CPD Audit Shortfall Before Renewal
Dr. Marcus Bell is a licensed psychologist in Aurora. His license renews on August 31, and he is preparing to attest to completing Colorado's continuing professional development requirement. He has 40 total hours: 15 hours from a practice-management webinar on billing and marketing, 5 hours from a personal finance course, 3 hours from a hospital grand rounds on ethics, 7 hours from a conference on psychotherapy, and 10 hours of self-logged reading of professional journals. He attended a 6-hour ethics workshop in 2023 but lost the certificate. He has not kept a CPD log. He is busy and wants to submit the attestation because he has 'enough hours.' He asks you whether his CPD meets the Board's requirements and what will happen if he attests anyway.
1. Evaluate Dr. Bell's CPD hours against Colorado requirements. What counts and what does not?
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Colorado requires 40 hours of CPD per two-year renewal cycle, and the Board's rules define acceptable activities and a minimum ethics requirement. Dr. Bell's 40 hours are not all qualifying. The 15-hour billing and marketing webinar is practice management; unless the Board specifically accepts it as psychology-related, it may not count. The 5-hour personal finance course is not psychology CPD. The 10 hours of self-logged journal reading may be limited or not accepted without documentation. The 7-hour psychotherapy conference and 3-hour ethics grand rounds likely count. The lost 6-hour ethics workshop would help meet the ethics minimum if he can obtain a duplicate certificate. As presented, he is short of verifiable, qualifying hours. He should not attest. He should request a duplicate certificate, complete additional approved hours, and keep a log with certificates.
2. What are the consequences of attesting to completion when he has not met the requirement? What should he do now?
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Attesting to completion when he has not met the requirement is a false statement and unprofessional conduct. The Board audits licensees and can request documentation. Consequences can include disciplinary action (letter of admonition, probation, fine, suspension) and increased scrutiny on future renewals. He should not submit a false attestation. He should contact the Board or DORA before the deadline to ask about options, complete qualifying CPD as quickly as possible, and renew only when he can truthfully attest. If his license expires, he must not practice until it is renewed; practicing on an expired license is separate unprofessional conduct. He should create a CPD file and retain certificates for the Board's required retention period.