eCare Behavioral Health Institute

What it is

eCare Behavioral Health Institute is an online continuing education provider for mental health professionals. It sells live webinars and recorded video courses that carry CE credits, either one course at a time or through a yearly Unlimited Membership. The home page names its readers directly: social workers, mental health counselors, addiction counselors, marriage and family therapists and psychologists, and it promises continuing education that is "practical, affordable, and clinically relevant." The contact details give a support e-mail address and a P.O. box in Troutman, North Carolina.

This is a learner product. A clinician who needs CE hours for a license renewal comes here to pick courses, attend or watch them, pass a quiz where one is required and download a certificate. It is not a platform for building or selling your own courses. The site counts its catalog as "500+ Courses" and "1000+ CE Hours," and the membership box repeats that as "Unlimited CE Hours (1,000+ Hours)."

The home page sums up its pitch in one line: "500+ CE Courses. Expert-Led Certifications. Board Approved. Virtual Training. Affordable."

The catalog

The course page filters by twenty topics: Addiction, Assessment & Diagnosis, Board Required, Children & Adolescents, Clinical Supervision, Counseling Techniques, Culture & Diversity, Depression & Anxiety, Ethics & Legal Issues, Exam Prep, Grief, MAT/Pharmacology, Mental Health Disorders, Mindfulness & Self Care, Neuroscience, Relationships, Suicide Prevention, Telehealth, Trauma, and Violence & Abuse. A second filter narrows by profession (Social Workers, Mental Health Counselors, Psychologists, Addiction Counselors, Marriage & Family Therapists), and tabs split the list into All Courses, Certifications, Live Webinars and Recorded Webinars. The full list runs to 23 pages.

The titles are specific and clinical. Live sessions on the schedule include a panic disorder webinar on interoceptive exposure, CBT and ACT strategies with Dr. Ashley Smith, a gut-brain webinar on nutrition and emotional regulation with Vickie Steine, a prolonged grief webinar with Christina Zampitella, and a Differential Assessment Masterclass with Diane Bigler. There is a two-day ASAM 4th Editions Masterclass on choosing a level of care with Frances Patterson, worth 12.0 CE, a trauma and self-harm masterclass with Lisa Ferentz, a session on social work across state lines with Joni Gilbertson, and an ethics webinar, Eye on Ethics, also with Diane Bigler.

The recorded side carries the longer masterclasses: schema therapy with Wendy Behary, high-conflict couples with Dr. Marty Klein, hidden bipolar disorder with Jim Phelps, MD, a DSM-5-TR update with Dr. Greg Neimeyer, compassion fatigue recovery, polyvagal regulation for trauma with Courtney Rolfe, DBT for mood dysregulation with Alexa Mulee, narcissistic trauma bonds with Ellen Biros, multicultural clinical skills with Lambers Fisher, and major depression and anxiety disorders with Lisa Ferentz. Shorter recorded courses cover Cluster B and Cluster C personality disorders, adult ADHD, disruptive mood dysregulation disorder, emotionally neglected children, nutrition and mood, mindfulness-based stress reduction, DBT for anxiety, trauma and suicidality, and gambling disorder. Most recorded masterclasses show a star rating between 4.7 and 4.9.

Course sizes vary. The listings show courses at 1.5, 2.0, 3.0 and 6.0 CE, with the two-day ASAM masterclass at 12.0 CE. The site says its instructors are "renowned authors, speakers, educators, and practitioners in the mental health industry who bring real-world experience and passion to every continuing education course."

How a course works

The home page sets out three steps: "Attend The Training of Your Choice," "Pass Quiz & Submit Course Evaluation," and "Receive Certificate Immediately." The FAQ adds the detail. Live webinars are generally hosted via Zoom, and the Zoom link arrives after registration. Live attendees are not required to take or pass a quiz to receive a CE certificate, while "recorded webinars may require that you pass a quiz after completing the course." Nobody has to turn on a camera or microphone during a live session, though the FAQ recommends using the chat so questions get answered.

Recordings follow attendance, not registration. People who attend a live webinar keep continuing access to the recording on their Dashboard, but "only registrants who attended a live webinar will receive replay access to the recording." A clinician who registers and misses the session should not expect a replay.

The CE Tracker "automatically records your completed courses and certificates, making it simple to manage your continuing education in one place." Registration asks for the learner's discipline (the list adds Peer Support and Other to the five professions), their state from a list of every US state plus the District of Columbia, and their CE deadline, so the account is set up around a renewal date.

The site also offers certificate programs. It describes "expert-led certificate programs, specialized career training, and flexible online coursework" in areas such as trauma, ethics and mindfulness-based approaches, and the catalog has a Certifications tab.

Prices and the membership

Courses are sold individually through a cart. The prices on the course page run from $20.00 for a 1.5 CE recorded course on gambling disorder to $127.00 for some 6.0 CE recorded masterclasses. In between, 2.0 CE recorded courses show $31.00 or $41.00, 3.0 CE recorded courses $51.00 or $59.00, and 6.0 CE recorded masterclasses $67.00, $97.00 or $127.00. Live webinars show $59.00 for a 3.0 CE session, $67.00 or $77.00 for 6.0 CE, and $97.00 for the 12.0 CE ASAM masterclass. The menu also lists Bundles.

The Unlimited Membership costs $297 a year. Its listed benefits are the entire course library (500+ courses), unlimited CE hours (1,000+ hours), unlimited live webinar courses, unlimited recorded webinar courses, unlimited bundles, unlimited use of the CE Tracker, "VIP Access to Limited Seating," and 30% off all certification programs. The pitch is "Unlimited CEUs All Year Long," with the promise to "save big, learn more, and easily meet all your CE hours from the comfort of your home." Note that the certification programs are discounted for members, not included.

There is a free entry point. The home page says "Your First Continuing Education Course Is Free" and offers a free ethics course for creating an account, and the cart shows a message about spending $200.00 more to get a free ethics course.

Board approvals

The FAQ answers the accreditation question in these words: "Yes, these online courses are approved by continuing education providers such as ASWB, NBCC, NAADAC, APA, and many state boards." It adds that "Programs that do not qualify for ASWB, NBCC, NAADAC, & APA are clearly identified," that "eCare Behavioral Health Institute is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs," and that attendees who complete a course successfully "will earn the designated number of CE credits." A separate Board Approvals page and a CE Requirements page sit in the main menu. Since not every program qualifies with every body, a clinician should check the approval on the specific course against their own board before paying.

What learners say

The home page carries three testimonials. Andrea W., LCSW, LCAS, CCS, writes: "The presenters are knowledgeable of their subject matter, and the staff really 'care'!!!" Carolyn Puckett, LCSW, says she has "been more than pleased with the topics, the speakers, and how I can apply the knowledge & strategies to my practice." Katie Walker, LCMHC, writes that "The convenience and variety of both live & recorded webinars of eCare BHI have made this my favorite source for CEs!"

Support and groups

Support runs through support@ecarebehavioralinstitute.com and a contact page. The footer lists Group Training among the services next to All Courses, Live Webinars and Recorded Webinars, so organizations have a separate route, though the pages give no group prices. The footer also links a Refund Policy.

Who it suits

eCare fits a US-licensed social worker, counselor, addiction counselor, marriage and family therapist or psychologist who renews on a CE deadline and wants a mix of live Zoom sessions and on-demand video. A clinician who needs a handful of hours can buy single courses from $20.00, and one who takes several 6.0 CE masterclasses a year will find the $297 membership quickly worth a look against the $67.00 to $127.00 single prices. The topic range suits generalists and those focused on trauma, personality disorders, addiction, couples work or ethics. A clinic or agency should look at the Group Training option. Anyone who needs a course approved by a particular board should confirm it on that course, since the FAQ says some programs do not qualify with ASWB, NBCC, NAADAC or APA.