What is the Michigan Implicit Bias Training requirement?
A new rule was added to the Michigan Public Health Code – General Rules in 2021 requiring training on implicit bias as a condition for initial licensure or registration, as well as license or registration renewal. The rule defines implicit bias as “an attitude or internalized stereotype that affects an individual’s perception, action, or decision making in an unconscious manner and often contributes to unequal treatment of people based on race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, socioeconomic status, age, disability, or other characteristic.” Rule 338.7001(c)
IMPORTANT NOTE: Per the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs Public Health Code rule, this training is in addition to any continuing education requirements required for renewal.
What professions are required to comply with the rule?
All professions licensed or registered under the Michigan Public Health Code are required to take Implicit Bias Training (except Veterinary Medicine).
How many hours of training are required?
Beginning June 1, 2022, an applicant for licensure or registration must have completed a minimum of 2 hours of implicit bias training within the 5 years immediately preceding issuance of the license or registration.
Additionally, beginning on June 1, 2022, and for every renewal thereafter, an applicant for license or registration renewal must have completed a minimum of 1 hour of implicit bias training for each year of the applicant’s license or registration cycle.
For example, if you renewed your license in August of 2022, you would only have been required to have 1 hour of training for that renewal, even if the length of your license cycle is 2 years. This is because of the rule’s start date of June 1, 2021.
When you renew your 2-year license in August of 2024, you will need to have completed two (2) hours of Implicit Bias Training within the preceding 48 months. These can be two individual 1-hour trainings or one 2-hour training, so long as the total number of hours matches the number of years in your license cycle.
What kind of training is required?
The rule indicates that the training should provide opportunities for interaction among participants and with the instructor. The requirement is satisfied if the training incorporates this interaction.
Can I get Michigan Implicit Bias Training from Elite Learning?
Yes! Elite Learning offers interactive webinars as well as an interactive online course for many healthcare professions. Choose your profession below to check out availability:
- Counselors
- Dental Professionals
- Massage Therapists
- Nursing Professionals
- Occupational Therapists
- Pharmacists
- Pharmacy Technicians
- Physical Therapists
- Physicians
- Psychologists
- Respiratory Therapists
- Social Workers
See the LARA Implicit Bias Training FAQs for more information.
