COVID-19 Temporary Condition - Frequently Asked Questions

Effective May 15, 2020, through June 30, 2022,  APT Approved Providers temporarily offered "contact" hours for online continuing education if the training met the specific conditions of the COVID-19 Exception.

Below you will find a list of common inquiries regarding the Approved Provider special conditions for offering play therapy continuing education during the COVID-19 pandemic. We hope you find this resource helpful.

Should you have additional questions or require further assistance, please contact:

Rosalinda Mendez, Education & Training Coordinator, rmendez@a4pt.org

1. Has the COVID-19 Exception been extended past June 30, 2022?

No, contact hours under the COVID-19 exception are no longer awarded after June 30, 2022. However, CE hours obtained under this exception will continue to be counted as “contact” credit.

Effective July 1, 2022, the Special Notice - Live Webinars will allow for a similar experience to the COVID-19 Exception. To locate these trainings on the training directory, search by keywords: online / webinar / virtual / ZOOM, etc.  Although webinars are considered non-contact training, applicants will be able to document specialized live webinar hours separately on the application. Review the Credentialing webpage for information regarding the updated standards.

2.  Can I offer contact CE for webinars that have more than 40 participants? 
 No. The live webinar must be limited to 40 participants or fewer. Approved Providers are welcome to continue offering non-contact training to groups larger than 40 and awarding non-contact play therapy hours in accordance with the CE provider standards.

3. Can I advertise my play therapy program and subsequently determine the format delivery (contact or non-contact) depending on the number of registrants?
No. Trainings must be advertised either as non-contact or contact, not depending on the number of registrants.

4. Can I offer contact CE for webinars that are less than two hours?
No. To qualify for contact CE under the COVID-19 temporary condition live webinars must be a minimum of two hours.

5. Do I need to offer the webinar via an interactive telehealth format?
Yes. Use technology that allows interactive audio and video between learner(s)and instructor(s) to ensure full attendee presence and engagement throughout the duration of the training. Approved Providers must utilize an online program with a sufficient user ID system and a mechanism for protecting confidential and sensitive information and materials.

6. Are attendees required to have their camera on in order to receive contact CE hours?
Yes. Cameras are required to be on and at an angle where attendees are visible to ensure full attendee presence and engagement throughout the duration of the training.

7. Do I need to include the COVID statement on all certificates and promotional material?
Yes. Approved Providers are required to include the COVID-19 statement verbatim on all promotional material and certificates of attendance: Due to COVID-19 health concerns, this one-time online event has been approved by APT for (# hrs) CONTACT CE Hours.

8. Am I required to provide a post test for online programs under the COVID-19 Temporary Condition?
Yes, a post test is one of the requirements under the COVID-19 exception. APT’s guidelines for creating post tests are:

a. 6 questions per CE credit hour,
b. the majority of questions written in multiple choice format,
c. Providers are encouraged to contact APT to determine the appropriate number of questions for extensive programs that offer more than two days of CE training.

9. Can I offer contact CE for recorded webinars?
The training must be held in a live (real-time) webinar format to qualify for COVID-19 temporary condition. Recorded videos do not qualify for contact CE.

10. Can I offer hybrid trainings under the COVID-19 exception?
APT considers a hybrid program as an eligible format for delivering continuing education (see Standard 04 - Program Planning). When offering contact credit under the exception, attendees may be in-person and online, as long as, there is a maximum of 40 participants in total. For example: 20 in-person and 20 streaming in real-time. 

If all participants online are receiving non-contact credit, then the COVID-19 exception would not apply to the event. 

It is the responsibility of the Approved Provider to abide by APT Approved Provider Criteria & Standards. Failure to meet any of the outlined conditions above may result in APT credit not being awarded and may put the Approved Provider status in jeopardy.