The Virginia Board of Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology has laid out specific guidelines for continuing education (CE) that professionals in the field need to follow. Staying updated with these requirements is crucial for maintaining your licensure and ensuring the highest standards of practice. Here's a concise guide to help you navigate these requirements.
Acceptable Types of Continuing Education
The Board recommends the following activities as acceptable for CE hours, provided they are offered or approved by an accredited sponsor or organization as prescribed in 18VAC30-21-100:
- Hours spent in the reading, preparation, and acquisition of new knowledge as a presenter can be counted hour for hour.
- Hours delivering a presentation at a workshop can be counted for the first-time presentation of a CE program but cannot be duplicated by hours credited for attendance at the program.
- Attendance at or presentation to virtual or online courses directly related to the practice of speech-language pathology and/or audiology.
Note that clinical supervision and meetings with colleagues or employers that are not designated as professional learning experiences do not count as CE.
CE Extension Requests
Extensions of up to one year may be granted for the completion of CE requirements for good cause. Requests for an extension must be received by the Board before the licensure renewal date. Late requests may result in disciplinary action.
CE Exemptions
The Board may grant exemptions for all or part of the CE requirements due to circumstances beyond the licensee's control, such as temporary disability, mandatory military service, or officially declared disasters. Additionally, a licensee is exempt from completing CE requirements for the first renewal period after initial licensure in Virginia.
CE Audit Procedures
After each renewal cycle, the Board may audit licensees for compliance with CE requirements. Licensees who fail to respond or respond "no" to the CE renewal question on the annual license renewal form, as well as those selected for random audit, may be audited.
- Licensees will be notified of selection for audit via email or postal carrier.
- Documentation of CE completion, such as certificates or transcripts from recognized associations, must be submitted.
- Board staff will review the documentation for compliance, and non-compliant licensees will be referred for possible disciplinary action.
Disciplinary Action for Non-Compliance
The Board has established guidelines for resolving cases of non-compliance. Here are the possible actions:
- First offense, short 1-3 hours: Confidential Consent Agreement with 45 days to make up missing hours.
- First offense, short 4-10 hours: Consent Order with a $300 penalty and 60 days to make up missing hours.
- Second offense, short 1-10 hours: Consent Order with a reprimand and a $200 penalty per missing hour, up to $2000, and 60 days to make up missing hours.
- No response to audit notifications or three or more offenses: Informal Fact-Finding Conference.
Failure to respond with CE documentation before the initiation of board action can result in a Confidential Consent Agreement for the first offense and a Consent Order for the second offense. For more information, please follow this
link.
