Are API Workshops Approved Continuing Education for Psychologists?
Short Answer: Yes.
Long Answer: You have to answer that question yourself. The Board will not answer it for you and the Board does not approve individual CE providers or workshops. You can find out if a workshop will be acceptable to the board by reading Arizona Administrative Code and Arizona Revised Statutes. We’ve done that for you.
A. Arizona Administrative Code Title 4 – Professions and Occupations – Chapter 26 – Board of Psychologist Examiners – Article 2 – Licensure – Section R4-26-207 Continuing Education – subsection (F) standards (on page 13) are satisfied by API as follows:
1. All API workshops offered for continuing education focus on the practice of psychology as
defined at A.R.S. 32-2061(9) for at least 75 % of the program hours.
API includes one 15-minute break in every 4 hours segment of instruction counted in the program hours. Meals during which food and instruction are provided are counted in the program hours. Meal breaks during which participants leave the premises or are not instructed do not count towards program hours.
Psychology, as defined at Arizona Revised Statutes Chapter 19.1 Psychologists – Article 1 – Board of Psychologist Examiners – Section 32-2061(9) includes the assessment, treatment, or correction of mental, emotional, behavioral, or psychological abilities, illnesses, or disorders. API teaches content using Sociometry and Psychodrama. Concurrently, API teaches how to use Sociometry and Psychodrama, each of which assess and treat or correct mental, emotional, behavioral, or psychological abilities, illnesses, and disorders. Thus, both our content AND our methods apply to the practice of psychology.
2. API instructors are readily identifiable as competent in the subjects of the continuing education by having advanced degrees, teaching experience, work history, published professional articles, and previously presenting continuing education on the same subject.
Marlo Archer has a Ph.D. in psychology. She has taught introductory and advanced psychology courses at the University of Southern Mississippi, Marian College, and Upper Iowa University. She has been a working, licensed psychologist since 1998. She has published or presented over 17 papers or posters nationally and internationally since 1990. She has been presenting continuing education repeatedly on ethics, cultural competency & diversity, domestic violence & abuse, and the use of action methods in therapy since 2012. Currently Marlo Archer presents or co-presents all API workshops offered for CEs to psychologists.
B. Since the standards in subsection (F) are met, the Board’s rules (also on page 13) state that they shall accept for continuing education hours any workshop for which a certificate of attendance or completion is provided.
API always issues a certificate of attendance at the end of each workshop to each participant who turns in a completed course evaluation after attending the full workshop. The certificate lists the workshop title, date, location and number of hours of instruction. Each certificate is signed by the “readily identifiable as competent” instructor.
C. That alone should suffice. However, API is additionally an approved CE provider for a national continuing education provider – NAADAC Provider #152131.