DEFINITIONS

Licensed Mental Health Professional (LMHP):   Refers to a physician, licensed clinical psychologist, licensed professional counselor, licensed clinical social worker, licensed marriage and family therapist, or a psychiatric clinical nurse specialist.

Qualified Mental Health Professional (QMHP):   Refers to a clinician in the human services field who is trained and experienced in providing psychiatric or mental health services to individuals who have a psychiatric diagnosis.   In the Commonwealth of Virginia, authorized professionals and minimal qualifications for a QMHP are as follows:

1. Physician:   a doctor of medicine or osteopathy licensed in Virginia;
2. Psychiatrist:   a doctor of medicine or osteopathy, specializing in psychiatry and licensed in Virginia;
3. Psychologist:   an individual with a master's degree in psychology from an accredited college or university with at least one year of clinical experience;
4. Social worker:   an individual with a master's or bachelor's degree from a school of social work accredited or approved by the Council on Social Work Education with at least one year of clinical experience;
5. Registered nurse (RN):   a registered nurse licensed in Virginia with at least one year of clinical experience;
6. Mental Health Worker:  

• An individual with a bachelor's degree in human services, a related field, or other degree deemed equivalent to those described, from an accredited college and with at least one year of clinical experience; OR
• A Registered Psychiatric Rehabilitation Provider (RPRP) registered with the International Association of Psychosocial Rehabilitation Services (IAPSRS) as of January 1, 2001; OR
• An individual with at least a bachelor's degree from an accredited college in an unrelated field with an associate's degree in a human services field and who has at least three years' clinical experience; OR
• An individual with at least a bachelor's degree from an accredited college and certification from the IAPSRS as a Certified Psychiatric Rehabilitation Practitioner (CPRP); OR
• An individual with at least a bachelor's degree from an accredited college in an unrelated field that includes at least 15 semester credits (or equivalent) in a human services field and who has at least three years' clinical experience; OR
• Four years' clinical experience working directly with individuals with mental illness or mental retardation.

Clinical experience means providing direct services to individuals with mental illness, mental retardation, or receiving gerontology or special education services.   It includes supervised internships, practicums, and field experience.

A human services field includes social work, gerontology, psychology, psychiatric rehabilitation, special education, sociology, counseling, vocational rehabilitation, and human services counseling.

Paraprofessionals in mental health must, at a minimum meet one of the following criteria:

1. Be registered with the IAPSRS as an Associate Psychiatric Rehabilitation Provider (APRP) as of January 1, 2001.
2. An associate's degree in a related field (social work, psychology, psychiatric rehabilitation, sociology, counseling, vocational rehabilitation, human services, Community Mental Health Rehabilitative Services counseling) and at least one year of experience providing direct services to persons with a diagnosis of mental illness or gerontology and special education.
3. An associate's degree, or higher degree, in an unrelated field and at least three years' experience providing direct services to persons with a diagnosis of mental illness or gerontology clients or special education clients.
4. A minimum of 90 hours of classroom training and 12 weeks of experience under the direct personal supervision of a QMHP providing services to persons with mental illness and at least one year of experience (including the 12 weeks of supervised experience).   Direct personal supervision means that the QMHP is on-site at all times and countersigns all documentation.
5. College credits (from an accredited college) earned toward a bachelor's degree in a human services or related field (social work, gerontology psychology, psychiatric rehabilitation, special education, sociology, counseling, vocational rehabilitation and human services) that are equivalent to an associate's degree will be accepted to meet the educational requirements.   One year of clinical experience is also required.   The experience may include supervised internships, practicums, and field experience.
6. Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN):   licensed by the Commonwealth of Virginia and with at least one year of clinical experience.   The clinical experience may include supervised internships, practicums, and field experience.
7. Certification from the IAPSRS as a CPRP.

Certified Pre-screener:   An employee of the local Community Services Board (CSB) or its designee, who is skilled in the assessment and treatment of mental illness and has completed a certification program approved by DMHMRSAS.

Qualified Substance Abuse Professional (QSAP):   A qualified substance abuse professional must be one of the following:

• A counselor who has completed master's level training in psychology, social work, counseling, or rehabilitation; who is also either certified as a substance abuse counselor by the Board of Licensed Professional Counselors, Marriage and Family Therapists, and Substance Abuse Treatment Professionals, or as a certified addictions counselor by the Substance Abuse Certification Alliance of Virginia, or who holds any certification from the National Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors.
• A professional licensed by the appropriate board of the Virginia Department of Health Professions as either a professional counselor, clinical social worker, RN, clinical psychologist, or physician who demonstrates competencies in all of the following areas of addiction counseling;   clinical evaluation; treatment planning; referral; service coordination; counseling; client, family, and community education; documentation; professional and ethical responsibilities; or as a licensed substance abuse professional.
• A professional certified as either a clinical supervisor by the Substance Abuse Certification Alliance of Virginia or a master education counselor by the National Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors.

Qualified Mental Health Case Manager (QMHCM):   Must have knowledge of:

• Services, systems, and programs available in the community including primary health care, support services, eligibility criteria and intake processes, generic community resources, and mental health, mental retardation, and substance abuse treatment programs;
• The nature of serious mental illness, mental retardation, and substance abuse depending on the population served, including clinical and developmental issues;
• Different types of assessments, including functional assessments, and their uses in service planning;
• Treatment modalities and intervention techniques, such as behavior management, independent living skills training, supportive counseling, family education, crisis intervention, discharge planning, and service coordination;
• The services planning process and major components of a service plan;
• The use of medications in the care or treatment of the population served; and
• All applicable federal and state laws, regulations, and local ordinances

Must have skills in:

• Identifying and documenting an individual's needs for resources, services, and other support;
• Using information from assessments, evaluations, observation, and interviews to develop ISPs;
• Identifying services and resources within the community and establishing service systems to meet the individual's needs and documenting how resources, services, and natural supports, such as family, can be utilized to achieve an individual's personal habilitative, rehabilitative, and life goals; and
• Coordinating the provision of services by public and private providers.

Must have the ability to:

• Work with team members, maintaining effective inter- and intra-agency working relationships;
• Work independently, performing position duties under general supervision; and
• Engage and sustain ongoing relationships with individuals receiving services.

Qualified Mental Retardation Professional (QMRP):   Means a professional possessing:

1. At least one year of documented experience working directly with individuals who have mental retardation or developmental disabilities;
2. is one of the following: (i) a doctor of medicine or osteopathy; (ii) a registered nurse; (iii) an individual who holds at least a bachelor's degree in a human services field (including, but not limited to: sociology, special education, rehabilitative counseling, social work, and psychology.)

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Updated June 24, 2008