CE Sponsor Approval FAQ for APA’s Divisions

As an APA division, what can we expect to pay for CE Sponsor Approval (CESA) applications, approval fees, and annual fees?

If your division is on this list, you are considered an APA affiliate and are therefore entitled to the discounted fees. Please see fees associated with state/regional psychological associations and APA divisions on our fees webpage. NB: Discounted affiliate fees can be found in parentheses under each fee on the fees webpage.

If there is confusion regarding the handling of payments within your organization, please consult with the appropriate individuals within your division. We also encourage you to review our resource, Top Tips for Payment Submission (PDF, 215KB)opens in new window, which can be accessed via our fees webpage.

When are our CESA payments due?

Details regarding deadlines and applicable fees can be found under the payments tab of your respective Online Application System (OAS) accountopens in new window.

I am the primary point of contact (POC) for our division, but I do not handle payments. How do I pay our fees if I am the only person who has access to the CE Sponsor Approval online application system (OAS)?

If the individual who processes payments for your division is not involved in other administrative processes and/or program planning pertaining to CE for your division, this individual may not necessarily have access to your division’s OAS account. Because sponsors can only have up to three active contact persons on their OAS accounts, we recommend the following for making payments without access to the OAS:

• Ensure that you have effective communication within your division. The POC (or other individual with access to the OAS account) may provide the individual making the payment with a copy of the invoice that can be found under the ‘Payments’ tab of the OAS. The individual making the payment may then use the invoice to submit the payment to APA via check, credit card payment via telephone at (202) 218-3595, or via ACH/wire transfer. Please ensure that the individual making the payment references the CPID and Constituent ID numbers as found on the invoice.
• Contact the CESA Office by email. Please note that we do not recommend sharing your login information with anyone. Should another individual require access to the OAS for administrative purposes, a request can be made to the CESA office, and these requests will be handled on a case-by-case basis.

What is the role/purpose of the primary point of contact in the CE Sponsor Approval’s online application system (CESA OAS)? Can more than one person receive communications from the CESA OAS?

APA-approved sponsors of continuing education for psychologists must maintain a variety of responsibilities. Each of these responsibilities, including adhering to the Standards and Criteria (PDF, 139KB)opens in new window, paying relevant fees, responding in a timely manner to Review Report(s), and submitting Annual Report(s), are detailed in the Policies and Procedures Manual (PDF, 327KB)opens in new window under Terms of Approval on page 9.

Your organization’s primary point of contact is the sole individual who will receive courtesy email reminders and correspondence from our office. As only one individual will receive email reminders, be sure to assign the most appropriate individual who will share information with relevant individuals within your division to ensure deadlines are met. This individual must login periodically to the CESA OAS to review your division’s account and ensure responsibilities are fulfilled. Importantly, because only one individual will receive courtesy email reminders from the CESA Office, it is strongly recommended that all individuals involved in your division’s CE program communicate regularly.

Do I need to notify the CESA office when a new primary POC takes over for our division?

Yes, definitely—it is crucial that records are accurately maintained and consistently updated. The CESA Office will contact the POC with reminders about upcoming deadlines for reports, fees, and applications. While your division is responsible for adhering to the Policies and Procedures (PDF, 251KB)opens in new window, these courtesy emails from the CESA Office can aid in preventing consequences such as termination of approval for non-submission of payment and/or reports. Internal communications within your division are imperative. Note: Please ensure that CESA emails addresses (OAS and CESA Office) will be designated “safe” by the POC’s mailbox so that courtesy emails do not get lost via spam filters.

Do I need to notify the CESA Office about all changes to individuals who are on our division board (other than the primary POC)?

No; it is not necessary to update the CESA Office on all changes related to division personnel. It is critical, however, that you update the CESA Office with changes pertaining to contact individuals who have accounts within the OAS. Please be sure to communicate with other members of your division to ensure all roles pertaining to CE Sponsor Approval are clarified.

How does our division change the primary point of contact when a new individual takes over the role?

The existing POC must send an email to the CESA Office. Please be sure to include the organization name, new primary contact’s first and last name, email address, and telephone number. As turnover may occur frequently, please be sure to update the CESA Office with any upcoming changes prior to the shift in roles. It is highly recommended that existing POCs provide new POCs with all relevant information pertaining to your division’s approval. All other updates such as address changes may be made under the “My Profile” tab in the Online Application System.

Are APA divisions automatically approved as sponsors of CE?

No; while APA divisions are considered affiliates, and are eligible for discounted fees, all organizations (including affiliates) must adhere to the Policies and Procedures (PDF, 251KB)opens in new window and engage in the same application and approval processes.

How do I engage in co-sponsorship with another organization or division?

Please refer to the CESA resources webpage to view the Co-sponsorship Requirements and Best Practice resource (PDF, 112KB)opens in new window.

• If your division IS an APA-approved sponsor: You may co-sponsor a CE activity with another current APA-approved sponsor or with an organization that is not an APA-approved sponsor. You may find the full definition of co-sponsorship (PDF, 289KB)opens in new window online. As a reminder, co-sponsorship is “the mutual planning of an activity by two or more organizations, which is not to be construed as lending or transferring approval status.” Co-sponsorship does not permit the sponsor who is approved by APA to act as an approval body by reviewing a program or organization and then stating that it is, in turn, approved by APA. An updated list of all current APA-approved sponsorsopens in new window can be found online. As an approved sponsor, it is ultimately your responsibility to ensure that all of the Standards and Criteria (PDF, 139KB)opens in new window are met.
• If your division is NOT an APA-approved sponsor: You may co-sponsor a CE activity with a currently approved sponsor. Please review our office’s full definition of a co-sponsorship (PDF, 289KB).opens in new window To engage in co-sponsorship, you may contact a current sponsor and indicate that you are interested in conducting a co-sponsored program with that organization. As a reminder, co-sponsorship is “the mutual planning of an activity by two or more organizations, which is not to be construed as lending or transferring approval status.” An updated list of all current APA-approved sponsorsopens in new window is available.
  
  Alternatively, if your event is at least five months away, you can contact the APA Office of Continuing Education in Psychology (CEP) (this office is separate from the APA Office of CE Sponsor Approval) as they review requests from organizations who are seeking one-time CE approval for live in-person and virtual programs. If this is of interest, you can reach them directly at CEP Office for further clarification regarding this process. Please note that the CEP Office does not offer one-time course approvals for homestudy programs.

Is there an application to use if I only want to offer homestudy programs?

Yes; the Homestudy Only application should be completed by applicants intending only to conduct asynchronous CE programs which do not allow for live interaction with the instructor(s). If you have any questions about what is or is not homestudy, please don’t hesitate to contact the CESA Office with your questions.

Are virtual conferences considered homestudy?

Homestudy is defined as any program in which there is no ability for participants’ live interaction with the instructor.

• If participants in the program can interact with the instructor and ask questions in real time, then it is considered a live program.
• If the course is not in real time (e.g., asynchronous, prerecorded), then it is considered a homestudy program. If you are planning to offer both live and homestudy programs, you must submit the CESA/live application and the Homestudy Supplemental application and receive APA CE Sponsor Approval before you can offer these program types. (See also: Is there an application to use if I only want to offer homestudy programs? above)

Note: In some instances, a program may be both live and homestudy–e.g., live workshops or sessions with components that are “homework” and/or conducted off-site without real-time opportunity for live interaction with a presenter. In this instance, sponsors/applicants will need to complete both the CESA and Homestudy Supplemental applications.

Please see our Toolkit: Understanding and Offering Homestudy and Hybrid Programs for further clarification or reach out to the CESA Office with your questions.

I want to offer a new course type—homestudy—that I have not received APA approval to sponsor. Do I need to submit this new program information for review and approval?

Yes; you will need to submit the Homestudy Supplemental application and receive approval before homestudy programs can be offered. While we do not review and approve individual programs, your division would need to be approved by the Continuing Education Committee (CEC) to offer homestudy programs.

Applications will only be accepted and reviewed during the two regularly scheduled annual review cycles. You must submit all requested information, along with the necessary attachments, and the corresponding application fee, for your homestudy supplemental application to be reviewed by the APA CEC. If the application demonstrates that a division meets the Standards and Criteria (PDF, 139KB)opens in new window, then sponsors approved to offer live CE programs will additionally be able to offer CE credit for homestudy programs.

However, if you want to add homestudy approval and you also have an application due in the next cycle, you should complete both the CESA/live Application and the Homestudy Supplemental application to renew your current status as an approved sponsor and to apply for homestudy supplemental approval.

Please don’t hesitate to contact the CESA Office with your questions.

I want to offer a new course that was not listed on my original application. Do I need to submit this new program information for review and approval?

No; APA’s Continuing Education Committee does not review or approve individual programs. As an approved sponsor, all programs you offer for CE to psychologists must meet the requirements as outlined in the Standards and Criteria (PDF, 139KB)opens in new window which should be reviewed regularly by your program planning individual(s) (i.e., the identified psychologist(s) involved in program planning.

Acceptable programs must adhere to the definition of “continuing education” in that they must be grounded in an evidence-based approach, improve service to the public and enhance contributions to the profession. The sponsor maintains responsibility to adequately establish the bridge between program content and the elements of the criteria. The more distant a topic appears from core disciplinary knowledge, the greater the responsibility of the sponsor to demonstrate the connection to improvement of services to the public and contributions to the profession.

Please don’t hesitate to contact the CESA Office with your questions.

Whom should I contact with my CE-related questions?

Please contact APA’s Office of CE Sponsor Approval via email. Please note that Division Engagement is a separate office and your CESA questions should be remitted directly to the CESA Office.