Continuing Education Requirements for Instructors
Types of Certifications
Each instructor certification type has continuing education requirements that must be met before the certification may be renewed. Continuing education may be completed at any point during the certification period, beginning immediately after certification is issued.
Alcohol Education Programs for Minors
- You must attend at least one department-sponsored Alcohol Education Program for Minors instructor continuing education seminar during the instructor’s certification period, and each subsequent instructor certification period.
- If the department sends you notice, you must attend additional department sponsored Alcohol Education Program for Minors instructor continuing education seminars or special meeting regarding changes to curriculum or significant updates to curriculum material.
- If you are a licensed chemical dependency counselor, licensed professional counselor, licensed psychologist, licensed psychiatrist, or licensed social worker, you may complete 20 hours of continuing education that is directly alcohol-related, in lieu of attending the department-sponsored continuing education seminar.
Drug Offense Education Program
- You must attend at least one department-sponsored Drug Offense Education instructor continuing education seminar during the instructor’s certification period, and each subsequent instructor certification period.
- If the department sends you notice, you must attend additional department sponsored Drug Offense Education Instructor continuing education seminars or special meeting regarding changes to curriculum or significant updates to curriculum material.
- If you are a licensed chemical dependency counselor, licensed professional counselor, licensed psychologist, licensed psychiatrist, or licensed social worker you may complete 20 hours of continuing education that is directly drug-related, in lieu of attending the department-sponsored continuing education seminar.
DWI Education Program
- You must attend at least one department-sponsored DWI Education instructor continuing education seminar during the instructor’s certification period, and each subsequent instructor certification period.
- If the department sends you notice, you must attend additional department sponsored DWI Education instructor continuing education seminars or special meetings regarding changes to curriculum or significant updates to curriculum material.
- If you are a licensed chemical dependency counselor, licensed professional counselor, licensed psychologist, licensed psychiatrist, or licensed social worker, you may complete 20 hours of continuing education that is directly alcohol-related, in lieu of attending the department-sponsored continuing education seminar.
DWI Intervention Program
- You must attend at least one department-sponsored DWI Intervention instructor continuing education seminar during the Instructor's certification period, and each subsequent instructor certification period.
- If the department sends you notice, you must attend additional department sponsored DWI Intervention instructor continuing education seminars or special meeting regarding changes to curriculum or significant updates to curriculum material.
- If you are a licensed chemical dependency counselor, licensed professional counselor, licensed psychologist, licensed psychiatrist, or licensed social worker, you may complete 20 hours of continuing education that is directly alcohol-related, in lieu of attending the department-sponsored continuing education seminar.
- Team teaching, with no more than two certified instructors, may be counted towards the fulfillment of the teaching requirement.
Multiple Certifications
Instructors who hold certifications in multiple offender education topics will only need to enroll and complete one continuing education seminar.
Continuing education hours obtained in a department-sponsored offender education program instructor continuing education seminar may be used to fulfill the continuing education requirement of another offender education certification, as long as the seminar occurs during the current certification period and as long as the instructor pays for each certification.
Changes to Program Curriculum
If substantial intervening changes are made to the program curriculum, or significant updates are required to curriculum material, instructors may be required to attend additional department-sponsored continuing education seminars or special meetings for which the department sends notice.
Reporting Continuing Education
The department employs an audit system for continuing education (CE) reporting. Instructors are responsible for maintaining a record of their CE experiences. The certificates, transcripts, or other documentation verifying the earning of CE hours are not to be forwarded to the department at the time of renewal unless the instructor has been selected for audit.
The audit process:
There is a new automated CE audit process. The adopted rules allow the CE audit to occur after license renewal. This prevents the CE review from delaying license renewals. The department will select a random sample of licensees for CE audit. If chosen for audit, a licensee will receive an audit notice with submission instructions by email. Selected licensees will be required to submit copies of certificates, transcripts, or other documentation to verify the licensee's attendance, participation, and completion of continuing education requirements for their latest renewal period.
