whereby participants increase their awareness of new developments in social work and related fields. Documentation of Category II is the same as described for Category I in (1) of this subsection.

(3)   Category III - Individual Professional Activities. Category III consists of a variety of self-directed professional study activities and growth experiences. Examples include writing papers and books for presentation or publication; making presentations on major professional issues or programs; teaching or training assignments, engaging in research, correspondence work, televised courses, audio/visual videotapes and other forms of self-study upon approval by the Board, shown to update or enhance competence in social work practice. Social workers/teachers whose primary job responsibilities include designing new courses will be allowed to receive continuing education credit hours. Specifically, when a social worker/teacher engages in the initial preparation of a course he/she will be awarded continuing education hours commensurate to the number of semester hours of the course. If a quarter system is utilized, credit for quarter hours will be allowed utilizing the ratio of 3 quarter hours to 2 semester hours. Inherent in the nature of Category III experiences is the expectation that an individual will spend a greater number of clock hours in a self-directed activity than he/she will receive actual continuing education credit.

[Source: Amended at 16 Ok Reg 1640, eff 5-27-99; Amended at 21 Ok Reg 267, eff 11-14-03 (emergency); Amended at 21 Ok Reg 1830, eff 7-1-04; Amended at 25 Ok Reg 2025, eff 6-26-08; Amended at 29 Ok Reg 1739, eff 7-26-12]