Mississippi Administrative Code
Title 24 - Mental Health
Part 5 - DMH Peer Support Specialist Professional Standards and Requirement
Chapter Seven - Renewal
RENEWAL GENERAL INFORMATION
* Individuals holding CPSSP are required to renew every four (4) years on a certification schedule established by the Division.
RENEWAL DEADLINE
* The renewal deadline is September 30th (or closest prior working day) of each four-year certification period.
* Renewal deadlines will be every four years - September 30, 2015, September 30, 2019, etc.*
* Qualified individuals will renew their certification on or before the established renewal deadline in order to maintain Current or Inactive Status.
* Individuals who fail to renew by the established deadline will have their credential automatically changed to Lapsed Status. Lapsed Status means the credential is expired, and the individual no longer holds the credential.
RENEWAL REQUIREMENTS
Employment Requirement
Renewing individuals must either continue to be employed in the "state mental health system" or hold Inactive Status.
An individual who is no longer employed in the state mental health system at the time of renewal no longer meets the employment criteria for DMH professional credentialing. Unless the individual holds Inactive Status, he/she may make a request to change his/her certification status category. Certificate status information is located in Chapter Nine.
Continuing Education (CE) Requirement
CPSSP must complete all in-service training required by their employing agency, AND
A minimum of at least 20 hours of educational trainings, seminars, workshops, or post-secondary courses must be completed each recertification period. Examples of eligible course content are listed below. This list is not exhaustive; any course that builds knowledge and skills necessary to perform a job task is eligible for training credit.
Recovery in the Fields of Mental Health and Co-Occurring Disorders
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 and/or maintained by the applicant. 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, each certified individual will be sent a renewal notice to his/ her self-reported home and/or email address.
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 does not relieve the individual from the renewal requirement. Individuals should keep their addresses/contact information updated with DMH.
RENEWAL AUDIT
Following the conclusion of each renewal period, DMH reserves the right to audit randomly-selected renewed individuals to determine compliance with the continuing education requirement. The audit process will include a 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, detailed instructions for audit procedures will be provided.
If randomly selected for audit, the renewed individual (in conjunction with the program SDO) will be required to submit to DMH 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 prescribed deadline.
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 DMH for assistance.
CERTIFICATE RENEWAL
Each individual who successfully renews his/her Current CPSSP credential may continue to use the title of "Certified Peer Support Specialist Professional" and practice as such for the next four-year certification period.
Each individual who successfully renews his/her Inactive CPSSP credential may continue to use the appropriate title behind his/her name; however, he/she must not practice as a Certified Peer Support Specialist Professional 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 DMH 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 DMH 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 DMH), 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 DMH).
* 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 DMH), 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 DMH) 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 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.
