Continuing Education Credits (CEs/CEUs)

Please Note: IDHS reserves the right to deny CEs to persons arriving late or leaving early for training. Partial CE credit is not given for arriving late or leaving early. 

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The Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD) is certified by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation to sponsor Continuing Education hours for the following professional licenses:

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1. Qualified Intellectual Disabilities Professionals (QIDPs) may apply continuing education hours sponsored by DDD toward their 12-hour, annual CE requirement obtained in the current State Fiscal Year (SFY).
2. Educators may receive Continuing Professional Development Units (CPDUs) for completing a qualifying course.
3. Other professionals may submit participation certificates or documentation to their licensing boards for possible approval. DDD can provide additional documentation upon request, but approval of DDD sponsored CE credit is not guaranteed by the licensing boards.
4. Individuals who hold a professional license can apply the same number of Continuing Education Credits (CEs) as Continuing Education Units (CEUs) credits.

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Continuing Education Requirements for Qualified QIDPs

QIDPs are required by DDD to obtain 12 hours of continuing education annually and then each State Fiscal Year (SFY) thereafter.  Only 6 of the 12 hours can be earned inside the employing agency annually.  However, all 12 hours may be earned outside the employing agency.

1. Topics must be related to the developmental disabilities field, the work of QIDPs, or issues affecting the field of developmental disabilities or service provision and must be presented by persons qualified in the subject matter.
2. College credit courses must relate to the field of developmental disabilities, work of QIDPs, or issues affecting the field of developmental disabilities or service provision.  CE hours earned for college credit courses equal the credit hours earned for the course, not the time spent in class.
3. See each Course Description or Webinar page for the credit hours awarded.

CEs Obtained Inside the Employing Agency

The limitation on the number of CEs that can be earned annually inside the employing agency ensures that QIDPs are exposed to wider perspectives in the field of developmental disabilities.  These CEs can be earned by:

1. Reading qualifying articles in Professional Journals or Books.  Each article counts as only 1 hour of CE credit.  A maximum of 3 hours of CE credit per fiscal year may be earned in this manner. To count as CE credit, agencies must ensure articles are:
   1. Educational and relevant to the role or responsibilities of QIDPs, providing services to people with developmental disabilities, or issues affecting the field of developmental disabilities or service provision.
   2. Authored by a qualified professional in the field or person(s) with documented education or experience in the subject matter.
   3. Documented as read and understood by the QIDP. To ensure this, agencies can document completion of the article by having the QIDP or other staff:
      • Sign their name on an agency-developed form attesting that they read and understood the article.  The form should record the author's name (including credentials), and date read.
      • Take an agency-developed quiz covering the article's main points.
      • Provide a written summary of the article. 

CEs Obtained Outside the Employing Agency

Training outside the employing agency must be related to the field of developmental disabilities, work of a QIDP or issues affecting the field of developmental disabilities or service provision.  Such training must be delivered by qualified persons that are generally not staff of the same agency as the QIDP.  See exception: #3 below.  Training outside the agency applies to qualifying topics that are presented by:

1. Web, webinar, video, or audio presentations, non-agency or in-person participation at local conferences.
2. Qualified non-agency persons invited to make in-person, audio, video or web conferencing presentations at the QIDP's agency.
3. Qualified agency staff at any location where the audience includes staff from outside agencies or participants from a wide geographic area.

CE hours must be documented are based on the time it takes to complete presentations, published CE credit for CBLs, or announced by presenters at the end of a qualifying web, webinar, video, or audio presentation, or the published CE hours offered through an accredited institution of higher learning, or an approved or nationally recognized sponsor of CE credit for specific licenses or professions.

CEs for Presentations Not Pre-approved by IDHS

To earn CEs for presentations not pre-approved by IDHS, the agency must ensure presentations are:

1. Relevant to the work of a QIDP or issues affecting the field of developmental disabilities or service provision to people with developmental disabilities.
2. Of sufficient content to qualify as an educational presentation.
3. Presented by a professional in the field of developmental disabilities, or intellectual disabilities, or qualified in the subject matter of the presentation. Presenters must have:
   • Sufficient documented education or experience to serve as a credible authority represent agencies or organizations with ties to the developmental disabilities system, programs, services, supports or advocacy network.
   • Ensure the material is viewed by the QIDP or they attended the entire presentation.
4. Documented by a certificate of participation issued by the presenter or participants may sign an agency-developed sign-in/out sheet or form confirming that they participated in the entire presentation.  Forms must include:
   
   • class name
   • class date

   • start and end time
   • trainee signature

Training Not Eligible for CE credit

DDD does not approve CE credit for the following types of training. These types of training do NOT count toward a QIDP's annual CE requirement:

1. Training required as a condition of employment.
2. Recertification training required for knowledge, skills or competency (e.g., CPR, First Aid, Mandt, OIG Rule 50 and biennial refreshers, etc.). 

Certificates of Participation and Transcript

1. Upon request for a IDHS DDD-approved RN Nurse-Trainer Medication Administration replacement Certificate contact Anne.Fitz@illinois.gov or (217) 785-6183.
2. Upon request for a DDD instructor-led Certificate of Attendance of completed courses or for any questions about certificates, please contact DHS.BQMQE@illinois.gov.

Documenting CEs

The agency must maintain documentation of CEs in the QIDP's personnel or training file, or in a location accessible for review by DDD

1. For recorded audio, video, Web or Webinar presentations (e.g., GoToMeeting/GoToWebinar events), documentation in the QIDP's or other staff's) signature on an agency-developed sign-in/out sheet or form attesting that they viewed or listened to the entire presentation.  These documentation forms must include: