Taiwan Society of Sleep Medicine

Regulations for Certification of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) Specialists

 

Enacted on March 18, 101, March 30, 103, and October 2, 111, as approved by the General Assemblies.

 

Article 1: The Taiwan Society of Sleep Medicine (hereinafter referred to as "TSSM") establishes these regulations to promote excellence in the practice of CBT-I and endorse the certification for qualified CBT-I providers.

 

Article 2:Applicants for certification of CBT-I specialist must meet the following basic requirements and obtain qualification approval from TSSM:

1. Must be a member of TSSM.
2. Hold a license issued by the Ministry of Health and Welfare that enables independent practice of psychotherapy.
3. Complete 38 credits of sleep medicine continuing education recognized by TSSM, including the CBT-I training core courses organized by TSSM (14 credits; an 8-credit basic course and a 6-credit advanced course).
4. After completing the required continuous education course credits, applicants must take a CBT-I certification examination. Applicants who pass the examination are considered to fulfill the core course requirement and will receive proof issued by TSSM.
5. The applicants with proof of passing the core course requirement must, within one year, submit three case reports for review (three cases with insomnia and treated with CBT-I, including at least two cases with four or more CBT-I sessions). After the case reports are approved by an accredited supervisor, TSSM will issue the "Certification for Specialists in Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia" to the applicant. The schedule for submitting case reports will be announced annually by TSSM.

 

Article 3:The certification examination consists of multiple-choice questions. The examination time and scoring methods will be announced by TSSM. The core courses will cover the following six major topics (14 credits in total):

1. Neurophysiological Mechanisms of Sleep
2. Sleep Disorders and Evaluation
3. Etiological Mechanisms of Insomnia
4. Evaluation and Conceptualization of Insomnia
5. Cognitive-Behavioral Techniques of CBT-I
6. Maintenance and Adjustment of the Circadian Rhythms

 

Article 4:he CBT-I specialist certification is processed annually, including core course, certification examination, review of case reports. The schedule is announced by TSSM three months before the date of accepting applications, and late applications will not be accepted. The qualification for the course credits is valid for one year.

 

Article 5:Applicants for the certification of "Specialists in Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia" must provide the following documents:

1. Completed application form and two recent passport-size, front-view, and hatless photos taken within one year.
2. A photocopy of the license for medical professionals issued by the Ministry of Health and Welfare.
3. A photocopy of the proof of the highest academic degree.
4. Proof of passing the core course examination (verified by TSSM).
5. Proof of approval for case reports (verified by TSSM).
6. Proof of sleep medicine continuing education credits (issued by TSSM after verification).

 

Article 6:Those who pass the examination and review of case reports will receive the "Specialist in Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia Certificate" from TSSM. The certificate is valid for six years and can be extended, with each extension period also lasting for six years.

 

Article 7:The extension of the certificate requires at least 150 continuing education credits within six years of the certificate's validity period. Of these, at least 100 credits must be earned by participating in sleep medicine continuing education courses recognized by TSSM. The remaining credits can be accumulated through continuing education courses on relevant topics such as cognitive-behavioral therapy, behavior change, behavioral medicine, and health psychology. The applicant must submit course content and proof of participation for review and approval by the Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia Certification Review Committee.

 

Article 8: When applying for an extension of the validity period of the certificate, the following documents must be submitted:

1. The extension application form provided by TSSM.
2. Two copies of proof of sleep medicine continuing education course credits.
3. Two recent passport-size, front-view, and hatless photos taken within the last year.

 

Article 9: TSSM may charge fees for or core courses, qualification review, examinations, certification issuance, and extension of the validity period, TSSM may collect fees for the expenses, including course fees, examination fees, or audit fees. The amount of charge will be determined by the board of directors of TSSM.

 

Article 10: These regulations, after approval by the board of directors of TSSM, will be submitted to the General Assembly for implementation. Any modifications will follow the same process.