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Continuing Professional Development (CPD) - Frequently Asked Questions

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1. Basics

  • WHO MUST TAKE CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT (CPD) COURSES?
    All licensed speech-language pathologists and audiologists, including those who have been licensed for many years, must take CPD courses. You will not be able to renew your license as active without completing CPD courses. If you are completing your required professional experience, you do not need to obtain CPD hours.
  • CAN I GET AN EXEMPTION FROM CPD?
    Yes, but only in specific circumstances. You are exempt from CPD regulations if you have an inactive license, or if, during the previous renewal period, one of the following applies:
    • You lived in another country for at least one year.
    • You were out of California due to military service for at least one year.
    • You or an immediate family member for whom you have primary responsibility suffered from a substantial disability. Please inform the Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Board (SLPAB) as soon as you are aware of the need or an exemption.
  • IS CPD A ON-TIME REQUIREMENT?
    No, it is an ongoing requirement, under revised regulations.
  • WHAT HAPPENS IF I DON'T COMPLETE THE CPD BY THE TIME MY LICENSE EXPIRES?
    If you do not complete the CPD by your license expiration date, you may request that your license be placed on inactive status, but you still must pay the full renewal fee. To return your license back to active status, you must complete 24 CPD hours in the two years before the date on which you want to return to active status, and submit proof of course completion to the Board.

2. Completing CPD

  • HOW MANY CPD HOURS DO I NEED?
    If you have been licensed for less than two years, you must complete 12 hours of CPD before your first renewal. After that, you must complete 24 hours of CPD every renewal period. (The renewal period is the time between the license effective date and the expiration date.) If you hold both a speech-language pathology and audiology license, you must complete 16 hours for each license.
  • CAN I GET CPD CREDIT FOR TEACHING A COURSE?
    If the course meets the CPD guidelines, you will receive the same number of hours as someone attending the course.
  • CAN THE HOURS I ACCRUE FOR A HEARING AID DISPENSERS LICENSE COUNT FOR MY AUDIOLOGY LICENSE?
    Yes, if they are relevant to the practice of audiology and are taken from a SLPAB-approved provider. However, no more than half of the 24 CPD hours required of an audiologist may be obtained from courses that focus on equipment, or other products of a particular publisher, company, or corporation.
  • DO I TURN IN PROOF OF COURSEWORK WHEN I RENEW MY LICENSE?
    No. When you renew your license, submit your renewal fee and renewal notice with the statement signed under penalty of perjury certifying that you have completed the CPD. You must submit proof of coursework if one of these circumstances applies:
    • Your name is randomly selected in the audit conducted once a year.
    • There is an investigation based upon a complaint.
    • You have placed your license on inactive status and wish to return to active.

3. Taking Courses

  • WHERE CAN I TAKE A COURSE?
    You can take courses from SLPAB-approved providers, accredited universities, or organizations approved as continuing education providers by either the American Speech-Language Hearing Association, the American Academy of Audiology, or the California Medical Association's Institute for Medical Quality Continuing Medical Education Program. However, not all courses offered by these entities meet the Board's course requirements. If you have questions about course subject matter, contact the SLPAB office at (916) 263-2666.
  • CAN A COURSE COUNT FOR MORE THEN ONE RENEWAL PERIOD?
    A course will count toward the renewal period in which you completed the course. The only exception is a course taken for a license that was placed on inactive status due to incomplete CPD credit. If you exceed the 24-hour CPD requirement within a two-year renewal period, you cannot carry over the additional hours to the next renewal period.
  • HOW MANY HOURS CAN I GAIN THROUGH SELF-STUDY, RELATED, OR INDIRECT COURSES?
    An initial licensee can earn two hours in self-study and two hours from courses related to the discipline of speech-language pathology or audiology, or indirect client care. For all other licensees, four hours may be in self-study and four hours may be in related or indirect client care. A licensee who holds both a speech-language pathology and an audiology license may accrue 2.5 hours in self-study and 2.5 hours in related or in indirect client care.
  • HOW MANY HOURS CAN I EARN PER COURSE?
    In general, you earn one hour of CPD for each hour of instruction, or ten hours for an academic quarter; 15 hours for a semester; and 13 hours for a trimester.
  • WHAT KINDS OF COURSES ARE ACCEPTABLE?
    Courses should be directly relevant to speech-language pathology or audiology, or should be related to direct or indirect client care.
  • WHAT KINDS OF COURSES ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE?
    Courses that cover office production, financial planning, employee benefits, marketing, or ways to increase productivity or profitability, and any courses in which the licensee, not the consumer, is the primary beneficiary, are not acceptable.
  • WHAT ARE RELATED COURSES?
    Related courses may cover topics such as social interaction, cultural and linguistic diversity as it applies to service delivery for diverse populations, professional service delivery models, interdisciplinary case management issues, or medical pathologies related to neurological disorders that also result in communication difficulties.
  • WHAT IS AN INDIRECT CLIENT CARE COURSE?
    Indirect client care courses cover legal or ethical issues, consultation, record-keeping, office management, managed care issues, research obligations, supervision training, and technological applications related to assessment/diagnosis or intervention.
  • WHAT IS A SELF-STUDY COURSE?
    A self-study course is a course offered by an approved provider that you take in your home, office, or other private location. This includes viewing of videotapes, listening to audiotapes, participating in studies electronically, or participating in self-assessment testing.
    • You resided in another country for at least one year;
  • HOW IS SELF-STUDY EVALUATED AND WHAT TYPE OF WRITTEN ASSESSMENT IS REQUIRED?
    Written assessment is not required, but the course must be designed so that a test or other tool could be used to ensure that a course has specific, measurable objectives.
  • WHAT RECORDS SHOULD I KEEP AND FOR HOW LONG?
    You should keep your course completion documents for at least two years after the renewal period for which you took the courses.

4. Choosing a Provider

  • DOES SLPAB HAVE A LIST OF APPROVED PROVIDERS?
    Yes. You can download a list of approved providers from the SLPAB Web site,
    www.slpab.ca.gov, or call the Board office at (916) 263-2666. Ads from an approved provider must include the provider's name and number, policy on refunds or cancellation, course descriptions, and a personal disclosure statement if the instructor or provider has a personal financial interest in the course content.
  • DO ALL PROVIDERS NEED SLPAB APPROVAL?
    No. Accredited universities, and organizations approved as continuing education providers by either the American Speech-Language Hearing Association, the American Academy of Audiology, or the California Medical Association's Institute for Medical Quality Continuing Medical Education Program are exempt from SLPAB approval. However, not all courses offered by these entities meet the Board's content requirements. If you have questions regarding applicable subject matter, please contact the SLPAB at (916) 263-2666.
  • HOW DO I KNOW IF A PARTICULAR COURSE IS APPROVED?
    At this time, the Board does not approve courses; it approves providers. However, the Board is amending its CPD requirements to include course review. Ads for a specific course should also state: "Course meets the qualifications for __ hours of continuing professional development credit for (speech-language pathologists or audiologists) as required by the Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Board."
  • HOW CAN I TELL IF A COURSE MEETS THE REQUIREMENTS OF LICENSE RENEWAL?
    You should contact the provider for specifics. You can also submit the course information to SLPAB. For more information, contact the SLPAB office at (916) 263-2666.
  • WHAT ARE THE PROVIDER'S RESPONSIBILITIES?
    Providers must ensure that courses, instructors, advertisements, and record-keeping meet SLPAB regulation requirements. Providers must issue records of course completion to all attendees.
  • WHAT IF I HAVE A COMPLAINT ABOUT AN INSTRUCTOR OR A COURSE?
    You should first contact the course provider to resolve the matter. If you are not satisfied with the outcome, you should send your complaint in writing to the SLPAB office, or download a complaint form from the SLPAB Web site at www.slpab.ca.gov, and send it to 2005 Evergreen Street, Suite 2100, Sacramento, CA 95815. Include the course name, date, and location; the names of the instructor and provider; and specifics about your complaint.

(Rev. August-07)