Continuing Education is defined as educational experiences that assist in the development or enhancement of the knowledge and skills directly related to the individual's professional occupation. NCHEC encourages CHES® and MCHES® to pursue continuing education in all of the Areas of Responsibility and Competencies for Health Education Specialists (pdf), as competence in all areas is essential to successful health education practice. Continuing education experiences may include:
In order to maintain certification, a CHES® and an MCHES® must accumulate a minimum of 75 Continuing Education Contact Hours (CECH) over the five-year certification period. CHES®/MCHES® are encouraged to accumulate a minimum of 15 CECH per year and to complete all continuing education requirements at least 90 days prior to recertification.
After initial certification, the CHES®/MCHES® credential must be renewed every year by payment of a $70.00 annual fee.
Category I refers to continuing education that is preapproved by NCHEC. Of the 75 hours to be earned in a five-year period, at least 45 CECH must be earned by participating in Category I activities. You may choose to earn all of your CECH in Category I.
Category I activities are offered by 'designated providers.' A 'designated provider' is an organization that has demonstrated its ability to meet specific NCHEC criteria for offering CHES® and MCHES® Responsibilities-related activities. Designated providers report all activities directly to NCHEC on a quarterly basis.
At the end of a Category I activity, you will receive a certificate that includes a 'designated provider number' and an 'event number.' Keep this certificate as proof of your participation in the activity. There is no need to submit your certificate to NCHEC. Designated providers report credits to NCHEC on a quarterly basis- January, April, July, and October, so it may take a while to see it on your transcript.
A Category II activity is not preapproved by NCHEC but is related to the Eight Areas of Responsibility for Health Educators. They can include such activities as:
To apply for Category II CECH, complete the Category II Claim Form by logging into your online CHES®/MCHES® portal and selecting CHES Category II Claim Form. It is advisable to submit a form within 90 days following the completion of an event to ensure you have access to all necessary documentation.
Exception to the 45 Category I/30 Category II CECH Rule:
If you live outside the continental United States, you may earn all 75 CECH through activities that are not preapproved by NCHEC. Overseas submittals should be emailed directly to mbyelick@nchec.org.
If you are unable to submit it online, please download the writable form here.
Download this resource: Ask your employer to support your continuing education efforts.
All CHES® and MCHES® will need five Continuing Competency (CC) CECHs during the course of their five-year cycle. These five credits will be part of your required 75 total CECH. The total number of continuing education credits you need will not increase.
CC credits will be available as either Category I CECH OR Category II CECH. You will not need both. A measurement of a CHES® or MCHES®’s continued competence during the five-year recertification cycle will include either:
Read more about the Continuing Competency Requirements here.