Indiana LAC, LCAC, LACA & LCACA Continuing Education Requirements

Total

Cycle and record rules

Renewal

The renewal cycle is biennial, and CE is due by March 31 of even years.

Renewal fee

The board renewal fee is $50 every 2 years, and a late (delinquent) renewal adds a $50 fee.

New licensees

No continuing education is owed at the first renewal of a licensee who has been licensed less than twelve months: "A licensee who has been licensed for less than twelve (12) months shall be exempt from the CEUs required for renewal of that initial license" (839 IAC 1-6-3(h)(2)). The full 40 CEUs apply from the next renewal period.

Approved providers

Continuing education "means education provided by board-approved providers" (839 IAC 1-6-1(a)). Programs "sponsored, accredited, or approved by" the organizations listed in 839 IAC 1-6-2(f) "shall be deemed approved, and no prior approval by the board shall be required"; the list includes the National Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors (NAADAC), the Indiana Counselors Association for Alcohol and Drug Abuse, the National Board of Addiction Examiners, the National Board for Certified Counselors, the American Counseling Association, the American Psychological Association, the National Association of Social Workers, the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy, ACCME programs related to mental health, and accredited universities and colleges. Other sponsors apply to the board at least 90 days before the program (839 IAC 1-6-2(b)). Category II self-directed activities carry no sponsor and are credited at the rates in 839 IAC 1-6-1(e). Hours must fall inside the April 1 - March 31 biennium being renewed and do not carry over.

Recordkeeping

Keep CE documentation for 4 years after the end of each cycle.

Board audit

The board may audit licensees to verify CE compliance.

Late renewal

A late renewal adds a $50 late fee.

Provisional renewal

The board allows a provisional/conditional renewal for up to 6 months before full compliance is required. Under IC 25-1-4-5 a board that finds a practitioner has not met the continuing education requirement at renewal notifies the practitioner by certified mail and may "issue a conditional license to the practitioner that is effective until the practitioner complies"; the practitioner then either requests review or pays the civil penalty (up to $1,000) and completes the deficient education within six months. The conditional license is not renewable; failure within the six months is a basis for suspension and a second consecutive noncompliance may bar renewal under IC 25-1-4-6.

To keep your proof in order, see what to keep for a CE audit, which covers every state’s retention period and what the audit notice asks for.