QUALIFIED PROFESSIONALS
ISSUE DATE: 11/2018
The provisions in this section describe who may be considered as qualified professionals for diagnosing and/or determining a client’s specific physical illness and/or mental condition.
MFIP:
Qualified professionals, as defined in this section, may diagnose and/or determine if a person meets certain medical criteria in order to bank months, or to qualify for, Family Stabilization Services (FSS), an MFIP hardship extension, or a good cause claim. See 0011.33 (MFIP Hardship Extensions), 0011.36 (Special Medical Criteria), 0028.06.03 (Who Must Participate in Empl. Services/SNAP E&T), 0028.18 (Good Cause for Non-Compliance -- MFIP/DWP).
● | FOR DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES (DD): Professionals qualified to administer the tests necessary to make a determination (tests of intellectual functioning, assessment of adaptive behavior, adaptive skills, and developmental function) include licensed psychologists, certified school psychologists, or a certified psychometrist working under supervision of a licensed psychologist. These professionals must also be trained and experienced in administration of the tests. See PEOPLE WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES in 0002.47 (Glossary: OJT...). |
● | FOR LEARNING DISABILITIES: A qualified professional is a licensed psychologist or school psychologist with experience determining learning disabilities. See 0011.33.06 (MFIP Hard to Employ Extension Category). |
● | FOR PEOPLE WITH MENTAL ILLNESS (MI), SERIOUS AND PERSISTENT MENTAL ILLNESS (SPMI), AND SEVERE EMOTIONAL DISTURBANCE (SED): A qualified mental health professional is indicated in the bullets below. Documentation can be provided by a licensed physician or a qualified mental health professional as listed below, for questions about counting months toward the 60-month time limit AND related extensions: |
- | FOR CHILDREN IN PSYCHIATRIC NURSING: The mental health professional must be a registered nurse who is certified as a clinical specialist in child and adolescent psychiatric or mental health nursing by a national nurse certification organization or who has a master’s degree in nursing or 1 of the behavioral sciences or related fields from an accredited college or university or its equivalent, with at least 4,000 hours of post-master’s supervised experience in the delivery of clinical services in the treatment of mental illness. |
- | FOR ADULTS IN PSYCHIATRIC NURSING: A registered nurse who is certified as a clinical specialist in adult psychiatric and mental health nursing by a national nurse certification organization or who has a master’s degree in nursing or 1 of the behavioral sciences or related fields from an accredited college or university or its equivalent, with at least 4,000 hours of post-master’s supervised experience in the delivery of clinical services in the treatment of mental illness. |
- | IN CLINICAL SOCIAL WORK: A person licensed as an independent clinical social worker (LICSW), a licensed professional clinical counselor (LPCC), or a person with a master’s degree in social work from an accredited college or university, with at least 4,000 hours of post-master’s supervised experience in the delivery of clinical services in the treatment of mental illness. |
- | IN PSYCHOLOGY: A person licensed by the board of psychology who has stated to the Board of Psychology competencies in the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness. |
- | IN PSYCHIATRY: A physician licensed and certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology or eligible for board certification in psychiatry. |
- | IN MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPY: The mental health professional must be a marriage and family therapist with at least 2 years of post-master’s supervised experience in the delivery of clinical services in the treatment of mental illness. |
● | FOR PHYSICAL ILLNESS, INJURY, OR INCAPACITY: A qualified professional means a licensed physician, a physician’s assistant, a nurse practitioner, a certified nurse midwife, or a licensed chiropractor. |
DWP:
If there are situations requiring determinations from the qualified professionals listed above, consider conversion to MFIP. See 0008.06.24 (DWP Conversion or Referral to MFIP).
SNAP:
● | FOR PHYSICAL ILLNESS, INJURY, OR INCAPACITY: A qualified professional means a licensed physician, a physician’s assistant, a nurse practitioner, a certified nurse midwife, a licensed chiropractor, doctors of osteopathy, licensed podiatrists, designated representatives of the physician’s office, or a social worker. |
● | FOR PEOPLE WITH MENTAL ILLNESS (MI), SERIOUS AND PERSISTENT MENTAL ILLNESS (SPMI), AND SEVERE EMOTIONAL DISTURBANCE (SED), DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES AND LEARNING DISABILITIES: Documentation can be provided by a licensed physician or a physician’s assistant, a nurse practitioner, designated representatives of the physician's office, or a social worker that can verify the SNAP recipient is mentally unfit for work based on the information in their case record. |
MSA:
No provisions.
GA:
Follow MFIP. For information about bases of eligibility, see 0013.15 (GA Bases of Eligibility).
FOR DRUG/ALCOHOL ADDICTION: A licensed physician, physician assistant or nurse practitioner must verify that the client's disabling condition is the result of continued drug or alcohol addiction. See 0013.15.54 (GA Basis – Drug/Alcohol Addiction).
GRH:
Follow MSA for clients who are aged, blind, or disabled.
For all other adults, the Qualified Professionals defined for MFIP, GA may determine if a person has an illness or disabling condition which limits the ability to work and provide self-support. Qualified Professionals also include the following:
● | FOR CHEMICAL DEPENDENCY: A treatment director, an alcohol and drug counselor supervisor, a licensed alcohol and drug counselor (LADC), or licensed physician. |
● | A county human services agency may designate other qualified professionals as authorized to sign a Group Residential Housing - Professional Statement of Need (DHS-7122) (PDF). |
PREVIOUS REVISIONS
| Date | Notes |
|---|---|
| 09/2015 | moves SNAP from no provisions and adds SNAP provisions with a list of Qualified Professionals who can diagnose and/or determine a client?s specific physical illness and/or mental condition. |
| 08/2013 | in MFIP, GA in the 3rd bullet, 3rd sub-bullet for IN CLINICAL SOCIAL WORK, adds a licensed professional clinical counselor (LPCC). |
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