Staying Current: Where to Find Your CEUs

Before choosing a CE course, check your BACB recertification date and the categories you still need. A BCBA needs 32 CEUs per two-year cycle, including 4 Ethics CEUs. For BCBAs who supervised RBTs, BCaBAs or certification trainees at any point in the cycle, the supervision requirement is 3 CEUs if recertifying before January 1, 2027, and 4 CEUs if recertifying on or after January 1, 2027. The BACB implementation notice, page 5, ties this change to the recertification date, not the cycle start date.

The BACB Ethics Code, effective January 1, 2022, connects learning with everyday practice: section 1.06 addresses maintaining competence, section 1.07 cultural responsiveness and diversity, and section 2.11 obtaining informed consent. Use your own practice gaps to choose what to study; a course certificate alone does not establish competence in a new area.

A useful course choice answers two questions: does it offer the CE category you need, and is its topic relevant to your work? Compare the session titles, designated hours, access period and included materials before paying. Then decide how you will discuss or evaluate what you learned in your own setting. Completing a course does not guarantee a clinical outcome or relief from burnout.

Practical strategies you can use

1. Audit your practice gaps first, then choose courses that fill them.

Start with your current caseload and supervision responsibilities. Write down three questions you need to study, such as communication, informed consent or working with families from different cultural backgrounds. Search for courses that address those questions, and check their actual session descriptions. This gives you a practical reason for choosing a course beyond filling a credit total.

2. Prioritize ethics and supervision CEUs early in your cycle, not at the deadline.

Check the BCBA Handbook and your own renewal date before allocating your CE time. The supervision requirement applies if you supervised RBTs or BCaBAs on record, or trainees pursuing BCBA or BCaBA certification, at any point during your cycle. Stopping supervision before renewal does not remove it. If you did not supervise during the cycle, no supervision CEUs are required; the total and Ethics requirements still apply. Plan time for your remaining categories throughout the cycle.

3. Track your CEUs in 1 central location as you complete them, not retrospectively.

Keep a log of completed activities with the date, provider, course title, CEU category, number of CEUs, and certificate location. Save each certificate in a folder for its recertification cycle and check your log against your BACB portal entries. Download available certificates before you lose access to a training platform. Check the BACB Handbook for its documentation requirements.

4. Use CEUs to coach your team, not just yourself.

After studying a relevant course, choose one question or practical point to discuss with your team. For example, ask how the ideas relate to your existing informed-consent process or supervision plan. Use your professional judgment, the client's needs and the evidence for any proposed change. Sharing a course takeaway does not by itself establish that a change is effective. For discussion of caregiver relationships and training needs, see Taylor et al. (2019).

What to do this week

Day 1: Log into your BACB account and write down your recertification deadline and how many CEUs you still need in each category (Ethics, Supervision, General).

Day 2: Review your current caseload and write down 3 clinical challenges you are facing right now (communication, assent, cultural responsiveness, behavior function, staff training, etc.).

Day 3: Search for 1 CEU course that addresses your most pressing gap. Enroll in it or add it to your calendar for this month.

Day 4: Create a simple tracking system (spreadsheet or folder) for your CEU certificates. Log any courses you have completed this cycle that you have not yet recorded.

Day 5: Block 2 hours on your calendar this month to complete 1 CEU course. Treat it like a client appointment (non-negotiable) and protect that time.