Certification Maintenance Requirements
ASHA requires individuals who hold the Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology (CCC-SLP) and the Certificate of Clinical Competence in Audiology (CCC-A) to accumulate 30 Certification Maintenance Hours of professional development every three years in order to maintain their Certificates of Clinical Competence (CCC).
One way for certificate holders to meet this requirement is to participate in professional development activities that are offered through continuing education providers who are not approved by ASHA.
What is a non-ASHA-approved continuing education provider?
Many organizations offer activities that are acceptable for the purposes of maintaining ASHA certification but are not ASHA-approved providers. Examples of such organizations include, but are not limited to, employers, state associations, local professional groups, and related professional organizations. To understand the rationale for accepting activities provided by non-ASHA-approved continuing education providers, refer to Definition of Professional Development and Acceptable Activities.
What is a Certification Maintenance Hour?
The Certification Maintenance Hour (CMH) is 60 minutes that you spend in a professional development activity as a learner or participant. CMHs are accumulated through participation in non-ASHA CEU activities for the purpose of maintaining your ASHA Certificate of Clinical Competence. If you choose to use CMHs, you will be responsible for obtaining and keeping documentation, such as a certificate of attendance or university transcript, that will verify your completion of the activity. CMHs are not considered to be approved by ASHA for any purpose other than meeting the professional development requirement for maintaining ASHA certification. CMHs cannot be maintained on the Continuing Education (CE) Registry.
ASHA CEUs and Certification Maintenance Hours—what's the difference?
When certificate holders use Certification Maintenance Hours to maintain their CCCs, they are responsible for keeping records of their activities. If they are randomly selected for audit, they will be required to report their activities to ASHA and to submit verification of attendance for each activity. State regulatory agencies and boards of education do not necessarily recognize or accept CMHs. However, many non-ASHA-approved continuing education providers are recognized by their states and may offer their own CEUs, PDUs, CMEs, etc.
When certificate holders participate in activities offered by ASHA-approved CE Providers and earn ASHA CEUs to maintain their CCCs, they will also become a member of the ASHA CE Registry and will not have to keep records of their activities. Their ASHA CE Registry Transcripts will be their verification of attendance. Many state regulatory agencies and boards of education recognize ASHA CE Providers and accept ASHA CEUs for the purposes of renewing state licensure or board of education recertification.
Provider's Roles and Responsibilities
Non-ASHA-approved continuing education providers are responsible for:
- maintaining a record of attendance for the activity that includes the date of the activity, title, number of Certification Maintenance Hours, and names of the participants;
- providing a document to the participant that verifies their attendance at the activity and includes the date of the activity, the title, the number of CMHs earned, the name of the participant, and the name of their organization or the sponsoring organization (providers may use their own documents or they may use the Verification of Attendance form [PDF]);
- refer participants with questions about maintaining ASHA certification directly to ASHA (800-498-2071) where they can speak with their case manager, or suggest participants e-mail questions to ASHA at certification@asha.org.
Non-ASHA-approved continuing education providers are NOT responsible for:
- obtaining pre-approval from ASHA to offer an activity
- submitting records of attendance to ASHA on behalf of the participants
- answering participant questions about how to maintain ASHA certification
Participant's Roles and Responsibilities
Participants in non-ASHA-approved continuing education activities do not need to obtain prior approval to use the activity to meet their certification maintenance requirement. Participants are responsible for:
- obtaining and keeping a copy of the document verifying attendance at the activity
- understanding how to maintain ASHA certification
- contacting ASHA directly for information on how to maintain ASHA certification
How to Promote Non-ASHA-approved Activities to Participants Who Wish to Use the Activity to Maintain Their CCCs
Non-ASHA-approved continuing education providers may use the following language in their promotional materials:
"This activity may be used to meet the ASHA certification maintenance requirement if you determine that: (1) the content is relevant to your area of practice and your practice setting, and (2) you are in your 3-year maintenance interval. You do not need prior approval from ASHA to use this activity. The activity is offered for ___ Certification Maintenance Hours, and you will be provided with the appropriate documentation of attendance. For more information on acceptable activities and your record keeping responsibilities, contact ASHA at 800-498-2071 or certification@asha.org."
ASHA Resources and Key Contacts
ASHA's Web site includes Fact Sheets and forms as well as other useful information about certification maintenance.
If you have questions, please e-mail the Certification Administration Unit at certification@asha.org.