Renewal Continuing Education (CE) Requirement – CCSS/CCSS-II

Renewal Continuing Education (CE) Requirement – CCSS/CCSS-II A. A minimum of 24 successfully completed continuing education (CE) hours/units taken during the appropriate certification time period is required for renewal. B. Continuing education hours or college course work counted for renewal must have been successfully completed during the current two-year certification period. Renewal periods run from October 1st to September 30th of the appropriate two-year renewal cycle. C. CEs earned outside of the current two-year certification period will not be counted; CEs may not be carried over from one renewal cycle to the next. D. Continuing education unit time calculation requires a minimum of 30 consecutive minutes in an appropriate CE activity. E. At least 20 of the 24 required hours must be behavioral health and/or intellectual disabilities/developmental disabilities (ID/DD)-related; (Individuals may count up to four (4) of the 24 CE hours in non-behavioral health/ID/DD-related areas, such as technology or administrative types of training or non-behavioral health/ID/DD-related annual training, which they or their programs deem important or necessary for continued professional enhancement; the Division and/or the PLACE Review Board makes the determination as to whether a CE activity is considered “behavioral health/ID/DD-related.”) F. Up to 5 of the required 24 hours may be obtained by presenting applicable (behavioral health/ID/DD-related) training events. G. At least two (2) of the required CE hours must be in the area of cultural competency. (These hours can be counted as part of the required number of “behavioral health and/or intellectual disabilities/developmental disabilities-related” hours.) H. At least two (2) of the required CE hours must be in the area of ethics. (These hours can be counted as part of the required number of “behavioral health and/or intellectual disabilities/ developmental disabilities-related” hours.) I. At least 20 percent of the required CE hours (5 hours) must be accrued through participation in live, face-to-face or interactive online continuing education activities; thus, no more than 80 percent of the required CE hours may be earned through non-interactive online or distance learning continuing education (CE) activities (applicable behavioral health/intellectual disabilities/developmental disabilities-related online college courses from an approved educational institution taken during the appropriate certification time period are exempt from this provision). J. One three-semester hour (or equivalent) behavioral health/intellectual disabilities/developmental disabilities-related college course from an approved educational institution, taken during the appropriate certification time period, will be considered to meet the entire continuing education hour (CE) requirement for renewal, contingent upon also meeting the requirements pertaining to ethics and cultural competence continuing education activities. K. Courses claimed for continuing education hours must be beyond the course work necessary to meet the educational requirement for DMH professional credentialing. L. CE hours will not be prorated. M. The renewal fee is not prorated. N. DMH allows for the preapproval of various conferences, workshops/educational activities, etc., for DMH professional credentialing continuing education hours. Information on activities which have received CE preapproval will be maintained by DMH and may also be maintained on the agency (DMH) website. O. For continuing education activities which have not been through the CE preapproval process, the continuing education activities will be subject to the approval of the Division at the time of renewal. P. Within the parameters outlined above, opportunities for CE accrual include, but are not limited to: training provided through the certified individual’s place of employment (including DMH- required training as indicated in the Mississippi Department of Mental Health Operational Standards for Mental Health, Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Use Community Service Providers), DMH-sponsored training opportunities, and/or conferences/workshops approved by the Division. Q. Relevant training which is completed on an annual basis may only be counted once during the two-year renewal cycle period. R. Continuing education activities should be presented by a qualified presenter and contain clearly-outlined learning objectives. Meetings, regular work activities, staffing sessions, breaks, social activities, etc., do not count towards fulfilling the CE requirement. S. Any activity completed for the purpose of achieving the Community Support Specialist certification (such as the web-based Exam/Training component for upgrade from PCCSS to CCSS) is not eligible for CE credit.