Sexual Health Program Policies

This program participation policy is in effect to maintain the integrity of the program, meet accreditation standards, and ensure the highest quality of education for all participants in SHCP.

1. Live Synchronous Class Attendance

SHCP expects all participants to be fully engaged members of the SHCP community. This program is rooted in the essential experience of learning alongside other members in a sequential fashion, which requires live, synchronous attendance on scheduled Saturdays, Sundays, and the occasional Friday, Monday, and Tuesday. The synchronous learning and teaching of the material for SHCP is essential to the educational service of this particular program and cannot be effectively offered to individuals in an asynchronous or non-sequential fashion. For these reasons, among others mentioned below, attendance in live synchronous classes is mandatory for all participants. Limited exceptions to this policy may be provided, including for personal emergencies, reasonable religious or disability accommodations, or medical emergencies. See more below in Section 5.

2. No Partial Credit

In accordance with SHCP’s accreditation bodies, no partial credit can be earned for individual courses within SHCP.

3. Make-Up Policy

The ability to make-up a course is not automatically granted. Due to continuing education accreditation requirements, attendance is mandatory. Non-medical emergencies should be rare and must be pre-approved via the Absence Approval Form (found on Canvas).

In the rare event that a participant has two absences, whether due to medical emergency or pre-approved absence, participants will meet with SHCP leadership to discuss if the current program cohort is still a good fit or if deferral is indicated.

For approved absences of Core Sexual Health Education (CSHE) courses, make-up work will be assigned through Canvas and must be completed by a pre-determined due date. Make-up work can include, but is not limited to reflective essays, research papers, and watching any assigned recorded material. Failure to complete make-up work, post-test, and evaluation will prevent a participant from earning CEs for the course, possibly jeopardizing completion of the certificate as a whole.

For approved absences of Advanced Training (AT) courses, make-up work is in the form of attending the live, synchronous course in the next Cohort year for that specific course.

The Advanced Training Sex Educator (ATSE) courses specifically, are a series of courses that build upon one another in content and skill development. Missing any course in the ATSE series - even if for a medical emergency- requires notice to the administration team and will result in an automatic deferral to the next cohort for completion of the series.

4. Accreditation and Deferrals

Attendance requirements align with accreditation standards set by AASECT, the Association of Social Work Boards Approved Continuing Education program, and the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME). Deferrals to the next cohort are considered on a case by case basis for participants who are in good standing and who are experiencing unexpected medical, financial, and/or unforeseeable life changes.

Full Attendance Requirement

It is expected that you have reviewed the course dates, are able to attend and have arranged coverage for on-call and emergency duties. Full attendance requires full attention meaning other activities like driving, being in transport, multitasking, engaging in caregiving responsibilities, engaging in work responsibilities, simultaneously attending/participating in another event, etc. while engaging with program content are an attendance violation.

For a participant's attendance to be considered complete, they must:

• Attend all scheduled sessions.
• Complete all course assignments.
• Successfully pass post-tests with a score of 80% or higher.
• Submit required evaluations for each course within 2 weeks of receipt.

5. Absence Request Procedure

1. All absences must be communicated through the official Absence Request Form found on the SHCP Canvas page.
2. Absence requests must be submitted in advance, except in cases of emergencies, which then are required within 5 days of emergency subsiding.
3. Approval from the program is required for any absence.
4. Absence requests submitted on the day of the class, or as reasonably able due to emergency, will be considered and evaluated based on the discretion of the SHCP team.

6. Enforcement of Policies

It is the responsibility of the program team to enforce these policies consistently and fairly. Any deviations from these policies must be communicated in writing and approved by the SHCP team.

In agreement with the attendance policies above, any missed portion of the attendance and completion requirements will result in not completing the program in its entirety and participants will not receive a final certificate or complete transcript. The final certificate gives participants alumni status and access to free and/or reduced cost learning opportunities. If participants miss a portion of SHCP, they are responsible for finding replacement continuing education credits to meet AASECT certification requirements. AASECT has a list of CE providers on aasect.org.

7. Refund and Payment Policy for the Sexual Health Certification Program (SHCP)

This policy is designed to outline the financial responsibility between the program and participants. The following policy is an agreement between the participant and program and is meant to provide guidelines and expectations regarding payment requirements and refund eligibility. Participants are encouraged to communicate with the program administration if they encounter any challenges with the payment process.

By accepting admission into the program and securing your space with the $200 deposit, you agree to pay for the program based on the fee schedule outlined in the Important Dates section of the SHCP website titled: Dates to Know after being admitted. The following Drop/Add schedule is outlined to take into account the fiscal responsibility of the program and the circumstances of participants.

A. Refund Eligibility

For Full or Partial Payment

1. Participants who withdraw from SHCP by March 1st of the cohort forfeit the equivalent of the first payment.
2. Participants who withdraw from the program by December 1, prior to payment 3 and have paid in full at the time of payment 1 or 2, will receive the equivalent of payment 3 as a refund.
3. Participants who withdraw after December 1 payment will not receive a refund.
4. A participant forfeits the right to refund when
   • The participant attends any course session, they are no longer eligible for a refund, regardless of subsequent withdrawals.
   • Once a course occurs, regardless of attendance, the course is no longer eligible for refund.

For Educator Track Addition or Removal

1. The deadline for dropping/withdrawing from the Sexuality Educator Track is June 30th. Dropping the Educator Track by June 30th will result in a refund of the educator track fee if it had been paid in full at payment 1. Previously paid funds will be applied to the Sexuality Counselor or Therapist Track.
2. If participants are approved to join the educator track after July 1st, another drop date does not exist and no refund will be issued.

B. Refund Process

1. Refund requests must be submitted in writing to the program administration and submitted to [email protected]
2. The refund amount will be determined based on the date of withdrawal and in accordance with the program's refund eligibility.

C. The Sallie Foley Scholarship

1. The Sallie Foley Scholarship is applied to the cohort year in which it was awarded. If a participant withdraws and defers to the next cohort year prior to Orientation, SAR, and CSHE 6 (i.e., the first learning weekend) the participant forfeits the scholarship and may reapply for the scholarship the following cohort year.
2. If a participant defers mid cohort year, the scholarship will follow them to the next cohort year.
3. The scholarship award is applied to the 3rd and final installment of the program payment.

D. Payment Process

1. Installment Due Dates:
   • Participants are required to make payments according to the installment due dates specified in the payment schedule for the cohort year they are enrolling.
2. Course Attendance and Payment:
   • Participant will forfeit the right to attend any future course sessions if payment is not made by the installment due date.
   • If payment is not received by the due date, it is assumed the participant withdrawn and forfeits their access to all Canvas courses and program benefits (e.g., access to alumni status including alumni weekend, etc).
3. Withdrawal for Non-Payment:
   • If full payment is not received by the scheduled payment submission date, the participant will be completely withdrawn from the program.
4. Communication of Non-Payment:
   • Participants will be notified of non-payment and withdrawal via email or other official communication channels.

E. Re-Admission After Withdrawal Regarding Payment

1. Re-Admission Period for same cohort year:
   • Re-admission of a withdrawn participant may be applicable if all required payment is completed prior to the attendance of the next eligible course.
2. Readmission period for deferrals to next cohort year:
   • Participants who have been completely withdrawn from the program due to non-payment and defer to the next cohort year are required to pay in full upon readmission 30 days prior to the return course date.
3. Re-Admission Requirements:
   • Re-admission is contingent on fulfilling all outstanding financial obligations, regarding payment of any remaining fees.
   • Participants must meet any updated program requirements, which may include taking courses over again and paying the difference in the program course if any changes have occurred.
4. Revised Payment Terms:
   • Upon readmission, participants must adhere to any revised payment terms (including up to the remaining balance or paying in full) or schedules that may be in effect at the time of re-entry.

8. Deferral Policy for SHCP Program

This policy is designed to provide a clear and transparent process for participants seeking deferral from the SHCP program. Participants are encouraged to communicate proactively and meet all requirements for deferral to ensure a smooth process.

1. Grounds for Deferral:
   • Participants may request a deferral due to missing a required live attendance (AT) course or for the entire program for a maximum deferral period of 1 year due to a medical emergency.
2. Deferral Duration:
   • Deferrals are granted for a period of 1 year. If the deferral is not taken within this time frame, the participant is considered withdrawn.
3. Financial Obligations:
   • See VII. Refund and Payment Policy for the Sexual Health Certification Program (SHCP) for more details.
4. Deferral Process:
   • Participants must communicate with program leadership ([email protected]), request a deferral request form, and submit the completed Deferral Request Form to [email protected].
   • The request must include the reason for deferral and any supporting documentation.
   • The request must be submitted in advance of the missed course or within a reasonable timeframe in the case of unforeseen circumstances.
5. Deferral Requirements:
   • To be granted deferral, all assignments, pre-work, post-tests, and evaluations for all courses completed prior to the start date of the deferral period must be fulfilled.
6. Re-Enrollment Post-deferral:
   • Re-enrollment post-deferral will not occur until all assignments, pre-work, post-tests, payments, and evaluations for all previously attended courses are complete.
7. Certificate Completion:
   • Deferral does not guarantee certificate completion. A full certificate will only be granted to those who complete all attendance requirements, payments, pre/post-tests, other assigned coursework, and evaluations for each course.
8. Appeals Process:
   • Participants may appeal a deferral decision. The appeal should be submitted to the Office of Continuing Education at [email protected].
   • A decision from this team cannot be appealed once rendered.

9. Grievance Policy

1. The person with a grievance will first try to informally resolve their grievance by contacting the SHCP Leadership ([email protected]) with the issue concerning the training, its delivery, the evaluation method, or technological issues.
2. If the aggrieved person is not satisfied with the resolution through informal means, the aggrieved person shall put their grievance in writing to the SHCP Leadership ([email protected]) and the Office of Continuing Education ([email protected]).
3. The Continuing Education Director will follow up with you to learn more about your concerns and to help resolve the issue. If the concern requires further consultation to arrive at a satisfactory resolution, we will discuss your concerns with the Associate Dean for Educational Programs, who will make the final determination regarding what action will be taken to address the issue.
4. If the aggrieved person is not satisfied with the solutions put forth, then they will be directed to put their grievance in writing and contact the appropriate organization, e.g. AASECT. The appropriate AASECT personnel can be reached at [email protected]
5. The AASECT CE Provider (SHCP) will collaborate with AASECT on decisions regarding the resolution of the grievance.

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