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Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is Continuing Professional Development (CPD)?

    Continuing Professional Development (CPD) refers to a set of activities that licensed professionals can participate in to enhance their knowledge and skills and maintain their competence in all facets of their profession.

  • My license expires in 2023. What model do I use to renew my license?

    Licenses that expire between January 1, 2023 and December 31, 2023 can be renewed by completing either traditional Continuing Education or Continuing Professional Development. A combination of both models is NOT permitted. The renewal application will not be approved for licensees attempting to renew their licenses using a combination of traditional CE and CPD.

  • My license expires in 2024. Am I required to use the CPD model to renew my license?

    All licensees renewing January 1, 2024 and after are required to use the CPD model to renew their licenses.

  • What is the total number of hours required for each renewal under CPD?

    For every 2-year renewal, a total of 36 hours of CPD is required.

  • I am trying to renew online using BreEZe, but the renewal application only refers to CPD. How can I renew if I have used the traditional CE model?

    The online renewal will ask if you have completed 36 hours of CPD. You would answer “yes” if you completed the 36 hours of renewal using either traditional CE or CPD. The Laws and Ethics question asks if you completed four (4) hours. If you completed the Laws and Ethics requirement using the traditional CE model, then you would answer “yes.” For the Social Justice/Cultural Diversity question, you can answer “yes” or “no,” it will not hold up your renewal.

  • What is the Laws and Ethics requirement for licensees? (Minimum of 4 hours per renewal period)

    Effective January 1, 2023, licensees must complete a minimum of four (4) hours in the subject of Laws and Ethics, as they apply to the practice of psychology. This includes recent changes or updates on the laws and regulations related to the practice of psychology, recent changes or updates in the Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct published by the American Psychological Association, accepted standards of practice, and other applications of laws and ethics as they affect the licensee's ability to practice psychology safely. This requirement shall be met using any combination of the four (4) CPD categories, and the licensee shall indicate on their documentation which of the CPD activities is being used to fulfill this requirement. The four (4) hours shall be considered part of the 36-hour CPD requirement.

    Licensees whose licenses expire between January 1, 2023 and December 31, 2023 and are completing their renewal requirements using the traditional CE model would satisfy these hours using traditional Continuing Education activities.

  • What is the Cultural Diversity and/or Social Justice requirement for licensees? (Minimum of 4 hours per renewal period)

    Licensees must complete a minimum of four (4) hours of CPD in the area of Cultural Diversity and/or Social Justice as it applies to the practice of psychology.

    Cultural Diversity pertains to differences in age, race, culture, ethnicity, nationality, immigration status, gender identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, religion/spirituality, and physical ability.

    Social Justice pertains to the historical, social, and political inequities in the treatment of people from non-dominant groups, while addressing the various injustices and different types of oppression that contribute to individual, family and community psychological concerns. The four (4) hours are considered part of the 36-hour CPD requirement.

    This requirement shall be met using any combination of the four (4) CPD categories, and the licensee shall indicate on their documentation which of the CPD activities is being used to fulfill this requirement. The four (4) hours shall be considered part of the 36-hour CPD requirement.

    Licensees whose licenses expire between January 1, 2023 and December 31, 2023 and are completing their renewal requirements using the traditional CE model would satisfy these hours using traditional Continuing Education activities.

  • Does a Sponsored Continuing Education course I took that covered both Laws and Ethics and Cultural Diversity meet the requirement?

    No, you are not able to use one CPD activity to complete two requirements.

  • What are the different CPD activity categories?

    There are 15 activities organized into four (4) CPD categories:

    1. Professional Activities
    2. Academic
    3. Sponsored Continuing Education
    4. ABPP Certification
  • Do I need to use activities from each of the four (4) CPD categories to fulfill the 36-hour requirement?

    Licensees shall accrue hours during each renewal period from at least two of the four CPD activity categories.

  • Are there any exceptions or extensions for completing the CPD requirements?

    The Board does not offer extensions to completing the CPD requirements. The only exemption from the CPD requirement is for licensees who are active-duty members of the United States Armed Forces or the California National Guard. To be granted an exemption from all or part of the CPD requirements, a licensee must certify in writing that the licensee has met the requirement of section 114.3 of the Business and Professions Code that during the two-year period immediately preceding the expiration of the license, the licensee was on active military duty. The request for exemption must be submitted no less than thirty (30) days prior to the submission of an application for the renewal of the license. Requests for exemptions under this exception should be submitted to BOPCE@dca.ca.gov.

CPD Learning Category #1 – Professional Activities

  • What is Peer Consultation? (18 hours maximum per each renewal period)

    Peer Consultation is a professional activity that includes case consultation, reading or research groups.

  • What should be included in the record of hours for Peer Consultation?

    The record of hours for Peer Consultation should include the following: date(s), type of activity, and total number of hours.

  • Can I participate in Peer Consultation with a master’s level mental health professional?

    Yes, you can consult with other licensed mental health professionals such as (but not limited to) MFTs, Licensed Professional Clinical Counselors, Psychiatrists, and Social Workers.

  • Can I conduct Peer Consultation via email or Facebook groups?

    Peer Consultation must be conducted live, where you are able to interact in real time (e.g., in person or through a secure virtual meeting). As a result, communications conducted via email or posts to a Facebook group would not qualify for CPD credit under the Peer Consultation category.

  • Does the mental health professional I am consulting with have to be in the State of California?

    No, you can consult with or be involved in reading and research groups with licensed mental health professionals that reside outside of California.

  • What is Practice Outcome Monitoring (POM)? (9 hours maximum per renewal period)

    Practice Outcome Monitoring is the assessment of patient/client outcomes via protocol, including the use of repeated standardized outcome assessment protocols to assess patient/client outcomes.

  • What should be included in the record of Practice Outcome Monitoring?

    The record of Practice Outcome Monitoring should include the following: date(s) of monitoring, client identifier that ensures confidentiality (e.g., Client #1), how outcomes were measured, and total number of hours.

  • Does the Board have a list of acceptable measures?

    The Board does not keep a list of acceptable measures to be used for POM. It is up to the licensee to ensure measures used are culturally sensitive.

  • What are Professional Services? (4.5 hours minimum per renewal period; 12 hours maximum per renewal period)

    Professional Services include serving on psychological association boards or committees, on editorial boards of peer-reviewed journals related to psychology, on scientific grant review teams, as a board member of a regulatory body, performing program development, and/or activities in service of psychology.

  • What should be included in the record of Professional Services?

    The record of Professional Services should include the following: board or program name, role of licensee, dates of service, and term of service (six months or one year). A licensee serving for a term of six months can claim 4.5 hours while a one-year term allows for nine (9) hours to be applied in this activity.

  • If I am compensated for my work on a committee, can I still use the hours I worked as Professional Services?

    No, work that you are compensated for cannot be counted towards the Professional Services CPD category.

  • What is Conference/Convention Attendance? (6 hours maximum per renewal period)

    Conference/Convention Attendance is attendance at professional gatherings, either in person or via electronic means, that consists of multiple concurrent or sequential free-standing presentations related to the practice of psychology.

  • What should be included in the record of Conference/Convention Attendance?

    The record of Conference/Convention Attendance should include the following: name of conference/convention attended, proof of registration, and date(s) of conference/convention attended.

  • I attended a 2-day conference that gave me 12 Sponsored Continuing Education credit hours. How many hours of Conference/Convention attendance can I receive?

    If you attended the conference for the full two (2) days you would receive two (2) additional hours in Conference/Convention attendance. You would have a total of hours credited: 12 hours in Sponsored CE and two (2) hours in Conference/Convention attendance.

  • What are Examination Functions? (12 hours maximum per renewal period)

    Examination Functions are serving in any function related to examination development for the Board of Psychology or for the development of the Examination of Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP).

  • What should be included in the record of Examination Functions?

    The record of Examination Functions should include the following: name of exam, dates of service, and number of hours.

  • Can you send me information on how to participate in exam development?

    Please contact Lavinia Snyder, the Examination Coordinator for the Board, at Lavinia.Snyder@dca.ca.gov.

  • What is Expert Review/Consultation? (12 hours maximum per renewal period)

    Expert Review/Consultation means serving in any expert capacity for the Board of Psychology.

  • What should be included in the record of Expert Review/Consultation?

    The record of Expert Review/Consultation should include the following: dates of service and number of hours.

  • Can you send me information on how to become an Expert Reviewer for the Board?

    For information on becoming an Expert Reviewer for the Board, please visit the Expert Reviewer Program webpage.

  • What is Attendance at a California Board of Psychology Meeting? (8 hours maximum per renewal period)

    Attendance at a California Board of Psychology Meeting is attending a Committee or Board meeting of the California Board of Psychology in person, or virtually when available.

  • What should be included in the record of Attendance at a California Board of Psychology Meeting?

    The record of Attendance at a California Board of Psychology Meeting should include the following: date of meeting, type of meeting (Board or Committee), and number of hours attended. A psychologist requesting CPD credit pursuant to this subdivision for in person meetings shall have signed in and out on an attendance sheet providing their first and last name, license number, time of arrival and time of departure from the meeting. See below for how record of attendance is noted for virtual meetings. Note that meetings lasting 3 hours or less are credited based on actual meeting hours present, while meetings lasting more than 3 hours for which the licensee is present the entire time can be counted as 6 hours.

  • Where can I find the dates for upcoming Board and/or Committee Meetings?

    You can view upcoming Board and/or Committee Meetings in the Board Meeting/Event Calendar.

  • If I watch a live Board meeting can I receive CPD credit?

    If a meeting is noticed with a physical address, you must be physically present and sign in and out on the available attendance sheet to receive CPD credit. For meetings held on WebEx, CPD credit will be provided to licensees who log into the meeting. Also, watching a recording of a past Board or Committee meeting will not count for CPD.

  • Where do I find the address or weblink for an upcoming Board or Committee meeting?

    WebEx meeting links or the physical address will be posted on the meeting agenda. Agendas are typically posted 2-3 weeks before the meeting. The agendas are posted on the Board Meeting/Event Calendar.

  • What is the sign in sheet for meetings conducted through WebEx?

    Signing into the WebEx is considered the sign-in sheet. Please include your first and last name, license number, and email address.

    Webex login window

CPD Learning Category #2 – Academic

  • What is Academic Coursework? (18 hours maximum per renewal period)

    Academic Coursework is completing and earning credit for a graduate-level course related to psychology from an institution whose degree meets the requirements of section 2914 of the Business and Professions Code (Code).

  • What should be included in the record of Academic Coursework?

    The record of Academic Coursework should include a transcript with evidence of a passing grade (C or higher or “pass”).

  • Can a course from my master’s program count as CPD credit towards Academic Coursework?

    No, coursework must be from a doctoral degree program, in accordance with section 2914 of the Code.

  • What is Academic/Sponsor-Approved CE Instruction? (18 hours maximum per renewal period)

    Academic/Sponsor-Approved CE Instruction means teaching a graduate-level course that is part of a degree program that meets the requirements of section 2914 of the Code or teaching a sponsored CE course that relates to the practice of psychology as defined in Title 16 of the California Code of Regulations (CCR) section 1397.60(c).

  • How many hours can I receive for teaching a Sponsor-Approved CE course?

    One (1) hour of instruction equals 1.5 hours of credit.

  • What is Supervision? (18 hours maximum per renewal period)

    Supervision is overseeing the professional experience of a trainee who is accruing hours towards licensure as a Psychologist, Marriage and Family Therapist, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor, Licensed Educational Psychologist, or Physician and Surgeon.

  • What should be included in the record of Supervision?

    The record of Supervision should include dates of supervision and a trainee identifier (e.g., registration number of supervisee).

  • Does supervising practicum students provide CPD credit under Supervision?

    Supervision of practicum students does not count for CPD credit as they are not accruing hours towards licensure during their practicum experience.

  • What are Publications? (9 hours maximum per renewal period)?

    Publications means authoring or co-authoring peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, book(s), or editing or co-editing a book, related to psychology or a related discipline.

  • What should be included in the record of Publications?

    The record of Publications should include either a letter of acceptance for publication, or proof of publication with publication date in the renewal period for which it is being submitted.

  • What is Self-Directed Learning? (6 hours maximum per renewal period)

    Self-Directed Learning is independent educational activities focused on maintaining, developing, or increasing conceptual and applied competencies that are relevant to psychological practice, education, or science, such as reading peer-review journal articles or books, watching videos or webcasts, or listening to podcasts.

  • What should be included in the record of Self-Directed Learning?

    The record of Self-Directed Learning should include date(s), medium (e.g., webinar), topic or title, and total number of hours.

  • How do I count my hours?

    You would record the amount of time it takes you to complete the Self-Directed Learning activity. For example, if you chose to read a peer-reviewed journal article, you would record how long it took you to read the article.

CPD Learning Category #3 – Sponsored Continuing Education

CPD Learning Category #4 – Board Certification

  • What is ABPP Board Certification? (36 hours maximum during one renewal period only; the “Senior Option” offers 18 hours maximum during one renewal period).

    Board Certification is the initial earning of a specialty certification in an area of psychology from the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP).

  • What should be included in the record of Board Certification?

    The record of Board Certification is proof of specialty certification.

  • Can I get CPD credit for renewing my ABPP certification?

    You are only able to get credit when you initially earn the certification. Renewal of the ABPP certification does not count for CPD credit.

  • Where can I get information on earning ABPP certification?

    For information on how to receive Board Certification please visit the American Board of Professional Psychology’s website.

If you have any further questions, please email BOPCE@dca.ca.gov.

For the full text of CPD Regulations: Notice of Approval, Stamped Form 400, and Order of Adoption (ca.gov)

For more detailed information regarding the learning activities, please see the, CPD Final Statement of Reasons: Continuing Professional Development – Final Statement of Reasons (ca.gov)

Courtesy CPD Reporting Form: Continuing Professional Development Reporting Form - California Board of Psychology