Mississippi Administrative Code
Title 24 - Mental Health
Part 4 - DMH Addictions Therapist Standards & Requirements
Chapter Seven - Renewal

1) 48 of the 80 required hours must be related to the field of alcohol and other drug (AID) abuse treatment (may be inclusive ofA/D prevention activities).

2) Of the remaining 32 required hours, 28 must be **behavioral heallh-related (which may or may not include alcohol and other drug abuse prevention/treatment services-related topics) AND must also cover the requirements listed in numbers 5 and 6 below. (**Relevant DMH-required training indicated in the current DMH Operational Standards for Mental Health, Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Abuse Community Service Providers may be counted as "behavioral health-related" CEs).

3) Individuals may count up to four (4) hours in non-A/D or behavioral health-related areas, such as technology or administrative types of training, which they or their programs deem important or necessary for continued professional enhancement.

4) Up to 16 of the total required 80 hours may be obtained by presenting applicable (alcohol and other drug abuse prevention/treatment-related) training events.

5) At least two (2) of the required 80 hours must be in the area of cultural competency.

6) At least two (2) of the required 80 hours must be in the area of ethics (related to the field of behavioral health).

7) A minimum of 40 of the required 80 hours must be accrued through participation in live, face-to-face continuing education activities; thus, no more than 40 of the required 80 hours may be earned through online or distance learning educational activities.

8) Two (2) three-semester hour (or equivalent) graduate-level behavioral health-related college courses from an approved educational institution, taken during the appropriate certification time period, will be accepted to fulfill the entire continuing education requirement. One (1) three semester hour (or equivalent) graduate-level behavioral health-related college course from an approved educational institution, taken during the appropriate certification time period, will be accepted to fulfill half (or 40 hours) of the continuing education requirement.

9) Courses claimed for continuing education hours must be beyond the course work necessary to meet the educational requirement for DMH professional credentialing.

10) During the individual's FIRST renewal cycle only, the CE renewal requirement may be prorated, if necessary, as requested by the renewal applicant. Renewing individuals for whom it is their FIRST renewal cycle are required to report a minimum of two (2) CE hours per month of'credentialing, beginning with the month of full certification issuance and ending with the renewal deadline month (September 30"). (One (1) of these two (2) hours per month must be related to the field of alcohol and other drug (A/D) abuse prevention/treatment, and the remaining one (1) of these two (2) CE hours per month of credentialing must be behavioral health-related (which may or may not include alcohol and other drug abuse prevention/treatment services-related topics). For example, an individual who first obtained his/her CAT credential in the month of January of a renewal year (which ends September 30") would be required to report 18 CE hours; at least nine (9) of these 18 hours MUST BE alcohol and other drug (A/D) abuse prevention/treatment related, and the remaining nine (9) hours must be behavioral-health related, which may or may not include alcohol and other drug abuse prevention/treatment services-related topics. This provision is only applicable to the individual's first renewal cycle; the renewal fee is not prorated.

11) DMH allows for the pre-approval of various conferences and workshops/educational activities, etc., for DMH professional credentialing continuing education hours.

DMH Addictions Therapists desiring information on activities which have received CE pre-approval may contact the DMH Division of Professional Development or visit the DMH website for further information.

12) For continuing education activities which have not been through the CE pre-approval process, the continuing education activities will be subject to the approval of the Division of PLACE at the time of renewal.

13) Opportunities for CE accrual include, but are not limited to: training provided through the certified individual's place of employment (including DMH-required training as indicated in the DMH Operational Standards for Mental Health, Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Abuse Community Service Providers), DMH-sponsored training opportunities, and/or conferences/workshops approved by the Division through the DMH Division of Professional Development.

14) Continuing education activities should be presented by a qualified presenter and contain clearly-outlined learning objectives. Meetings, regular work activities, staffing sessions, breaks, social activities, etc., do not count towards fulfilling the CE requirement.

15) Any activity completed for the purpose of achieving the DMH Addictions Therapist certification (such as DMH Addictions Therapist Web-Based Training Component courses) is not eligible for CE credit.

Reporting the Continuing Education Requirement

Documentation of successful completion of continuing education hours (e.g., training records, staff development printouts, official college transcripts, conference certificates, etc.) should be housed with the Staff Development Officer (SDO) at the individual's current place of employment. The renewing individual should also keep a copy.

As part of the renewal process, each renewing individual is asked to attest to the fact that he/she has obtained the required number of appropriate continuing education hours.

Unless randomly-selected for audit, renewing individuals in Current Status do not submit CE documentation to the Division of PLACE. Individuals in Inactive Status must report CE activities at the time of renewal.

For DMH credentialing purposes only, CE documentation should be maintained for one year following the conclusion of the given renewal year.

RENEWAL APPLICATION

Prior to the renewal deadline, the Division will send a renewal notice to each certified individual's self-reported home and/or email address. The Division will also notify Staff Development Officers (SDOs) of the upcoming renewal deadline.

In addition to the general renewal directions found in this document, the renewal notice will include specific, current instructions on how to renew. Specific directions in the current year's renewal packet, along with specific directions provided on each renewal form, must be followed.

Each person who wishes to renew his/her certification must submit a renewal application packet to the Division by the established deadline which includes all required forms and fees.

Failure to receive a renewal notice, regardless of the reason, does not relieve the individual from the renewal requirement. Individuals should keep their addresses/contact information updated with the Division.

RENEWAL AUDIT

Following the conclusion of each renewal period, the Division of PLACE reserves the right to audit randomly-selected renewed individuals to determine compliance with the continuing education requirement. The audit process will include, at a minimum, a ten (10) percent sample of randomly-selected renewed individuals.

If an individual is randomly selected for audit, both the individual and the program SDO will be notified. Along with the notification, the Division will provide detailed instructions for audit procedures.

If randomly selected for audit, the renewed individual (in conjunction with the program SDO) will be required to submit to the Division documentation to validate successful completion of the renewal continuing education requirement. (Examples of sufficient documentation would include, but are not limited to: training records, staff development printouts verified by the SDO, conference certificates, and official college transcripts). This documentation must be submitted within a deadline prescribed by the Division.

In the case of noncompliance, the audited individual will have up to six months to comply, during which time the credential will be placed in Suspended Status (covered more fully in Chapter 10); the individual will be unable to practice with his/her credential during the period of suspension. Failure to comply within six months will result in the automatic loss of credentialing.

SPECIAL REQUESTS DURING RENEWAL

Inactive Status Request: An individual who is not employed in the state mental health system at the time of renewal may want to request Inactive Status. Individuals must initiate this request by the established renewal deadline and submit all required renewal forms, materials and fees.

Retired Status Request: An individual who has retired from state mental health system employment at the time of renewal may want to request Retired Status. Individuals must do so by the renewal deadline.

Relinquished Status Request: An individual who no longer wants to hold the credential may request Relinquished Status. Individuals must do so by the renewal deadline.

Certification status information is covered more fully in Chapter Nine. In addition to the information in Chapter Nine, instructions on making special requests at the time of renewal will also be included in the current renewal packet; interested individuals should contact the Division of PLACE for assistance.

CERTIFICATE RENEWAL

Each individual who successfully renews his/her Current CAT/LCAT credential may continue to use the appropriate professional title and practice as such for the next four-year certification period.

Each individual who successfully renews his/her Inactive CAT/LCAT credential may continue to use the appropriate professional title; however, he/she must not practice as a DMH Certified Addictions Therapist during the next four-year certification period (until he/she returns to Current Status).

The terms of administrative appeal are applicable to the renewal process.

CERTIFICATE EXPIRATION

Renewal Deadline

* The renewal application packet and fee are due on or before September 30th (or closest prior working day, as prescribed in the current renewal notice) of the given renewal year.

* Any certified individual wishing to request Inactive, Retired or Relinquished Status at the time of renewal must submit the request so that the Division receives it by the established renewal deadline. Otherwise, without proper renewal, the individual's credential will automatically be changed to Lapsed Status.

* Unless successfully renewed, an individual's certificate ceases to be valid after September 30th at the end of the certification period.

* Any certified individual for whom the Division has not received a renewal application packet (or a special request) by September 30th will be expired; his/her certification status will automatically be changed to Lapsed Status.

"Late Renewal"

* Between October 1st and October 31st (or closest prior working days, as determined by the Division), professional certification which has lapsed due to failure to renew may be rectified upon submission of all required renewal forms, materials, and payment in full of the Renewal Fee PLUS payment of a Late Renewal Fee.

* All problems with renewal applications (or special requests submitted at the time of renewal) must be resolved by October 31st (or closest prior working day, as determined by the Division).

* Incomplete renewal applications or renewal applications with unresolved deficiencies received by the renewal deadline may be maintained on file through October 31st (or closest prior working day) to allow individuals an opportunity to resolve problem(s). After October 31st (or closest prior working day, as determined by the Division), these credentials are expired and automatically changed to Lapsed Status if the deficiencies were not satisfactorily resolved by this date - no exceptions.

* The certification of any individual who has not successfully completed either renewal or a special request by October 31st (or closest prior working day, as determined by the Division) is expired. The status of any such individual's credential will automatically be changed to Lapsed Status.

Beginning November 1st

On and after November 1st, an individual who failed to renew successfully or successfully make a status change remains in Lapsed Status and will not be allowed to renew.

Following the conclusion of renewal season, each state mental health system program will be provided a list of program employees whose credentials lapsed.