N.J. Admin. Code § 13:34-5.3

Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 24, December 18, 2024

Section 13:34-5.3 - Approval of continuing education programs and courses

(a) The following are acceptable sources of continuing education, as long as the course, program or article is applicable to marriage and family therapy or falls within the content areas set forth in (c) or (d) below:

1. Courses and programs approved by the following: the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC); the American Counseling Association (ACA); the American Psychological Association (APA); the American Psychiatric Association (APA); the National Association of Social Workers (NASW); the National Association of Social Workers-New Jersey (NASW-NJ); the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT); the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy of New Jersey, Inc. (AAMFT-NJ); the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselors Certification (CRCC); the American Ortho-Psychiatric Association; the American Medical Association (AMA); the American Nursing Association (ANA); the National Association of Drug Abuse Counselors (NADAC); a member of the International Certification and Reciprocity Consortium/Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse, Inc.; the Commission of Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE); the American Family Therapy Association (AFTA); the American Society of Addiction Medicine; the Association for Marriage and Family Therapy Regulatory Boards (AMFTRB); the International Family Therapy Association (IFTA); and the Council on Licensure, Enforcement and Regulation (CLEAR);

2. Teaching or completing graduate coursework at a regionally accredited institution of higher education;

3. Authoring an article published in a professional refereed journal within the preceding biennial period;

4. Completing and having accepted a doctoral dissertation from a regionally accredited institution of higher education;

5. Presenting a new course, program or workshop approved by one of the organizations listed in (a)1 above; and

6. Developing and completing courses or programs that provide distance learning opportunities approved by one of the organizations listed in (a)1 above or a regionally accredited institution of higher education.

(b) If a licensee seeks approval of continuing education credit from the Board for attending or presenting a course or program that has not been approved by any of the organizations listed in (a)1 above, the licensee shall first apply to and obtain approval from one of the listed organizations prior to seeking approval of continuing education credit from the Board.

(c) The following are acceptable content areas for continuing education:

1. Marriage and family therapy concepts, theory and practice of human behavior and family/social systems which provide basic theories, principles and techniques of therapy and their specific application to marriage and family therapy settings;

2. Professional ethics specifically related to the practice of marriage and family therapy, ethical and legal practice considerations, contractual agreements with clients (fees, payment plans, third party payers, treatment plans), confidentiality issues, recordkeeping, uses of computers and other technologies, distance and e-therapy, liabilities of practice and basic concepts in family law;

3. The helping relationship which provides broad understanding of philosophical bases of helping processes, basic and advanced helping skills, consultation theories and their applications, client self-help, self-understanding, and self-development, and facilitation of client change;

4. Human growth, development and maladaptive behavior which provides a broad understanding of the nature and needs of individuals at all developmental levels, normal and abnormal behavior, personality theory, life-span theory, and learning theory within cultural contexts;

5. Practice in theories of family systems, treatment approaches, assessment of family function and dysfunction, and specific system treatment options as both science and art;

6. Programs that address anger management, family violence, patterns of behavior and substance addiction;

7. Lifestyles and career development which provide a broad understanding of differing lifestyles, career development theories, occupational and educational information sources and systems, career and leisure counseling, guidance and education, lifestyles and career decision-making, career development program planning, resources, and career option identification;

8. Group dynamics, processes, counseling and consulting which provide a broad understanding of group development dynamics, group counseling theories, group leadership styles, basic and advanced group therapy methods and skills, and other approaches to work with groups;

9. Appraisals of individuals which provides broad understanding of group and individual psychometric theories and approaches to appraisal, data and information gathering methods, validity and reliability, psychometric statistics, factors that influence appraisals, use of appraisal results in the helping process and the specific ability to administer and interpret tests and inventories that assess abilities, aptitudes, interest, and identify career options--within the regulations for licensed marriage and family therapist's scope of practice;

10. Research and evaluation which provides a broad understanding of types of research, basic statistics, research and report development, research implementation, program evaluation, needs assessment, efficacy of treatment, publication of research information;

11. Social and cultural foundations which provide a broad understanding of societal changes and trends, human roles, societal subgroups, social mores and interaction patterns, social policy, multi-cultural and pluralistic trends, differing lifestyles, and major societal concerns, and methods of alleviating these concerns; and

12. The marriage and family therapy profession which provides a broad understanding of professional roles and function, business practices including finances, management and recordkeeping, professional goals and objectives, professional organizations and associations, professional history and trends, ethical and legal standards, professional preparation standards, professional credentialing, and supervised clinical training.

(d) A course or program in the subject area of social and cultural competence for the purpose of fulfilling the three- contact-hour continuing education requirement shall be obtained consistent with (a) above or shall be subject to the approval of the Board. A course or program in the subject area approved by the Board of Social Work Examiners, the Professional Counselor Examiners Committee or the Alcohol and Drug Counselor Committee shall be deemed acceptable by this Board.

N.J. Admin. Code § 13:34-5.3

Amended by 49 N.J.R. 655(a), effective 4/3/2017