Let me begin by assuring all certified drug and alcohol counselors, and those seeking certification in Pennsylvania through the Pennsylvania Certification Board, that Laban's Trainings IS an approved provider for education. ALL OF OF TRAININGS ARE APPROVED BY THE PENNSYLVANIA CERTIFICATION BOARD FOR BOTH INITIAL HOURS AND RECERTIFICATION HOURS. This alert has more to deal with the licensing division and the staffing regulations of 1996 and subsequent changes.
For years, the Pennsylvania Certification Board and the Division of Licensing (the division that developed the staffing regulations and training requirements), had a reciprocal relationship whereby the Licensing division would recognize PCB approved training hours. Back in the late 1990's when the new staffing requirements came into effect, the licensing division began denying distance learning courses that were being taking by my company (and subsequently other distance learning companies that were PCB approved). It was not in the regulations at that time, and soon after my first couple letters to the licensing division, a PA bulletin was issued that prohibited distance learning for satisfying the training requirements required by the licensing division.
I wrote to the licensing on three separate occasions from 1999 to 2000. For each reason the division had for denying distance learning, I provided solid justification as summarized here:
1. The first response letter from the licensing division indicated the division's belief that "live" trainings were superior to distance learning trainings. As a former Penn State instructor and current researcher and educator, I replied that there was hard evidence to the contrary that was also backed by the Federal government distance learning agency. At this time ATTC sites around the country promote distance learning, including Laban's Trainings.
2. The division responded to my letter that the licensing division had no mechanism of reviewing and approving trainings. I responded that there are mechanisms for quality and standards in place with distance learning through state and national boards reviewing my courses, such as: • The National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) • The National Association of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselors NAADAC) • The Association of Social Worker Boards (ASWB) • Independent approval member boards of the ICRC (International Certification & Reciprocity Consortium). • Independent approval by various state licensing boards analogous to their own licensing division.
3. The third reply by the licensing division was on 2/10/00 regarding my inquiry about the Pennsylvania Bulletin prohibiting home study trainings in order to meet the licensing educational requirements (although the regulations did not state such at that time). The division letter stated; "....it is a determination that home study in general does not meet the intent of the published regulations." Furthermore, the division commented that the decision to prohibit distance learning was an issue of consumer protection.
I then suggested that the division could LIMIT the number of distance learning hours in order to provide for some "live" trainings, but also permitting those persons in time crunches, single parents, those in private practice and those in remote areas, to obtain some of their hours through distance learning. This remedy would have been logical and compassionate.
Instead, I recently learned that the actual language in the staffing
regulations were changed in 2004 to read:
Training is an interactive process with the trainer present. For example, home study, independent viewing of video material, or supervisory on-the-job training are not acceptable. College coursework from an accredited institution may be credited as 15 hours of training for every college credit. Continuing education courses are credited at 10 hours for each continuing education unit (CEU). Individuals who teach or train may receive credit for a training or course one time. Coursework must be relevant to the individual training plan. Also allowable is teleconferencing or satellite training by a Department approved trainer.
This limited view and narrow-minded approach to what constitutes effective
education places the Pennsylvania Department of Health licensing division 15
years behind other state licensing boards. I've seen progressive moves in over
20 states, with social worker boards, physician boards, professional counselors
boards and other health care professions, all INCREASING the allowable
percentage of continuing education or training hours via home study or distance
learning. These boards recognize the value and benefits of distance learning
for:
-Solo practitioners or those working in remote areas
-Single parents where training attendance can cause hardships
My business is international, and while this regulation change has a minimal effect on my activities, it should concern AND mobilize Pennsylvania drug and alcohol counselors to take action if they feel similarly. I've been told by hundreds of Pennsylvania counselors that promises to provide regular and available-to-all regional trainings have not been the case. Alternative education needs to be re-visited. This division could learn from viewing statutes in other states.