Continuing Education
Overview of Program
Our goal as an educational institution is provide trainings that increase your knowledge and confidence and broaden your horizons and capabilities as a healthcare provider. Continuing education is available live and in home study formats.
We offer single-session trainings and multisession thematic tracks on such specialties as trauma, expressive therapies, children, diversity, as well as tracks leading to basic and advanced certifications in clinical supervision.
MaMHCA’s continuing education workshops are specifically designed to meet the needs of LMHCs in Massachusetts at all levels in their career and are preapproved by MaMHCA/MCEAP for LMHC License renewal as the designated CE approval entity for the LMHC licensing board.
Since March 2020, ALL MaMHCA CE workshops have been Live, Remote via Zoom.
Starting in the Spring of 2023, some workshops are now in-person, in Foxboro. Please check the workshop description carefully on the continuing education calendar.
We offer CE sessions focused on:
- Preparing for the LMHC Exam, and License Application completion - for Students or New Professionals
- Private Practice Development - for LMHCs
- MaMHCA Certified Clinical Supervisor Training Program - for those interested in increasing their competency as a supervisor, or accelerating their path to becoming an Approved Supervisor; learn more here
- Annual Conferences - held each Fall are an opportunity to network with other LMHCs while learning about new/emerging areas in the field and earn at least 6 CEUs; learn more here
- MaMHCA Home Study Book Program - options can earn 10 CEUs for each book read; learn more here
Additionally, we offer multiple tracks each year focusing on a specific subject, typically during our Summer Institute. Examples of tracks include:
- Trauma treatment
- Expressive Therapies
- Diversity/Equity & Inclusion
PROPOSE A WORKSHOP FOR MAMHCA'S PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM:
MaMHCA invites licensed behavioral health providers to submit a proposal for consideration for a 3 hour clinically focused or 4 hour supervision focused workshop.
MaMHCA is seeking new faculty to teach workshops for the in the following areas:
Child Mental Health Issues and Care, Cultural, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Cultural Perspectives on Mental Health Counseling, LBGTQI+, Senior/Geriatric Mental Health Issues
Suggest a Workshop by completing the following Workshop Proposal Form MaMHCA Workshop Proposal Form 2023
All presenters are compensated at competitive rates.
Important Information:
- All LMHCs a re required to obtain 30 CEUs every 2 years to renew their license. Each 2-year license renewal cycle runs from January 1 of the even numbered year through December 31 of the odd numbered year.
- The Board of Allied Mental Health conducts random audits to evaluate LMHC compliance with the CE requirements every license renewal cycle
- LMHCs can lose their license for failure to comply with CE requirements.
- Complete Guidelines for LMHCs on Continuing Education are available below.
LMHC Continuing Education Guidelines
MaMHCA/MCEAP has created Guidelines for LMHCs regarding appropriate Continuing Education for LMHCs. These guidelines have been approved by the Board of Registration of Allied Mental Health and Human Services Professions.
Most CE Providers in Massachusetts have their CE offerings pre-approved by MaMHCA. This will appear on their marketing materials and CE Certificates. The Massachusetts Mental Health Counselors Association (MaMHCA) is the designated entity of the Board of Registration of Allied Mental Health and Human Services Professions to approve providers of Continuing Education (CE) activities for Licensed Mental Health Counselors in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
You can download a PDF of the LMHC Guidelines here.
Retroactive Approval
When an LMHC attends a CE event that has not been previously approved by MaMHCA, NBCC, ACA or AMHCA, as required by the Allied Board of Mental Health and Human Service Professions, approval may be obtained retroactively by meeting the criteria for approval outlined in the MaMHCA LMHC Consumer Guidelines and the CMR 262 Regulations for LMHCs). With Retroactive Approval, the CEs can be applied to the CE requirement to renew a license.
- Once you download the LMHC guidelines, [which will open in a download window on your device] please fill out the online “Retroactive Certification Form” and submit it to MaMHCA with the appropriate fees (there is a charge for processing and review of the application).
- In a license renewal year, there is an increased processing fee after October 15
How does the license renewal system work?
The CE requirements for license renewal, including prorating (i.e., the Guidelines).
When does it renew?
The license renews December 31 of odd years (biennial cycle). For example, the cycle as of this writing are 1 January 2022 to 31 December 2023.
I just got my license, how many CEUs will I need to renew next cycle?
These are also called the prorated license CE requirements. To answer this question, you need to know when in the current two-year cycle you received your license.
That date is based on when you received the confirmatory email from the board, not when the license came in the mail:
Jan 1-June 30, even year -> 22.5 CEU
July 1-Dec 1, even year -> 15 CEU
Jan 1-June 30, odd year -> 7.5 CEU
July 1-Dec 1, odd year -> 0 CEU
What qualifies a CE for license renewal?
At the very least, the training must be clinically relevant.
Can I get my CEUS completely online?
Yes.
Who can approve CEUS for LMHCS?
MaMHCA or NBCC.
I heard there are different continuing education categories. What does that mean?
The categories used in previous renewal cycles are no longer used to distinguish different educational content.
I took more than 30 CEUs of training in this renewal cycle. Can I roll those over and use them toward the next renewal cycle?
No, you cannot save up or roll over continuing education from a previous cycle.
I took a clinically relevant training that wasn’t approved by NBCC or MaMHCA.
How can I get retroactive authorization for unauthorized CEs?
Fill out this form; send us your certificate of completion (e.g., degree, certificate that shows the name and contact information of the educational organization); and send the payment as mandated by the form.
There’s a CE I want to take that isn’t credentialed by MaMHCA or NBCC.
Can I get that reapproved?
No. Only providers can get preapproval. Everyone else must do it retroactively.
Can I use retroactive authorization to get credits for self-help workshops, like yoga or meditation?
When considering whether to submit a request for retroactive authorization, please note that the material must have a clinical application to the material. It must focus on teaching or implementing the techniques with clients. If it’s not specifically for use by a therapist in a clinical settings for the purpose of treatment, it will not be accepted for authorization.
How do I keep track of my continuing education?
Most trainings these days provide a certificate as either a printout or PDF. We strongly recommend you scan in any printouts immediately and keep two copies (either physical and electronic, or two electronic, one on a disk, one in the cloud) on hand for all trainings in the last 10 years.
If your training requires that you fill out an evaluation in order to receive the certification, do so immediately, as there are sometimes time limits to when a program will deliver a certification after the fact.
What happens if I don’t complete the required number of CEUs in a renewal cycle?
The Licensing Board randomly audits licensed professionals. If you are audited, the Board will request immediate proof of compliance (i.e., copies of your certificates). They can audit up to two prior cycles (that’s up to six years ago).
Your license can be suspended if you fall out of compliance, and even following suspension, there is will be a mark that is permanently and irrevocably noted on your license. Don’t do it.
I'm worried that I won’t be able to afford continuing education. What can I do?
One of our home study options is to pick a preapproved book from a list and write a test for it. If you get one of these books from your local library and submit a test following some relatively straightforward guidelines, you can receive up to 10 CEU for free. Learn more about this program.
I provide supervision. Can I get CEUs?
No, but your supervisee can.
I published an article, book, or dissertation. Can I get CEUS?
Yes, up to 7.5 per renewal cycle.