Ala. Admin. Code r. 255-X-7-.02

Current through Register Vol. 43, No. 1, October 31, 2024

Section 255-X-7-.02 - Associate Licensed Counselor (ALC) Renewal

(1) General. An Associate Licensed Counselor is required to pay annually to the board by the anniversary of their license issuance date a renewal fee as set out in section 255-X-1-.08. A lapsed license may be renewed within a period of six (6) years after lapse upon payment of fees in arrears or thereafter upon payment of a renewal fee and lapsed license fee as determined by the board.

(2) Renewal Notice and Application. Renewal applications will be made available through the Board's website. The ALC must submit the renewal application and renewal fee to the Board office by their renewal date.

(3) Continuing Education. No license will be renewed unless the renewal request is accompanied by evidence satisfactory to the Board of the completion of relevant professional and continued educational experience meeting the definition in section 255-X-2-.18 completed during the term of the current license.

(a) A minimum of ten (10) formal contact clock hours of relevant professional and continued education experience shall be required for renewal of an ALC license. The ten (10) hours of continuing education required for ALC licensure renewal must contain a minimum of two (2) clock hours of continuing education devoted to ethical concerns for practice, assessment, supervision, or research in counseling.

(b) All formal contact clock hours of relevant professional and continued education experience shall be approved in advance by the Board, or shall be formal graduate academic course work, excluding thesis or dissertation credit. Academic courses taken as "audits" must be verified with an official transcript and letter from instructor confirming attendance. Formal graduate course work utilized as continuing education for licensure renewal cannot also be utilized as a substitute for supervised experience required to become a Licensed Professional Counselor. Formal graduate course work used as a substitution for supervised experience to become a Licensed Professional Counselor cannot also be utilized as continuing education for licensure renewal.

(c) The ALC is responsible for maintaining documentation to verify completion of all continuing activities listed on the renewal application. This documentation must be available for review by the Board upon request for a period of three (3) years following the renewal period in which the continuing education activities were used for licensure renewal.

(d) Of the twenty (20) formal contact clock hours required for renewal of ALC initially issued prior to January 1, 2010 and expiring July 31, 2011, five (5) hours may be obtained by supplying documentation of one (1) of the following activities.

(d) Of the ten (10) formal contact clock hours required for renewal of ALC, three (3) hours may be obtained by supplying documentation of one (1) of the following activities:

1. Services as a presenter for a seminar, workshop, or training conference that is primarily counseling in nature.

2. Publication of peer-reviewed material that is primarily counseling in nature.

3. Services on boards, commissions, and holding office in professional organizations, specifically related to counseling, and in which at least thirty (30) hours annually are devoted to such service.

(e) Real-Time Participation in Continuing Education Activities. A minimum of seventy-five (75) percent of the continuing education activities required for any licensure renewal period must consist of real-time interactive participation in seminars, classes, workshops, presentations, training programs, or similar activities. Such real-time inactive participation must involve licensee presence in the location of the activity as it occurs or use of interactive technology by the licensee for the activity as it occurs. Self-contained or asynchronous activities (e.g., recorded presentations, reading, online study) that do not feature opportunities for dialogue and interaction for the licensee as the activity occurs do not qualify as real-time participation in continuing education.

(f) Documentation of Continuing Education Activities.

All certificates or completion/verification of attendance must contain: licensee's name, name of workshop/seminar/training, name of sponsoring entity, dates of the activity, CE provider number or documentation of the provider, and number of contact hours granted.

(4) Lapsed License. A lapsed ALC license cannot be authorized for licensure examinations, used as the basis for applications for advanced licensure, or used as the basis for applications for reduction of supervised experience. Applicants who seek to renew a lapsed ALC license must pay the published renewal fee and lapsed license fee. The renewed license shall bear an issuance date corresponding to the approval date of the renewal and shall expire twelve (12) months from the date of issue. The renewal application must be accompanied by documentation acceptable to the Board of continuing education activities of no less than ten (10) clock hours accrued within the twelve (12) months immediately preceding the request for renewal. The ten (10) hours of continuing education must contain a minimum of two (2) clock hours of continuing education devoted to ethical concerns for practice, assessment, supervision, or research in counseling. An ALC must also submit a proposed plan of supervision for approval by the Board. Any ALC license that has lapsed beyond six (6) years is considered to be expired and the applicant must reapply under the current regulations for initial ALC licensure with forfeiture of all accrued supervision, and all client experience hours.

Ala. Admin. Code r. 255-X-7-.02

Filed September 30, 1982; July 30, 1992. Amended: Filed May 16, 2001; effective June 20, 2001. New Rule: Filed August 4, 2010; effective September 8, 2010. Repealed: Filed August 27, 2010; effective October 1, 2010. Amended: Filed September 25, 2012; effective October 30, 2012.

Amended by Alabama Administrative Monthly Volume XXXIV, Issue No. 10, July 29, 2016, eff. 8/28/2016.

Amended by Alabama Administrative Monthly Volume XL, Issue No. 05, February 28, 2022, eff. 4/14/2022.

Author: The Alabama Board of Examiners in Counseling

Statutory Authority:Code of Ala. 1975, § 34-8A-5.