[co-author: Jeff Fitzgerald]

With the Approved Facilitator Training Programs (AFTP) rules in effect as of June 30, The Office of Natural Medicine Licensure (the "Office") has opened applications for AFTP. These are the first applications available under Colorado's new Natural Medicine Health program.

Applications and information are available on the Office's website. The state has also issued a checklist for submission. For an overview of the AFTP application process, including fee information, please read on.

How to Submit a Facilitator Training Program Application

Register a Business Account

Applicants must register a business account with the Division of Professions and Occupations and apply through the Division's online portal. Applicants must provide general business information and demonstrate compliance with the rules through documentation submission or, for certain rules, attesting to compliance.

Provide Required Basic Information

• Applicants must provide the following business information:

• Federal Employer Identification Number/Tax ID (FEIN)

• Physical Address

• Full legal name of the business owner or the registered agent

• Mailing/contact address of the business owner or registered agent

• Phone number & email of owner or registered agent

Provide Required Core Documents

Documentation of a program's structure, organization, and educational plans comprise the heart of the application and the foundation for approval by the Office, so it is advisable to ensure these documents are as thorough as possible. Applicants must individually upload the following documents:

• An Organizational Chart

• A Mission Statement

• The purpose and outcome competencies for the training program

• The standards of recruitment, advertising and refunding of tuition and fees

• Student policies

• A plan on how the training program will support the following:

  • Student behavioral and physical health

  • Learning

  • Equitable access

  • Career advisement

  • Disability accommodations

• Training Program Director Affidavit

• Written job descriptions for all faculty positions

• A detailed curriculum of the Training Program showing that the program meets the minimum requirements of 150 hours of coursework, including an outline of every didactic training hour

This will be the first time the Office reviews these applications, so it is best to provide all documents and information requested. The Office said it will work with applicants who might be missing certain items. However, incomplete or insufficient policies may delay your application.

Submit Training Program Director Affidavit

Applicants must submit an affidavit, signed by the director, attesting that they possess the following qualifications:

• Either an active Facilitator license, or a secondary professional license that would qualify them for a Clinical Facilitator license in Colorado. This effectively creates a residency rule, as eligibility for the Clinical Facilitator license requires an active Colorado license

• Documented knowledge and skills related to teaching adults, teaching methodology, curriculum development, and curriculum evaluation

The affidavit must also certify that the director is prepared to take responsibility for the following duties:

• Ensuring and documenting the Approved Facilitator Training Program compliance with the Natural Medicine Health Act, the Office of Natural Medicine's rules and regulations, and all other state laws and regulations

• Providing a current written job description to the Office of Natural Medicine for all faculty positions

• Developing and coordinating the use of educational facilities and practicum resources

• Identifying and advocating for services needed by students in the Approved Facilitator Training Program

• Acting as liaison with the Office of Natural Medicine

• Developing and maintaining ongoing relationships within the community, including fostering the Approved Facilitator Training Program's responsiveness to community/employer needs

Provide Attestations

In lieu of providing additional documentation, applicants must attest, by checking a box in the application portal, to the following aspects of the training program:

Faculty

• The number of faculty is sufficient to prepare the students to achieve the objectives of the training program and to ensure participant safety. Notably, the state agreed to remove two full-time faculty requirements in response to community feedback

• The number of faculty for each specialty area is sufficient to provide adequate student supervision

Recordkeeping

• The program will maintain permanent records and reports essential to the operation of the AFTP, including:

  • Current and official student records

  • Records of program activities, such as minutes and reports

  • Faculty records demonstrating compliance with rules

  • Records for all written complaints about the AFTP and how the program addressed each complaint, which must be available for public and Office of Natural Medicine review

Consultation

• Applicants must check a box indicating if they intend to provide consultation as part of their program.

Additional Requirements Not Found in the Application Portal

The rules also require certain information that is not clearly required by the application portal. As part of the approval process, a program may be required to demonstrate the following:

• The proposed method of supervised practice

• The time period within which students must complete the proposed training program

• Whether the training program will cover the cost of a Training License for its students

• If the program intends to provide consultation, how it plans to do so

• In addition to the documentation required for application, an AFTP must maintain and report certain information to the Office to maintain approval

While the rules provide guidance on additional requirements, there is still some uncertainty regarding the Office's expectations on requirements not included in the initial application. Businesses should keep these requirements in mind and be prepared to work with the Office as the application process evolves.

Educational & Experiential Requirements for Facilitator Training Programs

AFTPs must provide a minimum of 150 hours of didactic education and 40 hours of supervised practice ("practicum"). AFTPs may, but are not required to, provide avenues for students to complete consultation requirements (Prior to receiving full licensure, students must complete 50 hours of consultation over a six-month period, during which the student will review their experiences providing Natural Medicine Services with an experienced facilitator.) The rules require specific courses and topics that must be provided in didactic education and permissible forms of supervised practice.

Didactic Education

The 150 hours of didactic education must include 14 courses specified by rule, with nearly 120 specific topics required. In comparison, Oregon requires 120 hours, and about 90 specific topics.

Supervised Practice

AFTPs must require students to complete 40 supervised practice hours. At a minimum, supervised practice must offer students the opportunity to experience, facilitate and observe the facilitation of non-ordinary states of consciousness. Rules permit the following forms of Supervised Practice:

• In-person experience with Natural Medicine, supervised by program faculty

• In-person experience with Natural Medicine at a practicum site, such as a Healing Center, supervised by a licensed facilitator

• If in-person experience with Natural Medicine is not feasible, alternative activities are permitted

Allowed Supervisors

Prior to March 31, 2025, all supervisors must be "affiliated" with an Approved Training Program and must be "eligible and qualified" for licensure as a Facilitator, Clinical Facilitator, or Distinguished Educator. After March 31, 2025, any licensed Facilitator, Clinical Facilitator, or Distinguished Educator may serve as a supervisor, regardless of affiliation.

Application Fees

An initial fee of $10,000 is due upon application submission. Application fees must be paid via credit card and are non-refundable and non-transferable. Applicants have one year from the original submission date to complete their application and correct any deficiencies, or the application fee will be forfeited.

Application Timing & Renewal

Training Program licenses expire on January 31 of each year, with renewal applications opening four to six weeks before. The first set of licenses will expire January 21, 2025. New licenses issued within 120 days of the next renewal date will be valid until the following renewal date.