Aspira Continuing Education: Advancing Your Professional Development
Aspira Continuing Education provides accessible and comprehensive continuing education programs designed to meet the diverse needs of mental health professionals and licensed social workers. With a focus on flexibility and convenience, AspiraCE empowers individuals to enhance their knowledge and skills at their own pace and from the comfort of their homes.
Accessible and User-Friendly Platform
Aspira understands the importance of a seamless learning experience. All course content and exams (excluding book courses) are readily available at any time, with or without an account. This allows prospective learners to explore the course catalog and ensure the offerings align with their specific professional development goals. Creating an account is free, and once a profile is created and saved, users gain access to their personalized "myCourses" page. This page serves as a central hub for curating a list of courses of interest. Aspira's website is designed for ease of use, making it a straightforward platform for obtaining Continuing Education Units (CEUs).
Accreditation and Approvals
Aspira Continuing Education holds approvals from esteemed organizations, ensuring the quality and credibility of its programs:
- APA Approved: Aspira Continuing Education is approved by the American Psychological Association (APA) to sponsor continuing education for psychologists.
- NBCC Approved: Aspira Continuing Education has been approved by the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) as an Approved Continuing Education Provider (ACEP No. 6416). Courses that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified.
- BBS Accepted: All Aspira CE courses are accepted by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences (CA BBS) based on their NBCC and APA approvals. It's important to note that the CA BBS does not approve providers directly.
Staying Audit Ready in California
For Associates and Licensees in California, maintaining compliance with continuing education requirements is crucial. Licensees renewing for the first time must complete 18 hours of continuing education within the two years prior to their first license renewal, including specific coursework mandated by law.
The Board performs audits for CE hours as part of its consumer protection duties. In the event of an audit, professionals must provide the Board with completed course information and a letter of explanation. It is important to note that, as of July 1, 2017, the Board no longer maintains a list of valid CE Providers. Associates and Licensees are responsible for verifying that a CE Provider is accepted by the BBS. The Board does not have the ability to verify if a provider's approval is in good standing or not.
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CE hours may be earned from postsecondary institutions that meet the requirements set forth in Business and Professions Code § 4980.54 (for LMFTs and AMFTs), § 4989.34 (for LEPs), § 4996.22 (for LCSWs and ASWs), or § 4999.76 (for LPCCs and APCCs) or that possess approval by the California Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education. Licensees renewing after July 1, 2023, may only claim a maximum of 18 hours each renewal period for teaching a course.
California LPCC Licensure via Grandparenting Path
For licensed Marriage and Family Therapists outside of California seeking licensure in California, a new path has emerged. The CA BBS has implemented a new license, the Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC). Mental health professionals licensed outside of California are eligible to apply.
The CA BBS has made available a process to apply for their LPCC license, called the "grandparenting" path. This path differs for those licensed outside of California from those licensed in the state of California. For those that are non-BBS licensed professionals, additional courses are required.
Aspira Continuing Education now offers all of these additional courses needed to meet the requirements for non-BBS applicants seeking the CA LPCC license through the grandparenting path. These courses are in addition to the required core content areas that should have been covered in the licensed professional's masters degree or doctorate degree programs. The CA BBS allows these extra courses to be taken from an approved online CEU provider, like Aspira Continuing Education. The courses and their corresponding number of required hours are as follows:
- 15 contact hours of training in alcoholism and other chemical substance abuse dependency
- 10 contact hours of training in human sexuality
- 15 contact hours of training in spousal or partner abuse assessment, detection, and intervention
- 7 contact hours of training in child abuse assessment and reporting
- 18 contact hours of training in California law and professional ethics
- 10 contact hours of training in aging and long-term care
- 15 contact hours of instruction in crisis or trauma counseling
Aspira Continuing Education has recently expanded its course list to include each of the requirements listed above, along with many other relevant topics.
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According to Nicole Hiltibran, MA, LMFT, CEO of Aspira Continuing Education, "Now, those seeking licensure with the CA BBS as an LPCC can meet all of their extra coursework in one place. This really simplifies the process during this window of opportunity of the grandparenting path provided by the CA BBS."
Comprehensive Course Offerings
In addition to the courses tailored for the LPCC license, Aspira Continuing Education boasts a diverse catalog of courses beneficial for renewing licenses in social work, marriage and family therapy, and counseling. Aspira CE aims to be the single online provider needed for all continuing education requirements for mental health professionals and licensed social workers.
Pricing and Course Information
Detailed information about Aspira's pricing structure can be found by clicking on the "Pricing" tab. To explore the comprehensive list of courses offered, click on the "Courses" tab.
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