Renewal Information for Florida Psychologists

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Florida psychologists have a biennial license renewal deadline of May 31st (of even-numbered years). Every licensee must complete 40 hours of approved continuing psychological education (CE) within the two year licensure period (biennium) including 2 hours on the prevention of medical errors, 3 hours on ethics and Florida laws, and 2 hours on domestic violence (every third renewal).

Professional Development Resources is approved by the American Psychological Association (APA) to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Professional Development Resources maintains responsibility for all programs and content. Florida psychologists may earn all 40 required hours through coursework @ http://www.pdresources.org/Courses/Psychology/AllCourses/CourseID/1/

Continuing Psychological Education Credit

As a condition of biennial licensure renewal, each licensee must complete forty (40) hours of continuing psychological education.

  • Three (3) of the forty (40) hours must be on professional ethics and Florida Statutes and rules affecting the practice of psychology. Of those three hours, at least one hour shall be on professional ethics, and at least one hour shall be on Florida laws and rules relevant to the practice of psychology and shall include Chapters 456 and 490, F.S. and Rule Chapter 64B19, F.A.C.
  • Two (2) of the forty (40) hours must relate to prevention of medical errors. In addition to the study of root-cause analysis, error reduction and prevention, and patient safety, the course content shall also be designed to discuss potential errors within a psychological setting, such as inadequate assessment of suicide risk, failure to comply with mandatory abuse reporting laws, and failure to detect medical conditions presenting as a psychological disorder. If the course is offered by a facility licensed pursuant to Chapter 395, F.S., for its employees, the Board will approve up to one (1) hour of the two (2) hour course to be specifically related to error reduction and prevention methods used in that facility.
  • Every six years, each licensee shall complete two (2) hours of continuing psychological education on domestic violence as defined in Section 741.28, F.S.; these two (2) hours shall be part of the forty (40) hours otherwise required for each biennial licensure renewal. The licensee shall maintain documentation to substantiate timely completion of these two (2) hours and make said documentation available upon request every third biennial licensure renewal period.
  • Passage of the laws and rules examination of the Board constitutes forty (40) hours of continuing education credit, including credit for professional ethics and Florida Statutes and rules affecting the practice of psychology. Passage of the laws and rules examination, however, does not satisfy the requirement for the two (2) credit hours of continuing education on domestic violence required every third biennial licensure renewal period, nor the requirement for two (2) hours relating to prevention of medical errors.

Continuing psychological education credit will be granted for:

  • Completion of graduate level courses approved for credit by sponsors approved by the American Psychological Association;
  • Completion of graduate level courses in psychology provided by a university or professional school which is regionally accredited, except that no more than ten (10) hours of continuing psychological education credit may be obtained for each semester hour;
  • Completion of a colloquium, a presentation, a workshop or a symposium offered for continuing education credit by a doctoral psychology program or an internship or residency which is part of a psychology program that is accredited by the American Psychological Association;
  • Full attendance at workshops/seminars offered by providers approved by the American Psychological Association or any of its affiliates, or providers approved by the Board. A list of Board approved providers is available from the Board office upon request;
  • Simple attendance at a state, regional or national psychology convention or conference. Only four (4) credits will be allowed each biennium regardless of how many state, regional or national conventions or conferences are attended during that biennium;
  • Attainment of diplomate status in a specialty area from the American Board of Professional Psychology, for which thirty-seven (37) continuing psychological education credits, not including the two-hour continuing education course on domestic violence required by Section 456.031(1), F.S., and the two-hour continuing education course on the prevention of medical errors required by Section 456.013(7), F.S., will be allowed only during the biennium during which the diplomate is first awarded;
  • Presenting or moderating for the first time only a continuing psychological education program sponsored by a provider approved by the Board, except that credit will be limited to the number of credits allowed by the program;
  • Each hour of attendance at a Board meeting or Board committee meeting. Only one credit will be granted for each hour of full attendance and only ten (10) credits will be allowed each biennium regardless of how many hours are attended during the biennium. Attendance at a Board or committee meeting shall also satisfy, hour by hour, the requirement of professional ethics and legal issues credit set out in subsection (3) of this rule.
  • Continuing education courses approved by any Board within the Division of Medical Quality Assurance of the Department of Health, provided that such courses enhance the psychological skills and/or psychological knowledge of the licensee.
  • The provision of volunteer expert witness opinions for cases being reviewed pursuant to laws and standards relevant to the practice of psychology. Two hours of credit shall be awarded for each case reviewed up to a maximum of ten hours per biennium. In this regard, volunteer expert witnesses are expected to perform a review of the psychological, medical, legal, and/or ethical literature, as appropriate to the case being reviewed.

No continuing psychological education credit may be earned for:

  • Regular work activities as a psychologist;
  • Membership, office in, or participation on boards or committees of professional organizations;
  • Independent, unstructured or self-structured learning;
  • Personal psychotherapy or personal growth experience;
  • Authoring or editing books or articles;
  • Obtaining or providing supervision or consultation from or under a psychologist or other professional who is not a Board approved continuing psychological education provider;
  • Home study except from providers approved by the American Psychological Association or any of its affiliates.

The licensee shall maintain, and make available upon request, documentation to substantiate continuing psychological education credit required by the Board. The licensee shall retain such documentation for two (2) years following the renewal period during which the continuing psychological education credit was required.

Florida Board of Psychology: http://www.doh.state.fl.us/mqa/psychology/