Continuing Education Survey

The purpose of this study is to examine current mental health professional views regarding postgraduate continuing education. It should take approximately 10 to 30 minutes of your time to fill it out, depending on the length of your responses. Please indicate your consent to participate in the survey by checking the appropriate box below. Your participation in this study is entirely voluntary and you may refuse to participate, or stop participation at any time. Should you refuse participation in this survey or should you withdraw your consent and stop participation in the survey, your decision will involve no penalty or loss of benefits to which you would otherwise be entitled. Every effort will be made to maintain confidentiality of survey records. The data collected in this study will be used for educational and publication purposes, but no individual participants will be identified by name.

You have agreed to waive your signature so that your response is anonymous. Your voluntary participation is this survey is indicated by your response below. By completing and submitting the survey, you are agreeing for the researchers to use the data you provide. Such participation does not release the investigators, institutions, or sponsors from their professional and ethical responsibility to you.

Please review the competencies and task statements below. For each competency and task statement statement please select the level of importance the item is as a necessary competence of continuing competence for already licensed professionals with five or more years of experience as opposed to graduate students or those still working on licensure to ensure the safety, protection, and quality of services provided by MFTs to the public. We are looking to distinguish those items that are NOT assessed in educational programs and considered integral to the training process.

I. Using the following scale, please respond to the listed items:

1=Strongly Disagree 2=Disagree 3=Agree 4=Strongly Agree

1	2	3	4	Item
				Continuing education offerings help me to stay current as a professional.
				I actively look for continuing education opportunities that will help me expand my skills.
				Meeting continuing education requirements for licensure is usually a waste of my time.
				I wish my licensing board would require less continuing education hours for license renewal.
				I would like to see more options for meeting continuing education requirements.
				I find the continuing education requirements in my state somewhat confusing.
				Most continuing education opportunities are too basic for me, but not necessarily for other licensees.
				Most continuing education opportunities are too basic for all licensees.
				It is relatively easy for me to find continuing education opportunities that help me stay current in the MFT profession or expand my skills.
				I like broad continuing education offerings that apply to many mental health professionals more than offerings directed primarily to MFTs.
				I would like to see a national organization approve continuing education for MFTs, similar to NBCC for LPCs.

II. Please respond to the following five items in the boxes provided.

1a. Briefly describe a positive experience/activity that helped you stay current in the MFT profession, and/or expanded your knowledge/skills.

1b. What made this experience helpful to you?

2a. Briefly describe an experience/activity that should have helped you stay current in the MFT profession and/or expand your skills, but it was NOT helpful.

2b. What made this experience unhelpful?

3. What are one or two activities (read journals, meet with colleagues) that help you to stay current in the profession?

3a.

3b. How is this activity helpful?

3c.

3d. How is this activity helpful?

4. What are one or two continuing education topics (e.g., establishing a private practice, solution focused therapy, divorce mediation) that might interest you enough to seek more education?

4a.

4b.

5. Name one or two content areas (e.g., ethics, state regulations) that you have studied since you received your license (if you are licensed) that contributed to your ability to practice in a way that protects the public.

5a.

5b. How was this helpful to you?

5c.

5d. How was this helpful to you?

III. What continuing education formats do you prefer?

Please rate the following according to this scale:

1 = Not preferred 2 = Preferred 3 = Highly preferred

	1	2	3	Format
a.				Small group seminars that allow interactions with other marriage and family therapists
b.				Large group seminars that focus on specific professional topics
c.				Small group gatherings that focus on specific professional topics
d.				Local/regional seminars offered by local therapists
e.				National association conferences
f.				State association conferences
g.				Reading books and articles focusing on professional topics
h.				Online offerings
i.				Video-based instruction
j.				Courses offered by universities/colleges
k.				Interactive teleconferences
l.				One-on-one mentoring relationships with colleagues
m.				Peer supervision/consultation
n.				Offering presentations for other mental health professionals
o.				Writing books and articles for other mental health professionals
p.				Other