If you will not be able to complete the 40 required continuing education hours by your due date, you may want to consider requesting a variance asking the Board to grant you a time extension to complete your hours. The request form and instructions can be found below.

ALCOHOL AND DRUG COUNSELOR LICENSING

CONTINUING EDUCATION INFORMATION

Licenses issued before June 30, 2010: 

For the first renewal period:  No continuing education hours are required.

For the second renewal period:  This is your first report and you are required to obtain and report 40 hours.  You may include cultural diversity hours in the 40 CE hours

For the third renewal period:  This is your second reporting period and you are required to obtain and report 40 hours, including completion of all cultural diversity hours.  Of the 40 hours, you must report 18 hours of cultural diversity training by this renewal.  You may report all 18 hours of cultural diversity training in the first reporting period or all in the second reporting period or a combination of the two. 

Licenses issued after July 1, 2010:

For the remainder of renewals after the third renewal period you must report a total of 40 hours, and of the 40 hours 6 must be in ethics (rules of professional conduct) and 6 must be in cultural diversity. 

Cultural Diversity Requirements – The minimum that must be met by the third renewal period is 18 hours.  The 18 hours can be all in one area or any combination of the seven areas totaling 18 hours.  There are seven areas of cultural diversity:

African American	Asian American
Chicano/Latino	Deaf & Hard of Hearing
Disability	Native American
*Identified Populations (Effective 08/01/04)

*Continuing education hours about Identified Population Groups include gaining knowledge of issues in substance abuse disorders as they particularly relate to:

(1) Men;

            (2) Women;

            (3) Adolescents;

(4) Elderly persons; and

(5) Gay, lesbian, bisexual, and trans-gender persons.         

Required reporting information:  It is essential that you keep complete and accurate records. Do not send verification of attendance, certificates of attendance, or any records to the BBHT office unless requested by the board for auditing purposes!

When you report, you will be required to provide the following information:

(1) The title and description of the continuing education activity;

(2) The sponsoring organizations, including the name(s) of presenters; 

(3) The location and date(s) of attendance; 

(4) The number of clock hours earned; and 

(5) A signed, dated, and notarized statement that the information is true and correct.

(6) Write legibly.

Please note that you may only report 12 hours of ‘in-service’ continuing education hours in a reporting period.  Per Minnesota Rules, Chapter 4747.1100, subpart 5.c - A licensee may earn a maximum of 12 clock hours per reporting period through in-services offered by an employer at the licensee's place of employment.  In-service is defined as an activity sponsored by a licensee's employer and presented by a staff member of the licensee's employer that takes place at the licensee's place of employment. 

If you will not be able to complete the 40 required continuing education hours by your due date, you may want to consider requesting a variance. The request form and instructions can be found on the left pane under Variance Request Form.

CONTINUING EDUCATION AUDIT

The Board will audit continuing education based on a random selection of licensees each renewal period. If you are randomly selected as part of an audit, you will receive a letter notifying you of this shortly after you renew your license. If you are randomly selected, you will be required to send in copies of all your continuing education records (certificates of attendance, transcripts, etc.) showing that you have met the continuing education requirements. The Board may also audit continuing education if they have reason to believe the information is inaccurate.