As a mental health professional, you understand the importance of staying current with your knowledge and skills. It's essential to maintain your license to practice and provide the best possible care to your clients. However, renewing your license is not a walk in the park. It can be stressful and time-consuming, especially when you need to gather enough continuing education (CE) credits to renew your license.
If you find yourself in a position where your license is coming up for renewal and you don't have enough CE credits, don't panic! Here are some tips to help you plan and prepare for your license renewal.
Check your state board requirements
Before you start planning, check your state board requirements for CE credits. Each state has different requirements for the number and type of CE credits needed for license renewal. Whether this is your first renewal or your 15th time renewing your license, requirements may have changed since your last renewal. Make sure you are aware of your board’s requirements so you can start planning accordingly.
Begin documenting
Now that you know the number and type of credits that you need, it’s time to start documenting. This will help you stay organized as you earn your CE credits and will make renewing a much easier process. You can use a notebook, word document, or spreadsheet to keep track. Be sure to include all the necessary information for each course, such as the date, title, company providing the course, presenter, number of credits earned, and type of credits (i.e., ethics, cultural awareness, etc). Choose where you will store your certificates, whether it is a folder on your computer or a file in your desk drawer, write this down on your tracking sheet, save all your certificates in the same place, and check off when you receive your certificates.
Pro tip: often people reach out to us because they can’t find a certificate that they received by email. Sometimes people no longer have access to an old work email, or it can just be difficult to find things in a crowded email inbox. Don’t leave your certificates in your email with the plan to go back and find them later! Download or print your certificates right away to avoid this common issue.
Plan your time
When it comes to completing your CE credits, time management is key. You need to set aside enough time to complete your CE courses while still attending to your daily responsibilities. This is especially crucial if you work for an organization or have a private practice, as your workload can quickly pile up. It’s important to establish a schedule that works for you. This could mean dedicating time each day to complete your CE courses, or setting aside a few days each month to work on them. It's essential to identify the time of day when you are most productive and carve out that time to work on obtaining your CE credits. Creating a schedule will also help you stay organized and avoid the last-minute rush to complete your CE credits.
Choose the right courses
There are many options when it comes to CE courses. You can attend in-person courses, live webinars, or take pre-recorded on-demand courses. Each of these formats offers pros and cons and ultimately it is up to you to decide which format works best for you. In addition to choosing the format, choosing the topic is equally important. When you are considering which CE courses to take, be sure to check your board’s requirements first as many licensing boards have required CE topics that must be taken and you will want to be sure to meet these requirements first. Once you ensure you have met the required topics, it can be helpful to consider topic areas where you would like to enhance your skill set and seek out those courses.
Benefits of on-demand CE courses
On-demand CE courses have several benefits. You can earn your CE credits immediately after completing the course. If you’re in a time crunch, this can be very helpful to meet your license renewal requirements quickly and efficiently. Many on-demand courses allow you to complete them at your own pace. If you only have 30 minutes or an hour, you can complete a portion of the course and come back later.
The on-demand courses we offer at Maryland CEU Institute are broken into short 10-20 minute chapters and lessons, so it’s easy to watch one or two lessons at a time. Your progress will be saved in our online learning academy and you can come back and continue again when you’re able to. This can be invaluable if you need credits, but don’t have the time in your busy schedule to attend a live training for hours at time. To learn more about our currently available On-Demand courses click HERE. Before you enroll in an on-demand course, be sure to check your state licensing boards regulations. Some states and licensing boards limit the number of CE credits that you can take on-demand, while some boards allow you to take all of your credits on-demand.
Renewing your license can be stressful, but it doesn't have to be. Planning your time, tracking your credits, choosing the right courses, and taking advantage of on-demand CE courses can make the process smoother and more efficient. You can start your CE course planning right now by visiting our Courses page which lists all of our currently available CE courses. With the right plan and approach, you can meet your license renewal requirements and continue to provide the best possible care to your clients.