CARAS is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. CARAS maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

Approval by Professional Organizations for CARAS to offer Continuing Education:

CARAS strives to maintain approvals to offer Continuing Education (CE) from professional sponsor-approval organizations.  This requires compliance with the standards and policies of the professional organization that has approved CARAS to sponsor continuing education. These are generally addressed below, and relevant information and procedures will be provided to potential attendees prior to particular educational sessions that convey CE credit.

Procedure for in-person and virtual training providing CE:

During each CE training event, a CE facilitator or volunteer will be present to assist with the process and answer questions.  Attendance sign-in/sign-out sheets will be in paper format for in-person events, and via a provided internet URL or QR code for virtual events. Please contact CARAS regarding access accommodations for CE events.

1. Sign-in using the attendance sheet for each CE-qualified session as you enter the session. Anyone entering a session 5 or more minutes late will not be eligible to earn CE credit for that session.

2. Complete the sign-out attendance sheet at the end of the session.

3. At the end of the session, please complete an evaluation and an assessment of learning. The evaluation is anonymous and optional for attendees. The evaluation form will generally be available via a provided internet URL or QR code. At some in-person events a paper evaluation form may be used and should be returned to the designated CE representative. Please consult the particular event announcement for details of the evaluation procedure.

4. The fees for CE for CARAS in-person conference and virtual webinar events are generally the same. If you are a current professional, student, or lifetime subscriber to CARAS then registration including CE is free. Otherwise, registration including CE will be $40 per session. Please note that other CARAS events or educational activities conveying CE credit may have different fee structures. Please refer to the specific event announcement for details.

5. For in-person events, such as conferences, CE participants may be invoiced after the event to allow for “walk-in” participants. In-person “walk-in” participants also have the option to subscribe to CARAS as a professional, student, or lifetime subscriber within 20 days of the CE event rather than pay individual CE session fees.

6. A CE certificate will be emailed to attendees within 30 days after the event.  The title of the session, the date, and the name of the presenter will be included on the certificate.  The total number of CE credits will be clearly indicated on the certificate.

You must contact your licensure organization and submit information addressing your participation in CE sessions, in accordance with the requirements of the licensure organization. CARAS will keep your information on file as required by the sponsor-approval organizations.

Cancellation Policy

Unless otherwise specified in materials for a specific educational program or event, you may cancel up to five days before a scheduled workshop without penalty and receive a credit for another workshop or a refund minus $5 for processing costs. If you cancel less than five days before, you will be responsible for payment. CARAS reserves the right to cancel or reschedule any event that has fewer than six enrolled participants. If CARAS cancels or reschedules an educational event, you will receive a credit toward another workshop.

CARAS Complaint Resolution Procedures

CARAS is committed to conducting all activities in compliance with the American Psychological Association's Ethical Principles of Psychologists. CARAS will adhere to all legal and ethical responsibilities to be nondiscriminatory in promotional activities, program content, and the treatment of program participants. Monitoring and assessment of these standards will be the responsibility of the Continuing Education Administrator, in consultation with the CARAS CE Advisory Committee.

While CARAS makes every attempt to assure fair treatment for all participants, occasionally complaints will arise about continuing education programs. The procedures for addressing complaints are as follows:

When a participant files a complaint, either orally or in written format, and expects action on the complaint, the following actions will be taken.

1. If the grievance concerns a speaker, the content presented by the speaker, or the style of presentation, the individual making the complaint will be asked to put his/her comments in written format. The on-site CE Coordinator will then pass the comments on to the speaker, assuring the confidentiality of the complainant.

2. If the complaint concerns a workshop offering, its content, level of presentation, or the facilities in which the workshop was offered, the on-site CE Coordinator will mediate and attempt to resolve the complaint on-site. If the participant requests action, the Coordinator is empowered to:

a. attempt to move the participant to another workshop, or

b. provide a credit for a subsequent year's workshop, or

c. provide a partial or full refund of the workshop fee.

Actions 2b and 2c will require a written note, documenting the grievance, for record keeping purposes. The note need not be signed by the grieved individual.

3. If the complaint is made after the program has occurred or concerns the CARAS CE programming more generally, CARAS will address it as follows:

a. Request that the complainant submit a written complaint and propose an appropriate remedy,

b. provide the instructor(s) with the opportunity to respond to the complaint and propose an appropriate remedy,

c. review these documents, make a final determination, and decide on any Remedy.

For further information, please contact education@carasresearch.org. You can also contact us at CARAS, PO Box 699, College Park, MD 20741