Board of Social Work Examiners

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12 AAC 18.210. CONTINUING EDUCATION REQUIREMENT. (a) An applicant for renewal of a social worker license who has been licensed for less than 12 months of the concluding license period shall document completion of 21 contact hours of continuing education activities acceptable to the board that were earned during the concluding license period and include a minimum of

(1) six contact hours in substance abuse education;
(2) six contact hours in cross-cultural education relating to Alaska Natives;
(3) three contact hours in professional ethics;
(4) three contact hours in teletherapy practice; and
(5) three contact hours in suicide education.

(b) For an applicant’s first biennial renewal of a social worker license, if the applicant has been licensed for at least 12 months of the concluding license period, the applicant shall document completion of 45 contact hours of continuing education activities acceptable to the board that were earned during the concluding license period and include a minimum of

(1) six contact hours in substance abuse education;
(2) six contact hours in cross-cultural education relating to Alaska Natives;
(3) three contact hours in professional ethics;
(4) three contact hours in teletherapy practice; and
(5) three contact hours in suicide education.

(c) After an applicant’s first biennial renewal of a social worker license, an applicant for renewal of a social worker license shall document completion of 45 contact hours of continuing education activities acceptable to the board that were earned during the concluding license period and include a minimum of

(1) six contact hours in substance abuse education;
(2) six contact hours in cross-cultural education, of which three hours include issues relating to Alaska Natives;
(3) three contact hours in professional ethics;
(4) three contact hours in teletherapy practice; and
(5) three contact hours in suicide education.

(d) Only hours of actual attendance during which instruction was given will be accepted as continuing education contact hours earned from an academic course that is audited by the licensee, and the total number of contact hours earned may not exceed the academic credit hours offered for that course.
(e) Not more than 12 contact hours of continuing education activities required under this section may be completed in one day.
(f) An applicant for renewal under this section may receive up to three hours of professional ethics continuing education credit under (a)(3), (b)(3), or (c)(3) of this section once every biennial licensing period for each 150 minutes of attendance at a regularly scheduled board meeting.
(g) For purposes of this section,

(1) one "contact hour" equals a minimum of 50 minutes of classroom instruction between instructor and participant;
(2) one academic semester credit equals 15 contact hours;
(3) one academic quarter credit equals 10 contact hours;
(4) "relating to Alaska Natives" means a structured educational experience such as a course, lecture, workshop, or other organized training that focuses on the indigenous peoples of Alaska as it applies to social work practices; and
(5) "teletherapy practice" means the use of audio, video, or data communications to perform functions or practices within the training required for licensure under AS 08.95 and this chapter and while physically separated from a client.

Authority: AS 08.95.030 AS 08.95.040

12 AAC 18.220. APPROVED CONTINUING EDUCATION ACTIVITIES. (a) To be accepted by the board, continuing education must contribute directly to the professional competency of a social worker and must be directly related to the skills and knowledge required to implement social work principles and methods as defined in AS 08.95.990.
(b) The following continuing education activities are acceptable if they are related to social work in accordance with (a) of this section:

(1) postgraduate courses in social work given by an academic institution, either audited or for credit;
(2) courses offered by or certified by the Association of Social Work Boards;
(3) courses offered by or certified by the National Association of Social Workers or any state chapter of the National Association of Social Workers;
(4) courses offered by a program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education;
(5) seminars, workshops, or mini-courses offered by professional organizations;
(6) cross-disciplinary courses, seminars, or workshops in the fields of medicine, law, behavioral sciences, or other disciplines;
(7) other courses not covered under (1) - (6) of this subsection that are specifically preapproved by the board, up to a maximum of 15 contact hours;
(8) first-time preparation and presentation of a social work course, seminar, or workshop, up to a maximum of 10 contact hours allocated among all social workers and other professionals involved; and
(9) first-time presentation or publication of an article or book chapter related to the practice of social work that was presented at a state or national association meeting or published by a publisher recognized by the profession, up to a maximum of 10 contact hours allocated among all social workers and other professionals involved.

(c) Hours spent in job orientation may not be accepted as continuing education contact hours.

Authority: AS 08.95.030 AS 08.95.040

12 AAC 18.990. DEFINITIONS.
(3) “cross-cultural education” means a structured educational experience such as a course, lecture, workshop, or other organized training that focuses on characteristics of and differences among cultures or groups; cross-cultural -13- education is not limited to clinical applications but should be relevant to the practice of social work; topics may include cross-cultural communications, contemporary anthropology, or Alaska Native cultures;
(7) “substance abuse education” means a structured educational experience such as a course, lecture, workshop, or other organized training that focuses on a misuse of psychoactive substances, as it applies to social work practices; “substance abuse education” does not include an educational experience that focuses on behavior addiction; for the purposes of this paragraph,

(A) “psychoactive substance” means a chemical substance that changes brain function and results in alterations in perception, mood, consciousness, cognition, or behavior, and includes alcohol, marijuana, prescription drugs, pharmaceuticals, or illegal substances;
(B) “behavior addiction” means a behavior that produces short-term reward that may create persistent behavior despite knowledge of adverse consequences and diminished control over the behavior;

(9) “synchronous” means a real-time interaction between a licensee and a client occurring at exactly the same time, during which the licensee and client are able to communicate using real time;
(10) “teletherapy” means the use of audio, video, or data communications to perform functions or practices within the training required for licensure under AS 08.95 and this chapter and while physically separated from a client;
(11) “suicide education” means a structured educational experience such as a course, lecture, workshop, or other organized training that focuses on suicide awareness, prevention, intervention, or crisis management.

Authority: AS 08.95.030 AS 08.95.050 AS 08.95.100 AS 08.95.040