Mississippi Administrative Code
Title 24 - Mental Health
Part 5 - DMH Peer Support Specialist Professional Standards and Requirement
Chapter Nine - Professional Responsibilities
Current through September 24, 2024
SCOPE OF PRACTICE
* DMH professional credentials are valid only in Mississippi's "state mental health system." DMH Certified Peer Support Specialist Professional may only use the title if actively employed in the state mental health system (or in Inactive Status).
* Certified Peer Support Specialists Professional are certified to provide services involving application of the principles, methods and procedures of Peer Support Specialist Professional's service provision within Mississippi's state mental health system.
* The principles, methods and procedures of Peer Support Specialist Professionals are expected to be in compliance with the DMH Operational Standards for Mental Health, Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Abuse Community Service Providers.
* DMH Certified Peer Support Specialist Professional, should only practice within the boundaries of their credential(s) held.
* This certification does not qualify an individual to provide services outside this scope of practice or in private practice. Practicing beyond the scope of practice may lead to sanctions as described in Chapter 9.
* A person issued a certificate by the Department of Mental Health may use the title appropriate to his/her category of professional certification while in the employ of a state mental health system program (or while in Inactive Status).
* Professional identification is directly affected by employment. DMH-credentialed individuals who experience a change in or separation from state mental health system employment are expected to follow the relevant guidelines noted in the section, Reporting Changes in Vital Information.
REPORTING CHANGES IN VITAL INFORMATION
Credentialed individuals are required to notify DMH within 14 working days of a change in legal name, address or employment.
Name Change
Each credentialed individual should ensure that his/her current wall certificate bears his/her current legal name. An individual whose legal name has changed is expected to request a new certificate reflecting the new name. Once the new certificate is generated, the previous certificate is invalid.
To request a name change, the individual should submit a written/email request for a name change, along with a copy of legal documentation of the name change. The request should indicate the new name as it should appear on the replacement certificate. Name changes reported at the time of a new application (i.e., upgrade or renewal application) do not have to be accompanied by a request or copy of the legal documentation.
Only individuals in good standing who are currently employed in the state mental health system (or in Inactive Status) may request a replacement certificate.
Address Change
An individual whose email address, mailing address and/or telephone number has changed is expected to contact DMH with the new information.
Employment Change
Upon separation of the credentialed individual from state mental health system employment, the individual's DMH professional credential will become null and void unless he/she provides notification of reemployment in the state mental health system or requests and receives an appropriate credential status change, as covered in the "Separation From State Mental Health System Employment" section below.
Notification of a change in place of employment (not job title) must be submitted in writing/email by either the credentialed individual OR the place of employment from which the credentialed individual is separating.
An individual who is either leaving state mental health system employment or changing to a new state mental health system program should follow the requirements under "Separation From State Mental Health System Employment" below.
SEPARATION FROM STATE MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEM EMPLOYMENT
It is the credentialed individual's responsibility to keep track of his/her employment situation (and the potential for notification of separation of employment via the separating employer), accordingly.
Once DMH receives written/email notification of separation from employment (as outlined above), DMH will allow the individual a period of up to 45 calendar days from the date of notification to pursue one of the following options:
1) If the individual has become employed with a new "state mental health system" program, the individual should update his/her employment information by submitting a new Verification of Employment Form from the new place of employment.
2) If the individual IS NO LONGER EMPLOYED in the "state mental heath system," the individual may request a status change for his/her credential. Status change options include:
* Request Relinquished Status (available to provisional and full certification);
* Request Extended Status (available only to provisional certification);
* Request Inactive Status (available only to full certification); and,
* Request Retired Status (available only to full certification).
More information on credentialing statuses and how to obtain a status change is listed under the "Credential Status Change Requests," "Provisional Certification Status Categories" and "Full Certification Status Categories" sections below.
During this 45-day period, unless employed in a state mental health system program and in good standing, individuals in this situation are not allowed to practice.
At the end of the 45-day period, if no appropriate action is taken by the credentialed individual to either: 1) update his/her employment or 2) request an appropriate status change, the credential will expire and be changed to either Lapsed or Defaulted Status, as appropriate; this is an automatic process - no notification by DMH will be made. Lapsed and Defaulted Status mean the credential is expired, and the individual no longer holds the credential.
Status change requests initiated by the credentialed individual are subject to Review Board approval.
If a DMH-credentialed individual has a question about what to do if he/she has left state mental health system employment, the individual should contact DMH for assistance at the earliest indication of such separation.
DMH-credentialed individuals must be aware that notification of separation of employment may come from either the separating employer OR the credentialed individual. DMH does not notify a certified individual when a separating employer has made this notification. The certified individual is held to the 45-day time frame, regardless of whether the notification of employment separation came from the certified individual or the separating employer.
CREDENTIAL STATUS CHANGE REQUESTS
Credentialed individuals needing to make a status change request should submit the request in writing (or via email) to DMH, along with any pertinent supporting information. Applicable credentialing timelines must be met. Individuals needing assistance regarding status change requests should contact DMH for assistance. Contact information is located inside the document cover. Status change requests initiated by the credentialed individual are subject to Review Board approval.
CERTIFICATION STATUS CATEGORIES
The following status categories are applicable to individuals holding certification as a Certified Peer Support Specialist Professional (CPSSP).
Current Status
An individual holding certification which is in good standing (including timely submission of all forms, fees, changes of information, etc.) and without sanctions will be considered to be in Current Status.
An individual whose credential is in Current Status is able to practice within the scope of practice of this credentialing program and the ethical standards/principles.
In order to maintain Current Status, a CPSSP is expected to notify DMH in writing (or via email) within 14 working days of a change in vital information such as name, address, employment, etc. The name of a person whose credential is in Current Status will appear on any list produced by DMH if he/she is Current at the time the list is produced.
Inactive Status
The Review Board may grant Inactive Status to a fully-certified individual who is leaving employment in the state mental health system and who wishes to maintain the credential.
Inactive Status will only be granted to a fully-certified individual who is in good standing (Current Status) at the time of the request.
In order to pursue Inactive Status, the certified individual must submit a written/email request to DMH The request will be presented to the Review Board.
In the request, the fully-certified individual should request Inactive Status, provide an explanation as to why the status change is needed and indicate a specific time period for the inactivity. Documentation which supports the request may be submitted along with the request. The Review Board may verify the circumstances surrounding the request.
Individuals granted Inactive Status must meet renewal requirements, including payment of required fees and completion of required continuing education requirements. Otherwise, the certified individual's credential will lapse.
An individual in Inactive Status is allowed to continue to use the professional title behind his/her name, but is not allowed to practice.
A person in Inactive Status may be returned to Current Status upon submission of a written/email request, along with an appropriate Verification of Employment Form reflecting current employment within the state mental health system.
Lapsed Status
Lapsed Status means the fully-certified individual's credential has expired and is no longer valid. A fully-certified individual's credential may lapse for any of the following reasons, including but not limited to:
* Failure to renew professional certification according to established timelines;
* Failure to make a special request, according to established timelines and obtain an appropriate certification status;
* Review Board's determination of failure to submit a satisfactory request for a status change;
* Failure to comply with the terms of the status change request approved by the Review Board; and/or,
* Separation from state mental health system employment without appropriate status change.
Lapsing from the program immediately overrides any other status category held by a fully-certified individual. Upon lapsing, the individual immediately ceases to hold certification.
Retired Status
The Review Board may grant Retired Status to an individual who has retired and is no longer employed in the state mental health system. Retired status is intended for individuals who have ceased working because they have either reached the age of retirement or have accumulated the number of work years to retire.
In order to pursue Retired Status, the individual (upon retirement) must submit a written/email request to DMH. DMH will present the request to the Review Board. In the request, the individual should request Retired Status and indicate the date of retirement. The Review Board may verify the circumstances surrounding the request. The individual granted Retired Status is no longer required to meet renewal requirements/fees and is permitted to keep his/her certificate.
Relinquished Status
A fully-certified individual who determines that he/she no longer needs/wants to hold and maintain professional certification may submit a written/email request to the Review Board requesting Relinquished Status. The Review Board may verify the circumstances surrounding the request. Once approved for Relinquished Status, the individual no longer holds the credential. The individual's certificate is null and void.
CERTIFICATION REINSTATEMENT
A Peer Support Specialist Professional whose full certification has expired within the past three years, as determined by DMH's records (Relinquished, Retired or Lapsed Status) and who expired in good standing, may reactivate his/her certification by requesting reinstatement, paying the reinstatement fee, paying past renewal fees (including late charges) and submitting documentation of continuing education credit as determined by DMH or the Review Board. Reinstatement of certification is determined on a case-by-case basis, at the discretion of DMH and the Review Board. Individuals interested in reinstatement should contact DMH for additional information. Fees are subject to change. Reinstatement is not available to provisionally-certified individuals.
During a renewal year, an individual desiring reinstatement must wait six months before applying for reinstatement.
Beyond three years, post-expiration, total reapplication is required.
CREDENTIAL VERIFICATION & REPORTING
Upon request, DMH reports specific information about DMH-credentialed individuals. The fields of information which may be shared with individuals making inquiry are:
* Name;
* Type of certification;
* Certificate number;
* Date of issuance;
* Date of expiration;
* Credential status; and,
* Whether or not formal disciplinary action has been taken against the individual.
During renewal season, DMH reserves the right to hold such verification requests until all credential!ng records are up-to-date, post renewal.
