State Approvals For Maryland

Marriage and Family Therapy

Licensed Graduate Marriage & Family Therapy (LGMFT)

Licensed Clinical Alcohol & Drug Counselor

Licensed Graduate Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LGADC)

Social Workers

(See details of approval below)

Counselors and Therapists - including Alcohol and Drug

NOTE: CEU By Net's programs meet ALL PUBLISHED MANDATORY CRITERIA for Category A courses for Maryland Counselors and Therapists. "Face-to-face" training is not one of the 8 required characteristics which are specified for Category A credit. The 8 items are listed at 10.58.05.05 A. (1)(a). CEU By Net's courses DO NOT meet the definition of Category B. Please see Q3 and Q4 below.

However, if you have any concern about whether or not our courses will be accepted, please contact your board for clarification. It is important to note that we meet all of the Category A criteria seen at 10.58.05.05 A. (1) (a) and that we are a licensed and certified CE Provider for two of the four automatically approved national organizations.

Q1: Is CEU By Net an automatically approved CE provider for Maryland Counselors and Therapists? YES, based upon what is published online in the Maryland Rules and Regulations.

(2) A program sponsored by the American Counseling Association, the National Board for Certified Counselors, the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, the National Association of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselors, or their regional or state affiliates is automatically approved by the Board for Category A, unless otherwise excluded.

We are NBCC ACEP #6338, which is an accepted, pre-approved source of continuing education, per the published rules for Maryland Counselor and Therapist CE. We are also Licensed CE Provider #1877-12 for an IC&RC Member Board (Texas Certification Board of Addiction Professionals) and for NAADAC-Approved Texas Association of Addiction Professionals.

Q2: Do CEU By Net's continuing education courses qualify as Category A courses? YES based upon the published rule for provision of Counselor and Therapist continuing education. We have duplicated the relevant provisions below. You may also view this information at the following URL, in which it appears:

http://dhmh.maryland.gov/bopc/Pages/conteducationchapt5.aspx

Our programs (courses) meet ALL of the 8 REQUIRED Maryland criteria for Category A, below:

(a) The programs shall meet the following criteria:

(i) The program is offered by a sponsor approved by the Board to present Category A programs,

(ii) The program is intended for a professional mental health audience,

(iii) The program has a stated purpose and defined content area,

(iv) Presenters are professionals qualified in the defined content area,

(v) The program's time period is clearly stated,

(vi) Registration and attendance is recorded by the program's sponsor,

(vii) Documentation of completion is provided, and

(viii) Participants are required to complete an evaluation of the program

Q3: Do CEU By Net's CE Programs fall into the 'Category B' classification? NO, based upon the published description of Category B Programs.

CEU By Net's courses do not in any way meet the Maryland Board's description of Category B programs, as defined in the published rules (e.g., informal non-publicized programs, informal courses, in-house colloquial, invited speaker sessions, in-house seminars, case conferences).

Our CE Programs are formally reviewed, rigorously audited, and approved on an annual basis by NBCC, EACC-EAPA, and multiple State Boards for Counselors, Social Workers, LMFTs and Addiction Professionals.

You can review the characteristics of 'Category A' CE Programs vs. 'Category B' CE Programs, on the same web page referenced above.

Q4: Are we a provider of 'Home Study' for Maryland Counselors and Therapists? NO. The Maryland Dept of Health & Mental Hygiene's definition of 'home study' does not apply to CEU By Net's courses, according to the definition seen at 10.58.05.02, item (10), at this URL:

https://health.maryland.gov/bopc/Pages/conteducationchapt5.aspx

(10) "Home study" means independent study that:

(a) Is not evaluated by a formal process documenting a minimum mastery of materials

(b) Does not issue a verification of program completion.

CEU By Net's online training is a formal structured process conducted exclusively over the Internet, with electronically documented course participation, electronically tracked and recorded competency testing, immediate electronic feedback regarding each inaccurately answered test question when a quiz has been passed, clear standards for course completion, and formal course evaluation. These courses are therefore NOT 'home study'.

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Social Workers

Q1: Are we an automatically Authorized CE Sponsor for Social Workers?

Yes. CEU By Net is automatically approved to provide Continuing Education programs for Maryland Social Workers, per criteria (1) and (2)(b.) and (c.) below from Section .05 A:

https://health.maryland.gov/bswe/Documents/Regs/10.42.06ContinuingEducationRequirements.pdf

Section .05 Authorization of Sponsors and Approval of Continuing Education Programs.

A. Automatically Authorized Sponsors.

(1) Automatically authorized sponsors shall offer continuing education programs that meet the objectives set forth in Regulations .01B and .04 of this chapter.

(2) The following are automatically authorized sponsors: ......

(b) State, regional, national, or international social work associations, including but not limited to social work licensing boards, the Association of Social Work Boards, and the National Association of Social Workers; and

(c) State, regional, national, or international non-social-work professional membership organizations providing programs that are relevant to the professional development of social workers.

CEU By Net is a certified CE provider for the Texas State Board of Social Work Examiners # 4670 (an ASWB Board), and for two other ASWB State Licensing Boards for Social Workers (Florida and Alabama). A long time CE Provider for California BBS, CEU By Net is now an approved CE Provider for California BBS through our NBCC approval (pursuant to California's new approach to approval of CE Providers).

We are also nationally certified by the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) ACEP # 6338, and by the international Employee Assistance Certification Commission (EACC-EAPA) to provide PDH credit for every course on our website. We are also a Licensed Provider of Addiction Education for the Texas Certification Board of Addiction Professionals (an IC&RC Member Board) and the Texas Association of Addiction Professionals (an automatically approved NAADAC CE Provider). Based upon our IC&RC Member Board licensure, our courses are accepted by all Branches of the US Military.

Q2: What category of CE do we provide for Maryland Social Workers?

We note that the definition of Category 1 and Category 2 courses for Social Workers has now changed. In the past, the wording of the statute defined Category 1 to include

'Live real-time transactions between teachers and learners (may include face to face and interactive technology).'

Our website does use interactive technology in the learning and quiz-taking process, and is considered to be interactive by all of the Social Worker Licensing Boards who have certified us (Texas, California, Florida, and Alabama).

However, in the Rules and Regulations currently published, Social Workers are allowed to earn only a limited number of CEUs through online internet means:

E. Of the 40 (30 for Licensed Bachelor Social Workers) required continuing education units, a maximum of 20 (15 for Licensed Bachelor Social Workers) continuing education units may be earned from one or any combination of the following Category II activities: . . . . (7) Home-study, audiovisual and Internet on-line courses provided by an approved sponsor; and

Professional Counselor

Licensed Graduate Professional Counselors (LGPC)

Marriage and Family Therapy

Licensed Graduate Marriage & Family Therapy (LGMFT)

Licensed Clinical Alcohol & Drug Counselor

Licensed Graduate Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LGADC)

Social Workers

(See details of approval below)

Counselors and Therapists - including Alcohol and Drug

NOTE: In early 2019 Anna Sullivan, Licensure Administrator for Maryland, personally reviewed CEU By Net's courses, content, licensure and certification by NBCC, NAADAC, EACC, and other State Boards, our online interactive platform and our automated awarding of certificates, and determined that all of CEU By Net's courses qualify for Category A. Ms. Sullivan's contact information is anna.sullivan@maryland.gov

Q1: Does CEU By Net qualify for automatic approval as a CE provider for Category A CEUs for Maryland Counselors and Therapists? YES, we are, based upon what is published online in the rules and regulations for Professional Counselors, Annotated Code Subtitle 58, Chapter 05 Continuing Education, paragraph 10.58.05.07 B (2). CEU By Net is a licensed and certified CE Provider for two of the four organizations which the Maryland board automatically approves.

(2) A program sponsored by the American Counseling Association, the National Board for Certified Counselors, the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, the National Association of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselors, or their regional or state affiliates is automatically approved by the Board for Category A, unless otherwise excluded.

We are NBCC ACEP #6338, which is an accepted, pre-approved source of continuing education, per the published Board rules for Counselors' and Therapists' CE. However, we are also Licensed CE Provider #1877-12 for the Texas Association of Addiction Professionals which is a NAADAC CE Provider, and are therefore automatically approved by NAADAC for CE courses.

NOTE: On your certificate, you will see the normal number of Credit Hours awarded for the course - which is always the largest number of credit hours - and that is the number that is pre-approved for your State of Maryland behavioral health license renewal. IF you are also an NBCC NCC, you will also earn the stated number of NBCC Credit Hours for renewal of your NCC certification.

Q2: Do CEU By Net's continuing education courses qualify as Category A courses? YES, based upon the published rule for provision of Counselor and Therapist continuing education seen at 10.58.05.05 A. (1) (a) and (b). We have duplicated the relevant provisions below.

Our programs (courses) meet ALL of the 8 REQUIRED Maryland criteria for Category A, below, as well as being an automatically approved provider of CE Programs:

(a) The programs shall meet the following criteria:

(i) The program is offered by a sponsor approved by the Board to present Category A programs,

(ii) The program is intended for a professional mental health audience,

(iii) The program has a stated purpose and defined content area,

(iv) Presenters are professionals qualified in the defined content area,

(v) The program's time period is clearly stated,

(vi) Registration and attendance is recorded by the program's sponsor,

(vii) Documentation of completion is provided, and

(viii) Participants are required to complete an evaluation of the program

(b) The program may be formally organized and classified as a course, workshop, seminar, or symposium;

Q3: Do CEU By Net's CE Programs fall into the 'Category B' classification? NO, based upon the published description of Category B Programs.

You can review the characteristics of 'Category A' CE Programs vs. 'Category B' CE Programs, on the same web page referenced above.

Q4: Are we a provider of 'Home Study' for Maryland Counselors and Therapists? NO, we do not provide 'home study'. The Maryland Dept of Health & Mental Hygiene's definition of 'home study' does not apply to CEU By Net's courses, according to the definition seen at 10.58.05.02, item (10).

(10) "Home study" means independent study that:

(a) Is not evaluated by a formal process documenting a minimum mastery of materials

(b) Does not issue a verification of program completion.

___________________

Social Workers

Q1: Are we an automatically Authorized CE Sponsor for Social Workers?

Yes. CEU By Net is automatically approved to provide Continuing Education programs for Maryland Social Workers, per criteria (1) and (2)(b.) and (c.) below from Section .05 A:

Section .05 Authorization of Sponsors and Approval of Continuing Education Programs.

A. Automatically Authorized Sponsors.

(1) Automatically authorized sponsors shall offer continuing education programs that meet the objectives set forth in Regulations .01B and .04 of this chapter.

(2) The following are automatically authorized sponsors: ......

(c) State, regional, national, or international non-social-work professional membership organizations providing programs that are relevant to the professional development of social workers.

CEU By Net is a State and Board Rule Approved CE provider for the Texas State Board of Social Work Examiners (an ASWB Board), and for the Florida State Licensing Board for Social Workers (#50-9610). Also, we have been a long time CE Provider for California BBS Social Workers, and now - per new Board Rules in California - CEU By Net is an approved CE Provider through our NBCC approval (pursuant to California's new approach to approval of CE Providers).

We are also nationally certified by the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) ACEP # 6338, and by the international Employee Assistance Certification Commission (EACC-EAPA) to provide PDH credit for every course on our website. We are also a Licensed Provider of Addiction Education for the Texas Certification Board of Addiction Professionals (an IC&RC Member Board) and the Texas Association of Addiction Professionals (an automatically approved NAADAC CE Provider), and by three California Addiction Licensing Boards. Based upon our IC&RC Member Board licensure, our courses are accepted by all Branches of the US Military.

Q2: What category of CE do we provide for Maryland Social Workers?

We note that the definition of Category 1 and Category 2 courses for Social Workers has now changed. In the past, the wording of the statute defined Category 1 to include

'Live real-time transactions between teachers and learners (may include face to face and interactive technology).'

Our website does use interactive technology in the learning and quiz-taking process and is considered to be interactive by all of the Social Worker Licensing Boards who have certified us (Texas, California, Florida, and Alabama).

Unless the regularions have been modified due to Covid-19 or for other reasons, the Maryland Rules and Regulations have stated that Social Workers are allowed to earn only a limited number of CEUs through online internet means. Please check with your board to see if the following limitation still applies:

E. Of the 40 (30 for Licensed Bachelor Social Workers) required continuing education units, a maximum of 20 (15 for Licensed Bachelor Social Workers) continuing education units may be earned from one or any combination of the following Category II activities: . . . . (7) Home-study, audiovisual and Internet online courses provided by an approved sponsor;