You are in full swing to renew your license now! When you renew your license online before your February 28th renewal date, the Florida Department of Health will review your records in CE Broker. It will be required that all of your requirements be met and your hours are posted in order to renew successfully. So don’t wait until the last minute– complete and report your hours as you go so you don’t fall behind!
You can learn more about your renewal process at www.AreYouRenewalReady.com.
We want to give you a quick visual of all of your CE requirements, so you don’t have any surprises when renewing your license. The following chart contains all of 26 total hours for Florida Occupational Therapists.
Your Hours– Broken Down:
Board-Approved Providers:
- Approved providers and courses listed in CEBroker’s Course Search
- American Occupational Therapy Association
- Florida Occupational Therapy Association
Other methods of receiving credit:
- Up to 5 hours per biennium: Development or Participation in Practice-Related Research Projects and Learning through Alternative Media (video, audio, software programs)
- Up to 6 hours per biennium: Level II OT/OTA Field Work Experience Supervision and Volunteer Expert Witness Service
- Up to 8 hours per biennium: Course Presentations and Attendance at Board meetings
- Up to 10 hours per biennium: Publications Related to Occupational Therapy Practice
- Up to 1 – 10 hours per biennium for Publications. A licensee may earn the following continuing education credit for publication of a peer-reviewed or non-peer-reviewed book, chapter, or article directly related to the practice of occupational therapy:
- Up to 10 hours as the author of a book;
- Up to 5 hours as the author of a chapter;
- Up to 3 hours as the author of a peer-reviewed article;
- Up to 1 hour as the author of a non-peer-reviewed article; and
- Up to 5 hours as an editor of a book; Documentation shall consist of a full reference for the publication, including title, author, editor, and date of publication. See 64B11-6.001 (12), F.A.C.
- Up to 4 hours per biennium: Performance of Pro Bono Services to the indigent as provided in Section 456.013(9), F.S., or to underserved populations, or in areas of critical need within the state where the licensee practices. In order to receive credit under this rule, licensees must make a request to the Board and receive approval in advance. One (1) hour credit for each two (2) hours worked. See 64B11-6.001 (15), F.A.C.
Helpful Information to keep in mind:
- The Board’s measurement for Continuing Education hours is by contact hours. One (1) contact hour equals a minimum of fifty (50) minutes. One-half (1/2 or .5) contact hours equals a minimum of twenty-five (25) minutes.
- No more than 12 hours of home study courses are allowed. Home study education is independent study and requires a certificate of completion. Home study education does not include a web-based, satellite-transmitted, or online instruction program that allows or requires the licensee to interact or communicate back and forth with the instructor during the presentation of the program.
Account Options:
If you have a Professional or Concierge Account with CE Broker, you can see whether you have met the requirements listed above in your CE Compliance Transcript. If something is required for completion of that biennium, you will see it listed as required. Once you have completed those hours, you will see that are fulfilled. If you have not completed those hours yet, you will see how many hours are still required for that section.
What If This Is My First Renewal?
According to the Florida Board of Occupational Therapists:
“Occupational Therapists and Occupational Therapy Assistants renewing a license for the first time and were licensed in the second half of the biennium (on or after 03/01/14) are exempt from general continuing education. You are required to complete 2 hours on the prevention of medical errors and 1 hour on HIV/AIDS. For the HIV/AIDS 1-hour (for first renewal only) requirement, the board approves any course approved by any of the professions regulated within the Division of Medical Quality Assurance, the Department of Health.
Continuing education hours can only be credited after one is licensed and within the current biennium dates in which they are taken.
Occupational Therapists and Occupational Therapy Assistants renewing a license for the first time and were licensed in the first half of the biennium (03/01/13 – 02/28/14) are required to complete all 26 as stated above, including the HIV/AIDS 1 hour (for first renewal only) requirement. The board approves any course approved by any of the professions regulated within the Division of Medical Quality Assurance, the Department of Health.
Even though you completed a 2-hour course in the prevention of medical errors for initial licensure purposes, you must complete an additional 2 hours of prevention of medical errors for each renewal.”
CE Broker iPhone and Android Apps- Continuing Education Simplified.
Our free CE Broker iPhone or Android app, available in the iTunes Store and in Google Play, is the best way to manage your CE from anywhere, anytime. You can create a FREE Basic Account and even upgrade to a Professional or Concierge account with your iTunes/Google Play account if you so desire. That means no credit card is required since your account on file is automatically charged. Once you download the app you need, you can see your Course History, Report CE, use the Course Search Tool and even view your CE Compliance Transcript. Visit the iTunes or Google Play store and download your app for free today!
What if I Have Questions?
We are dedicated to helping you successfully renew your license, so we have plenty of tools for you to utilize if you have any questions! We added a special Occupational Therapist-FAQ section just for Occupational Therapists in our Support pages which include all of the most commonly asked questions from other licensees in your profession. You can watch our Course Search video by clicking on the picture below to find a specific course to fulfill any unmet requirements.
Watch our Course Search Video here to walk you through how to find the course you need:
