Mississippi Administrative Code
Title 24 - Mental Health
Part 7 - Rules, Regulations and Application Guidelines for the Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Therapist Program
Chapter 4 - Application Procedure for Professional Certification/Licensure
Section 24-7-4-1 - General Guidelines

(1) Applicants should read all directions and application materials before beginning the application process, as the required Application Fee is nonrefundable.

(2) Beginning and after July 1, 1998, an individual wishing to submit an application for entrance into the DMH Mental Retardation Therapist Program will be expected to submit an initial application for provisional certification (PCMRT) and to meet all current requirements of the program. For more information on the now-expired grandfathering provision, see Chapter 4, Section 7, p. 28.

(3) Upon completion of all requirements of the Provisional Certification Period, a provisional certificant is expected to submit an upgrade application for either full certification (CMRT) or licensure (LCMRT), whichever is appropriate. For more information on applying to upgrade to full certification or licensure, see Chapter 4, Section 3 and Section 4, pp. 24-26.

(4) All application materials must be submitted together in one application packet. As noted in Chapter 4, Section 1, D., (2), p. 20, the Official Transcript(s) is the only item which may be submitted separately from the application packet.

(5) An individual may apply for more than one DMH professional certification/ licensure (Mental Retardation, Mental Health, etc.); however, each application should be submitted separately, including separate Official Transcripts, Verification of Experience Forms, payment of Application Fees, etc.

(6) The responsibility for submitting a complete application, including all required application forms/materials/ fees, is that of the applicant. The Review Board will not review incomplete applications; see Chapter 2, Section 2, B., (7), p. 5.

(7) Once submitted, all application materials become the property of the Division. Application materials will not be returned to the applicant for any reason.

(8) Incomplete initial applications for provisional certification (PCMRT) are maintained on file for two years from the date of receipt, after which time they are destroyed.

(9) Individuals upgrading from provisional certification (PCMRT) to either full certification (CMRT) or licensure (LCMRT) are expected to complete the upgrade process as soon as possible. Incomplete upgrade applications of this type will be maintained on a schedule determined by the Division.

(10) Individuals upgrading from certification (CMRT) to licensure (LCMRT) are expected to successfully complete the process by the end of the Certification/ Licensure Period. Individuals holding CMRT who have not successfully completed the upgrade process by the end of the Certification/Licensure Period are expected to renew their certification in a timely manner.

(1) Please print or type the information requested on the application forms; typing is preferred.

(2) All submitted forms should be completed by the appropriate person(s) indicated at the top of each form. Specific directions provided on each form should be read and followed.

(3) All forms submitted in support of the application must bear original signatures. Photocopies and faxed copies of completed forms will not be accepted.

(4) Every numbered item on each form must have a response, even if the response is "Not Applicable." Incomplete forms will not be returned to the applicant for completion; a new form must be completed and submitted.

(5) To ensure validity, all forms other than the notarized Application Form must be submitted in sealed envelopes, with a signature across the envelope's seal that matches the signature on the document inside the envelope.

(1) Appropriate employment must be submitted on an official Verification of Employment Form which must reflect the applicant's current place of employment. The forms provided in Chapter 9, p. 52 for initial applications and p. 63 for upgrade applications must be used.

(2) Item #2 of the Verification of Employment Form requesting information on background checks must be addressed and completed clearly.

(3) Individuals unsure of how to mark Item #3 of the Verification of Employment Form requesting program information should refer to Chapter 3, Section 1, C., p. 7 of this document. The Personnel Officer may need to consult with the program's Director /Executive Director or Business Office to make correct determination.

(1) When included in the application packet, the Official Transcript(s) must be submitted unopened in the approved educational institution's letterhead envelope.

(2) If necessary, the Official Transcript may be submitted directly to the Division by the approved educational institution.

(3) An applicant may send Official Transcripts from all schools; however, only graduate-level transcripts are required.

(4) When submitting an upgrade application, it is not necessary to submit an official graduate-level transcript(s) which has been previously submitted and received by the Division. Only transcripts reporting new graduate-level, mental retardation-related coursework need to be submitted.

(5) All references to hours of college credit are for semester hours. Quarter hours which are submitted will be converted to semester hours using the standard formula (Number of Quarter Hours X .66 =Semester Hour Equivalent).

(1) Appropriate work experience must be verified by a qualified supervisor and submitted on an official Verification of Experience Form.

(2) When reporting appropriate experience, an applicant needs only to report enough experience to meet the experience requirement of the credential for which he/she is applying. It is not necessary for an individual to report a lifetime of work experience.

(3) When submitting an upgrade application, it is not necessary to submit supervised experience which has been previously submitted on a complete Verification of Experience Form and received by the Division. Only the balance of experience needed to meet the experience requirement of the new credential is required.

(4) Only complete Verification of Experience Forms are considered by the Review Board. Verification of Experience Forms which have missing information or missing pages will not be considered.

(5) All experience requirements are based on full-time, forty (40) hour per week work experience.

(6) Individuals with part-time experience must indicate an amount of experience which is equivalent to a forty (40) hour work week. The applicant with part-time experience must provide quantitative information which supports his/her claims. The Review Board will review each application and make decisions regarding part-time experience on a case-by-case basis.

(7) Experience acquired while enrolled in a mental retardation-related graduate degree program, including a practicum or internship, may count for up to one year of the required years of experience.

(1) Before selecting a supervisor to complete Section II of the Verification of Experience Form, carefully read the list of Supervisor Qualifications found in Chapter 3, Section 5, A., p. 12.

(2) After meeting all qualifications, a Supervisor holding a current DMH credential as a CMRT or LCMRT should indicate such on Item #15 of the Verification of Experience Form.

(3) If a Supervisor meeting all other requirements does not hold a current DMH credential as a CMRT or LCMRT but is eligible to hold a CMRT or LCMRT credential, the supervisor should indicate this on Item #15 of the Verification of Experience Form AND include a vita. See Chapter 3, Section 5, B., p. 12 for more information on vita submissions. See Chapter 9, pp. 56-57 for a fill-in-the-blank Supervisor Vita Form which may be used with initial applications; see Chapter 9, pp. 67-68 for a Supervisor Vita Form to be used with upgrade applications.

(4) The Chair of a qualified program's governing Board or Commission may also serve as Supervisor even if they do not hold a DMH credential or are not DMH credential-eligible. This Supervisor should indicate his/her qualification as a Supervisor on Item #15 of the Verification of Experience Form.

(5) A supervisor who holds a credential as a Department of Mental Health Licensed Mental Health/Mental Retardation Administrator (LMH/MRA) may also serve as Supervisor. This Supervisor should indicate his/her qualification as a Supervisor on #15 of the Verification of Experience Form.

(1) The Upgrade Verification of Inservice/ Training Form found on Chapter 9, p. 69 is a suggested form. Staff development reporting forms currently in use by programs are acceptable as long as they contain the same information.

(2) The Verification of Inservice/Training Form is not to be submitted with an initial application for PCMRT.

(3) When applying to upgrade, a provisional certificant (PCMRT) is required to submit a minimum of thirty (30) Contact Hours of successfully completed inservice/training as verified by the program's designated Staff Development Officer. These Contact Hours must have been obtained during the individual's Provisional Certification Period.

(4) When applying to upgrade, a certificant (CMRT) is required to submit a minimum of thirty (30) Contact Hours of successfully completed inservice/ training as verified by the program's designated Staff Development Officer. These Contact Hours must have been accrued during the current Certification/Licensure Period.

(5) Hours spent in the required Mental Retardation Core Training Program (MR-CTP) are not eligible for submission as inservice/training Contact Hours.

(6) Up to half of the reported Contact Hours may be obtained by presenting educational activities. This should be noted in the appropriate column on the Verification of Inservice/Training Form.

(7) Copies of training certificates, Continuing Education Unit forms and other such documentation should not be submitted to the Division. Instead, documentation providing proof of training should be presented to the program's designated Staff Development Officer.

(8) Graduate-level course work related to the field of mental retardation/ developmental disabilities from an approved educational institution will be accepted as ongoing inservice/training.

(1) The Staff Development Officer (SDO) is a professional employee of a program as described in Chapter 3, Section 1, C., p. 7 who is responsible for maintaining staff development records and verifying ongoing inservice/training for both upgrade and renewal applicants.

(2) The SDO may not be a clerical staff member.

(3) The SDO also serves as a liaison between his/her program and the Division.

(4) The SDO also serves as a resource to his/her program concerning DMH professional certification and licensure.

(5) The SDO is appointed by the Director /Executive Director of the program. A record of the appointment and the SDO's original signature is maintained on file by the Division.

(6) When verifying an individual's inservice/ training at the time of upgrade or at the time of renewal, the SDO is responsible for maintaining the individual's documentation of training, such as training certificates, Continuing Education Unit forms, etc.

(7) The Division should be notified of any change in SDO within fourteen (14) days of the effective date of the change.

(8) In the event that the designated SDO is not available to verify Contact Hours, the Verification of Inservice/Training Form (Upgrade or Renewal) may be verified by the Director /Executive Director who made the SDO appointment.

(9) Verification of Inservice /Training Forms (Upgrade or Renewal) which have been signed by anyone other than the appointed SDO or the appointing Director /Executive Director will be considered invalid and must be resubmitted bearing the appropriate original signature.

(10) If unsure as to the identity of your program's designated SDO, please check with your program's Director/Executive Director or contact the Division for assistance.

(1) There is no MR-CTP reporting requirement for a provisionally certified individual (PCMRT) applying to upgrade his/her credential.

(2) Records of participation in the Mental Retardation Core Training Program (MR-CTP) are maintained by the Division.

(3) Progress in the MR-CTP will be reported by the Division to the Review Board when the provisionally certified individual (PCMRT) applies to upgrade his/her credential to either full certification (CMRT) or licensure (LCMRT).