Confused About CEUs? Our Definitive Guide to What Counts and What Doesnt

Posted By: Micah Perkins Licensure Board Updates,

COVID brought a lot of disruptions, including the ways that Oklahoma LPCs, LMFTs, and LADCs could get their CEUs. In addition, the OBBHL has recently changed the way that it processes CEU request and approval for Oklahoma LPCs and LMFTs. 

Below is our definitive guide to what counts and what doesn't for your continuing education.

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Oklahoma LCSWs

Before COVID, the Oklahoma State Board of Licensed Social Workers already allowed live and pre-recorded online workshops to count toward CEUs for Oklahoma LCSWs. With a process already in place, they did not need to suspend any of their rules to keep social workers safe during the height of COVID and before vaccines. To clarify their process they simply restated their rules on a document posted to their website in July 2020 , their stance was most recently updated on May 10, 2021

Oklahoma LADCs and CADCs

On July 21, 2021 Ric Person Executive Director of the OBLADC sent an email to licensees informing them of the  Oklahoma Board of Alcohol and Drug Counselors vote on July 19, 2021 to allow live online CEU workshops to count as "in-person" CEUs and pre-recorded on-demand CEUs to be counted as "online" for Oklahoma LADCs and CADCs until June 30,2022. As a reminder, Oklahoma LADCs and CADCs may get one half of their CEUs from live sources (live webinar or in-person) and one half from virtual sources (on-demand, pre-recorded webinars). 

Also, all courses must be approved by the OBLADC, their list of approved courses may be found hereOCI courses may be listed under Oklahoma Counseling Institute or under our parent organization Edmond Counseling and Professional Development. 

Oklahoma LPCs and LMFTs

The OBBHL has made several decisions which has influenced the CEU approval process.

Below is a synopsis

LPC and LMFTs may acquire all (including ethics. and supervision for LPC/LMFT licensure supervisors) online in either a live webinar or pre-recorded on demand format until December 31, 2021 December 31, 2022. However, the workshop must be on the approved list found here. Workshops, even if conducted by large state associations or national venders, according to the board will not count unless it is voted on by the board and listed on this list. Currently ODAPCA’s recent virtual Fall Conference conducted on October 7-8, 2021 is noticeably absent from the list- presenting a potential inconvenience for a professional with a duel licensed of LPC or LMFT and LADC. Updated 12/19/2021, see below.

All of OCI's Live Webinars and Virtual On-Demand Workshops are approved by the OBBHL.

If an LPC or LMFT wishes to attend a general, in-person, continuing education workshop, they may be confident that it will count toward their CEUs as long as it meets the criteria here . The workshop does not need to have OBBHL pre-approval. 

OCI ensures that all of it’s in-person and virtual workshops meet this criteria.

If the LPC or LMFT wishes to attend an ethics or supervision workshop regardless of if it is virtual or in-person, it must be listed on the OBBHL approved workshop list.

OCI ensures that all of it’s in-person and virtual ethics and supervision workshops are approved by OBBHL and meet this criteria.

OCI is committed to staying abreast of CEU requirements for Oklahoma mental health professionals and to continue to be a trusted resource for your continuing education needs. 

Update- On February 11, 2022 the OBBHL voted to re-instate it's waiver of in-person CEU requirements. The board backdated the waiver to January 1, 2022 and extended it to December 31, 2022. 

Update- On December 18, 2021 we were contacted by an OCI member who stated that he had emailed both the OBBHL and the OBLADC and was told that the Fall virtual ODAPCA workshop was approved for CEUs by the OBBHL. We verified that the Fall ODAPCA virtual conference has now been added to the list of approved virtual workshops. The addition to the approved list occurred sometime in December 2021. The ODAPCA workshops may haven been part of the virtual workshops voted on and approved during the the OBBHL board meeting on December 3, 2021. 

Update- On December 3, 2021 the OBBHL voted to lift it's restriction that virtual courses voted during the August 2021 and October 2021 board meeting would no longer be approved after December 31, 2021.

Correction made on November 8, 2021 changing the end date for LADCs to receive CEUs online from the previous date of December 31, 2021 to the most recent board vote of June 30, 2022.

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