Separation from State Mental Health System Employment

Separation from State Mental Health System Employment A. It is the responsibility of the DMH-credentialed individual/DMH Licensed Administrator “Program Participant” to keep track of his/her employment situation (and the potential for notification of separation of employment via the separating employer), accordingly. B. Once the Division receives written/email notification of separation from employment (as outlined above), the Division will allow the individual a period of up to 30 calendar days from the date of notification to pursue one of the following options: 1. If the individual has become employed with a new “state mental health system” program, the individual should update his/her employment information with the Division by submitting a new Verification of Employment Form from the new place of employment. Submission of the Verification of Employment Form is completed via the online system as prescribed by the Mississippi Department of Mental Health. 2. If the individual IS NO LONGER EMPLOYED in the “state mental health system,” the individual may request with the Division a status change for his/her DMH credential (or DMH “Program Participant” phase). Status change options include: a. Request Relinquished Status (available to provisional and full certification/licensure); b. Request Extended Status (available only to provisional certification/DMH Licensed Administrator “Program Participants”); c. Request Inactive Status (available only to full certification/licensure); and, d. Request Retired Status (available only to full certification/licensure). C. More information on credentialing statuses and how to obtain a status change is listed under the “Credential Status Change Requests,” “Provisional Certification Status Categories,” “DMH Licensed Administrator Program Participant Status Categories” and “Full Certification/Licensure Status Categories” sections in this document. D. During this 30-day period, unless employed in a state mental health system program and in good standing, individuals in this situation are not allowed to practice with their DMH credential. E. At the end of the 30-day period, if no appropriate action is taken by the credentialed individual to either: 1) update his/her employment or 2) request an appropriate status change, the credential will expire and be changed to either Lapsed or Defaulted Status, as appropriate; this is an automatic process – no notification by the Division will be made. Lapsed and Defaulted Status means the credential is expired, and the individual no longer holds the credential. (Likewise, at the end of the 30-day period, if no appropriate action is taken by the DMH Licensed Administrator “Program Participant” to either: 1) update his/her employment or 2) request an appropriate status change, the “Program Participant” phase will expire and be changed to Defaulted Status; this is an automatic process – no notification by the Division will be made. Defaulted Status means the DMH Licensed Administrator “Program Participant” phase has expired.) F. Status change requests which are initiated by the DMH-credentialed individual/DMH Licensed Administrator “Program Participant” are subject to Review Board approval. G. If a DMH-credentialed individual/DMH Licensed Administrator “Program Participant” has a question about what to do if he/she has left state mental health system employment, the individual should contact the appropriate Division for assistance at the earliest indication of such separation. H. DMH-credentialed individuals/DMH Licensed Administrator “Program Participants” must be aware that notification of separation of employment may come from either the separating employer OR the individual. The Division does not notify a DMH- credentialed individual/DMH Licensed Administrator “Program Participant” when a separating employer has made this notification. The DMH-credentialed individual/DMH Licensed Administrator “Program Participant” is held to the 30-day time frame, regardless of whether the notification of employment separation came from the individual or the separating employer.