A. Target
Population
(1) Provisional certification is
primarily for those employees who have less than two years of experience in the
field of mental retardation within the State of Mississippi. This applies
equally to professionals new to the field of mental retardation and to
experienced individuals from other states seeking employment in Mississippi.
Provisional certification is also for those employees with two or more years of
experience in the field of mental retardation within the State of Mississippi
who did not obtain professional certification/ licensure during the
grandfathering period.
(2) The
following professions may be included in this provisional certification:
Psychology, Special Education, Social Work, Therapeutic Recreation/Leisure,
Nursing, Speech/Language Pathology, Audiology, Counseling, Psychometry,
Vocational Rehabilitation, and other related fields.
B. Purpose and Time Limit
(1) Provisional certification is designed to
allow an individual to be credentialed while pursuing full certification or
licensure and is valid for up to two (2) years (twenty-four [24] consecutive
months), during which time the individual shall complete all requirements to
upgrade to either full certification (CMRT) or licensure (LCMRT). This maximum
24 month period is called the Provisional Certification Period.
(2) The Provisional Certification Period
begins on the day provisional certification is issued and can last for a
maximum of 24 consecutive months. By the end of the Provisional Certification
Period, a provisional certificant is expected to apply for an
upgrade.
(3) An individual may
apply to upgrade his/her credential to either full certification (CMRT) or
licensure (LCMRT) in less than twenty-four (24) consecutive months, but he/she
must fully complete the requirements of the Provisional Certification Period.
See Chapter 3, Section 2, E., pp. 9-10 for more information on the Provisional
Certification Period.
(4)
Provisional certification is not renewable. However, upon written request, the
Review Board may grant an extension of provisional certification. See Chapter
3, Section 7, B., (2), p. 15 for more information on Extended status.
C. Requirements for Initial
Application Eligibility
To be eligible to apply for provisional certification
(PCMRT), each individual must meet the following requirements:
(1) Employment: Be employed in a program
described in Chapter 3, Section 1, C., p. 7;
(2) Education: Have at least thirty (30)
semester hours of applicable graduate-level course work from an approved
educational institution which includes a minimum of a master's degree in mental
retardation or a related field; and,
(3) Experience: There is no experience
requirement to apply for provisional certification.
However, applicants for provisional certification who have
applicable work experience may submit it as part of their application for
provisional certification. Verification of Experience Forms submitted as part
of an application packet for PCMRT will be processed and held in the
individual's file until the individual applies to upgrade to full certification
(CMRT) or licensure (LCMRT). See Chapter 3, Section 2, E., (1), p. 9 for more
information on experience expectations during the Provisional Certification
Period.
D. To
Apply
To apply for provisional certification (PCMRT), refer to
Chapter 4, Sections 1 and 2, pp. 19-24.
E. During the Provisional Certification
Period
Once an individual has obtained provisional certification,
the individual shall work toward either full certification (CMRT) or licensure
(LCMRT) by completing the requirements listed below. During the Provisional
Certification Period, each individual shall complete the following:
(1) Experience Requirement: Work under the
supervision of a qualified supervisor for two (2) years in the state of
Mississippi.
The maximum two (2) years of experience in Mississippi
obtained during the Provisional Certification Period will satisfy the entire
experience requirement for full certification (CMRT). In addition, these two
(2) years of experience in Mississippi may be applied to the total four (4)
years of experience required for licensure (LCMRT).
If the individual submitted applicable work experience when
applying for provisional certification, he/she only needs to complete the
balance of applicable work experience necessary to total the required two (2)
years for certification (CMRT) or four (4) years for licensure (LCMRT).
Applicable work experience gained during the Provisional
Certification Period should be included in the upgrade application packet
submitted when applying to upgrade to either CMRT or LCMRT. See Chapter 4,
Section 1, E. and F., pp. 20-21 for more information on reporting experience.
See Chapter 4, Section 3 and Section 4, pp. 24-26 for more information on
submitting an upgrade application.
(2) Ongoing Inservice/Training Requirement:
Accrue a minimum of thirty (30) Contact Hours of successfully completed
inservice/training (approximately fifteen [15] Contact Hours per year) as
verified by the program's designated Staff Development Officer.
These Contact Hours may be accrued through staff development
training provided through the individual's place of employment (including
DMH-required training as indicated in the Minimum Standards for Community
Mental Health/Mental Retardation Services), DMH-sponsored training
opportunities (with the exception of the MR-CTP Modules in (3) below), or
conferences/workshops/ CEUs/ etc., approved by the Division.
Priorities for training should be sessions required for
programmatic compliance with DMH Minimum Standards and DMH-sponsored training
events related to the provision of services to individuals with mental
retardation/ developmental disabilities.
Contact Hours of inservice/training accrued during the
Provisional Certification Period should be included in the upgrade application
packet submitted when applying to upgrade to either CMRT or LCMRT. See Chapter
4, Section 1, G. and H., pp. 21-23 for more information on reporting inservice/
training. See Chapter 4, Section 3 and Section 4, pp. 24-26 for more
information on submitting an upgrade application.
(3) Mental Retardation Core Training Program
(MR-CTP) Requirement: Successfully complete all three (3) Modules of the
MR-CTP. The MR-CTP consists of three (3) training workshops and corresponding
written examinations developed by/ under the direction of the Mississippi
Department of Mental Health for the purpose of providing all Mental Retardation
Therapists statewide with the same foundation of knowledge. Please see Chapter
3, Section 6, pp. 13-15 for more information on the MR-CTP and written
examinations. See Chapter 4, Section 1, I., p. 23 for more information on
reporting participation in the MR- CTP. See Chapter 6, Section 1, pp. 36-37 and
Section 3, p. 37 for information on related fees.
(4) An individual who fails to complete all
requirements during the Provisional Certification Period will be considered to
have Defaulted. See Chapter 3, Section 7, B., (3), pp. 15-16 for more
information on Defaulted status.
