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Staff Qualifications | |
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1.The professional experience criteria for many of the service standards require a Masters degree and three years related to clinical experience. Does the three years include experience gained during the time the therapist is working on the degree, or is that three years post graduate? Does “three years clinical experience” have to be post-masters or can it be post-bachelor degree? What is the definition of “clinical experience?” What constitutes “experiences” for either a therapist or a case manager? Can you include time spent during internships, bachelor’s level experience (for a master level person)? New Masters-level graduates cannot be hired without three-years of experience or a license. It takes at least two years of supervised experience to get a license. Given the shortage of the state (especially in rural communities and given the increased recruitment by DCS), we are already asking our Masters level therapists to drive up to two counties away to ensure service delivery. This new qualification requirement has shrunken the pool of available candidates even further. What provision is the state making to allow providers to develop the number of future qualified professionals when we are not allowed to offer supervised therapy experience as a license is pursued or as a trained graduate begins their career? Does a Master’s-level graduate’s practicum experience count toward the required experience qualification? Clarification on qualifications for masters level clinician: for a person without a license, does all of the “related clinical experience” have to occur after the masters degree has been conferred? The counseling service standards require a Master’s degree with 3 years related clinical experience. Is the clinical experience post-Masters? |
Total experience in Social Services, can be post Bachelor's degree. . Clinical experience in this context means time in the practice of social work.
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Is a Master’s in Education a “directly related human services field?” Could you define “directly related human service field”? Would a person with a Bachelor’s in Education and 19 years of related experience in the human service field qualify for Home-Based Family Centered Casework? |
There are several degrees that could be related. One must also look to see if there is a licensing requirement. For Example, a provider could hire someone as a direct worker because that worker has a degree that is related, but later not be able to promote that worker to a supervisor because the worker is unable to work toward a license that is required as a supervisor. We consider the following to be related Child Development, Family and Consumer Sciences, Criminal Justice, and/or Education. |
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In a situation where a therapist with three years of experience serving—for example—10 families leaves and no qualified replacement is immediately available, what does the state recommend we do to ensure that services are not abruptly ended? Is it possible to temporarily increase caseloads and/or use a Masters-level staff with less than three years experience until such a time as a new qualified candidate is able to be hired? We hire just about every Masters-level therapist we can find. Of the 24 that we have been able to hire, over half would not meet the new requirements due to the fact that they were hired right out of graduate school—often the only place new candidates can be found. Is there any consideration being given to allowing agencies to hire new graduates in an effort to develop experience and licensure opportunities to increase the overall number of qualified professionals serving families in need in our state? Your work to provide high quality therapists for your families is commendable and it is understandable that you want to end the use of waivers. At the same time, shortages of licensed personnel to do therapy with kids and adolescents is a reality in many parts of our state. There is a clear difference between the unlicensed private practitioner and the unlicensed practitioner mental health agency accredited by Joint Commission, surrounded by a multi-disciplinary team, given individual and group supervision, etc. Is it acceptable to write the proposal with what we can realistically provide and let the county director and regional services council decide if they need that option or not to provide services to their families? Is the continuation and/or extension of the waiver process being considered? For example, more than 50% of our current therapists (serving nearly 100 families at any given time) would not meet the new experience requirement. If these staff leave or are recruited by DCS, we would have a difficult time replacing them without a waiver process I have concern regarding gaps between one qualified (by services standard required credential) and the hiring of that person's replacement - that kids would be moved from treatment for a temporary gap in credential. Licensed staff is difficult to recruit. |
We have some of the same concerns that you do as providers. We are open to setting guidelines for staff vacancies. We believe this is a state function not a Regions or a Regional Service Councils. We invite your input. Please e-mail Ginny Morris at Ginny.Morris@dcs.in.gov to express your interest in working with us on this issue. |
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Can current staff who have an approved waiver to provide master level services also supervise staff where supervision qualifications in the new standards that do not require a Lic. Master level? |
No - Waivers are specific to the service standard and the position, direct worker or supervision. |
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D&E with MMPI requires a licensed clinical psychologist, not an MSW. MMPIs can only be purchased administered and interpreted by an HSPP. Should the qualifications in the standards be changed? The service description notes psychological testing and drug/alcohol testing while the qualifications do not specify a psychologist or a drug/alcohol certification. Are general mental health evaluations to be included here? |
Yes. Thanks! It will be changed. |
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If a current staff member has an eligible qualifications waiver, is this transferable to another organization? Given a situation where a current provider may cease to provide services under the new contract, this would allow effective professionals providing casework, therapy, etc. to continue meeting the needs of families through other service providers. |
No - Waivers are specific to the service standard and the position, direct worker or supervision |