(1) All licensed associates must complete a total of 18 hours of continuing education (CE) every year in order to renew their license. The CEs must be completed in accordance with this chapter. An associate must attest to completing the CE every year during the renewal.

(2) Professional ethics and law CE for all licensed associates. All licensed associates must include six hours of CE in professional ethics and law every two years. The associates must attest to completing the CE during the second renewal, fourth renewal, and sixth renewal. These six CE hours maybe completed anytime within the two-year period before each of these renewals. The six hours may contribute to the total 18 hours of CE for the year in which the CE was completed.

(3) All licensed associates must complete a minimum of two hours in health equity continuing education training every four years. The training content must be consistent with requirements established in WAC 246-12-830.

(4) Suicide assessment, treatment, and management CE only for licensed social worker associate advanced and licensed social worker associate independent clinical.

(a) Licensed social worker associate advanced and licensed social worker associate independent clinical must complete:

(i) Six hours of suicide assessment, treatment, and management CE after initial licensure and before the first renewal in accordance with WAC 246-809-615 and 246-809-630; and

(ii) Six hours of subsequent training per WAC 246-809-615 and 246-809-630 in the following six-year period.

(b) The licensed social worker associate advanced and licensed social worker associate independent clinical may delay completing the first training if he or she can demonstrate completion of the training no more than six years before gaining their initial license.

(c) The hours spent completing training in suicide assessment, treatment, and management count toward the total 18 hours of CE.