5123:2-5-01 Adult services registration and certification standards.

(A) Purpose

The purpose of this rule is to establish minimum qualifications through registration and certification standards for staff working in adult services positions at county boards of mental retardation and developmental disabilities or their contract agencies.

(B) Application

These standards shall apply to persons, directly providing or supervising the provision of adult services, who are employed by county boards of mental retardation and developmental disabilities or agencies contracting with a county board to provide adult services. If an agency contracting with a county board to provide adult services is appropriately accredited, licensed, or certificated to perform those services or activities, the superintendent may recommend to the department, and the department may approve, that the staff of the contracting agency be exempted from the requirements of registration and certification. Staff employed in positions requiring licensure or certification issued by another board or agency are exempt from these standards.

(1) A registered service adult services worker shall hold a registered service level registration in accordance with this rule.

(2) An adult services manager 1 shall hold a management 1 level registration in accordance with this rule.

(3) A professional adult services worker shall hold a specialist level certification in accordance with this rule or a professional level certification in accordance with rule 5123:2-5-01 of the Administrative Code that was in effect immediately prior to the effective date of this rule.

(4) An adult services manager 2 shall hold a management 2 level certification in accordance with this rule.

(5) An adult services manager 3 shall hold a management 3 level certification in accordance with this rule.

(1) “Adult services” has the same meaning as in section 5126.01 of the Revised Code.

(2) “Applicant” means a person submitting a completed application to the department for adult services registration or certification.

(3) “College course” means department-approved instruction of a minimum of two semester hours or three quarter hours of credit offered by a college or university.

(4) “College or university” means a state university or college as defined in section 3345.32 of the Revised Code, a state university or college of another state, or an institution that has received a certificate of authorization to confer degrees from the board of regents pursuant to Chapter 1713. of the Revised Code or from a comparable agency of another state.

(5) “Continuing professional development” means department-approved training used by applicants to renew provisional grade and professional grade adult services registration and certification. A unit of continuing professional development is fifty minutes of instruction.

(6) “County board” means a county board of mental retardation and developmental disabilities as established under Chapter 5126. of the Revised Code.

(7) “Department” means the Ohio department of mental retardation and developmental disabilities as established by section 121.02 of the Revised Code.

(8) “Director” means the administrative head of the department as established by section 121.03 of the Revised Code.

(9) “GED” means a general equivalency diploma.

(10) “Grades” mean the designations within the levels of adult services registration and certification that differentiate the effective dates and minimum requirements (i.e., one-year substitute, one-year temporary, five-year provisional, and ten-year professional).

(11) “Levels” mean the categories used to differentiate employee positions within the validation of adult services (i.e., registered service registration, management 1 registration, specialist certification, management 2 certification, and management 3 certification).

(12) “Orientation program” means that within ninety days of initial employment by a county board or by an agency contracting with a county board to provide adult services, an applicant shall successfully complete thirty hours of training which shall include, but is not limited to, the following areas: overview of developmental disabilities; board operations and table of organization; county board rules; roles, functions, and responsibilities of adult services personnel; medicaid accountability; rights of individuals with mental retardation or other developmental disabilities; health, safety, and welfare of individuals with mental retardation or other developmental disabilities; confidentiality; techniques and philosophy of intervention and training; services and supports and service delivery settings; team processes; conflict management; communication; and adult services registration and certification standards.

(13) “Seminar” means department-approved instruction of thirty hours.

(14) “Superintendent” means a person certified by the department according to rule 5123:2-5-03 of the Administrative Code and employed in that capacity by a county board.

(D) Description

Registered service, management 1, specialist, management 2, and management 3 levels are designated within the adult services validation. Temporary, provisional, and professional grades are designated within each level. Substitute grade is designated within the registered service level.

(1) Registered service level registration

(a) Substitute grade

(i) The substitute grade registration shall be issued to an applicant hired to work, on an interim or intermittent basis for less than one-thousand-forty hours per calendar year (i.e., .5 full-time equivalent), in a position requiring registered service level registration, who meets the following requirements:

(a) The applicant shall be at least eighteen years of age.

(b) The applicant shall hold a high school diploma or GED.

(ii) The substitute grade registration may be renewed annually under the following conditions:

(a) The superintendent of the employing county board shall verify that the applicant is working less than one-thousand-forty hours per calendar year (i.e., .5 full-time equivalent).

(b) The superintendent of the employing county board shall verify that the applicant successfully completed appropriate training.

(b) Temporary grade

(i) The temporary grade registration shall be issued to an applicant hired into a position requiring registered service level registration who meets the following requirements:

(a) The applicant shall be at least eighteen years of age.

(b) The applicant shall hold a high school diploma or GED.

(ii) During the effective period of the initial temporary grade registration, the applicant shall successfully complete an orientation program (as verified by the superintendent of the employing county board) and a minimum of one seminar or college course required for provisional grade registration.

(iii) Provided the applicant completes the requirements as specified in paragraph

(D)(1)(b)(ii) of this rule, the temporary grade registration may be renewed one time.

(iv) During the effective period of the second temporary grade registration, the applicant shall successfully complete the remaining seminars or college courses required for provisional grade registration.

(v) If the applicant fails to complete the requirements as specified in paragraph

(D)(1)(b)(ii) or (D)(1)(b)(iv) of this rule, no additional temporary grade registered service level registration shall be issued to the applicant.

(i) The provisional grade registration shall be issued to an applicant who meets the following requirements:

(a) The applicant shall be at least eighteen years of age.

(b) The applicant shall hold a high school diploma or GED.

(i) Introduction to developmental disabilities that includes behavior support and self-determination;

(ii) Principles of work or principles of habilitation programming; and

(iii) Principles of behavior support.

(ii) The superintendent may recommend and the department may approve the substitution of other seminars or college courses that are related to an applicant’s position, in place of the seminars or college courses specified in paragraph (D)(1)(c)(i)(c) of this rule.

(iii) The provisional grade registration may be renewed on the expiration date with the completion of sixty units of continuing professional development.

(iv) An applicant requesting renewal of the first provisional grade registration, who, at the time of application, is employed by a county board or by an agency contracting with a county board to provide adult services, shall have successfully completed an orientation program (as verified by the superintendent of the employing county board). Provided the orientation program is completed subsequent to the effective date of the initial provisional grade registration, the applicant may use the orientation program as thirty units of continuing professional development toward renewal of the initial provisional grade registration.

(d) Professional grade

(i) The professional grade registration shall be issued to an applicant who elects to upgrade the provisional grade registration by meeting the following requirements:

(a) The applicant shall meet both the initial and renewal requirements for provisional grade registration.

(b) The applicant shall have successfully completed a minimum of ten semester hours (or fifteen quarter hours) from a college or university.

(c) The applicant shall have worked five years in a position requiring provisional grade registered service level adult services registration.

(ii) The professional grade registration may be renewed on the expiration date with the completion of one-hundred-twenty units of continuing professional development.

(2) Management 1 level registration

(a) Temporary grade

(i) The temporary grade registration shall be issued to an applicant hired into a position requiring management 1 level registration who meets the following requirements:

(a) The applicant shall be at least eighteen years of age.

(b) The applicant shall hold a high school diploma or GED.

(c) The applicant shall have completed two years full-time, supervised, paid work experience related to the position (as determined by the superintendent of the employing county board).

(iii) Provided the applicant completes the requirements as specified in paragraph

(D)(2)(a)(ii) of this rule, the temporary grade registration may be renewed.

(iv) During the effective period of the second temporary grade registration, the applicant shall successfully complete a minimum of two seminars or college courses required for provisional grade registration.

(v) Provided the applicant completes the requirements as specified in paragraph

(D)(2)(a)(iv) of this rule, the temporary grade registration may be renewed.

(vi) During the effective period of the third temporary grade registration, the applicant shall successfully complete the remaining seminars or college courses required for provisional grade registration.

(vii) If the applicant fails to complete the requirements as specified in paragraph

(D)(2)(a)(ii), (D)(2)(a)(iv), or (D)(2)(a)(vi) of this rule, no additional temporary grade management 1 level registration shall be issued to the applicant.

(b) Provisional grade

(i) The provisional grade registration shall be issued to an applicant who meets the following requirements:

(a) The applicant shall be at least eighteen years of age.

(b) The applicant shall hold a high school diploma or GED.

(c) The applicant shall have completed two years full-time, supervised, paid work experience related to the position (as determined by the county board or by the department, if the applicant is not employed by a county board).

(d) The applicant shall have successfully completed one seminar or college course in each of the following areas:

(i) Introduction to developmental disabilities that includes behavior support and self-determination;

(ii) Principles of work or principles of habilitation programming; and

(iii) Principles of behavior support.

(e) The applicant shall have successfully completed seminars or college courses in two of the following ten areas:

(i) Business, health care, public, or social agency administration;

(ii) Public or administrative law;

(iii) Budgeting/finance;

(iv) Principles of leadership/supervision;

(v) Information management or statistical analysis;

(vi) Human resources management;

(vii) Marketing/public relations;

(viii) Organizational theory and development;

(ix) Negotiation, conflict resolution, and mediation; or

(x) Strategic planning, management, and implementation.

(iii) The provisional grade registration may be renewed on the expiration date with the completion of sixty units of continuing professional development.

(i) The professional grade registration shall be issued to an applicant who elects to upgrade the provisional grade registration by meeting the following requirements:

(a) The applicant shall meet both the initial and renewal requirements for the provisional grade registration.

(b) The applicant shall hold an associate’s degree or have achieved at least junior year standing at a college or university.

(c) The applicant shall have worked five years in a position requiring provisional grade management 1 level adult services registration.

(ii) The professional grade registration may be renewed on the expiration date with the completion of one-hundred-twenty units of continuing professional development.

(3) Specialist level certification

(a) Temporary grade

(i) The temporary grade certification shall be issued to an applicant hired into a position requiring specialist level certification who holds a bachelor’s degree from a college or university.

(ii) During the effective period of the initial temporary grade certification, the applicant shall successfully complete an orientation program (as verified by the superintendent of the employing county board) and a minimum of one seminar or college course required for provisional grade certification.

(iii) Provided the applicant completes the requirements as specified in paragraph

(D)(3)(a)(ii) of this rule, the temporary grade certification may be renewed.

(iv) During the effective period of the second temporary grade certification, the applicant shall successfully complete a minimum of two seminars or college courses required for provisional grade certification.

(v) Provided the applicant completes the requirements as specified in paragraph

(D)(3)(a)(iv) of this rule, the temporary grade certification may be renewed.

(vi) During the effective period of the third temporary grade certification, the applicant shall successfully complete the remaining seminars or college courses required for provisional grade certification.

(vii) If the applicant fails to complete the requirements as specified in paragraph

(D)(3)(a)(ii), (D)(3)(a)(iv), or (D)(3)(a)(vi) of this rule, no additional temporary grade specialist level certification shall be issued to the applicant.

(b) Provisional grade

(i) The provisional grade certification shall be issued to an applicant who meets the following requirements:

(a) The applicant shall hold a bachelor’s degree from a college or university.

(b) The applicant shall have successfully completed one seminar or college course in each of the following areas:

(i) Introduction to developmental disabilities that includes behavior support and self-determination;

(ii) Individual program development or principles of group facilitation;

(iii) Principles of work;

(iv) Principles of behavior support; and

(v) Principles of habilitation programming.

(iii) The provisional grade certification may be renewed on the expiration date with the completion of sixty units of continuing professional development.

(iv) An applicant requesting renewal of the first provisional grade certification, who, at the time of application, is employed by a county board or by an agency contracting with a county board to provide adult services, shall have successfully completed an orientation program (as verified by the superintendent of the employing county board). Provided the orientation program is completed subsequent to the effective date of the initial provisional grade certification, the applicant may use the orientation program as thirty units of continuing professional development toward renewal of the initial provisional grade certification.

(i) The professional grade certification shall be issued to an applicant who elects to upgrade the provisional grade certification by meeting the following requirements:

(a) The applicant shall meet both the initial and renewal requirements for the provisional grade certification.

(b) The applicant shall hold a bachelor’s degree plus have successfully completed a minimum of ten post-baccalaureate semester hours (or fifteen post-baccalaureate quarter hours) from a college or university.

(c) The applicant shall have worked five years in a position requiring provisional grade specialist level adult services certification pursuant to this rule or provisional grade professional level adult services certification pursuant to rule 5123:2-5-01 of the Administrative Code that was in effect immediately prior to the effective date of this rule.

(ii) The professional grade certification may be renewed on the expiration date with the completion of one-hundred-twenty units of continuing professional development.

(4) Management 2 level certification

(a) Temporary grade

(i) The temporary grade certification shall be issued to an applicant hired into a position requiring management 2 level certification who meets the following requirements:

(a) The applicant shall hold a bachelor’s degree from a college or university.

(b) The applicant shall have completed two years full-time, supervised, paid work experience related to the position (as determined by the superintendent of the employing county board).

(iii) Provided the applicant completes the requirements as specified in paragraph

(D)(4)(a)(ii) of this rule, the temporary grade certification may be renewed.

(v) Provided the applicant completes the requirements as specified in paragraph

(D)(4)(a)(iv) of this rule, the temporary grade certification may be renewed.

(vi) During the effective period of the third temporary grade certification, the applicant shall successfully complete a minimum of two seminars or college courses required for provisional grade certification.

(vii) Provided the applicant completes the requirements as specified in paragraph

(D)(4)(a)(vi) of this rule, the temporary grade certification may be renewed.

(viii) During the effective period of the fourth temporary grade certification, the applicant shall successfully complete the remaining seminar or college course required for provisional grade certification.

(ix) If the applicant fails to complete the requirements as specified in paragraph

(D)(4)(a)(ii), (D)(4)(a)(iv), (D)(4)(a)(vi), or (D)(4)(a)(viii) of this rule, no additional temporary grade management 2 level certification shall be issued to the applicant.

(b) Provisional grade

(i) The provisional grade certification shall be issued to an applicant who meets the following requirements:

(a) The applicant shall hold a bachelor’s degree from a college or university.

(b) The applicant shall have completed two years full-time, supervised, paid work experience related to the position (as determined by the superintendent of the employing county board or by the department, if the applicant is not employed by a county board).

(i) Introduction to developmental disabilities that includes behavior support and self-determination;

(ii) Individual program development or principles of group facilitation;

(iii) Principles of behavior support; and

(iv) Principles of work or principles of habilitation programming.

(d) The applicant shall have successfully completed college courses in two of the following ten areas:

(i) Business, health care, public, or social agency administration;

(ii) Public or administrative law;

(iii) Budgeting/finance;

(iv) Principles of leadership/supervision;

(v) Information management or statistical analysis;

(vi) Human resources management;

(vii) Marketing/public relations;

(viii) Organizational theory and development;

(ix) Negotiation, conflict resolution, and mediation; or

(x) Strategic planning, management, and implementation.

(e) The superintendent may recommend and the department may approve the substitution of other seminars that are related to an applicant’s position, in place of the seminars specified in paragraph (D)(4)(b)(i)(c) of this rule. The superintendent may recommend and the department may approve the substitution of other college courses that are related to an applicant’s position, in place of the college courses specified in paragraph (D)(4)(b)(i)(d) of this rule.

(f) The provisional grade certification may be renewed on the expiration date with the completion of sixty units of continuing professional development.

(g) An applicant requesting renewal of the first provisional grade certification, who, at the time of application, is employed by a county board or by an agency contracting with a county board to provide adult services, shall have successfully completed an orientation program (as verified by the superintendent of the employing county board). Provided the orientation program is completed subsequent to the effective date of the initial provisional grade certification, the applicant may use the orientation program as thirty units of continuing professional development toward renewal of the initial provisional grade certification.

(i) The professional grade certification shall be issued to an applicant who elects to upgrade the provisional grade certification by meeting the following requirements:

(a) The applicant shall meet both the initial and renewal requirements for the provisional grade certification.

(b) The applicant shall hold a bachelor’s degree and have successfully completed ten graduate semester hours (or fifteen graduate quarter hours) from a college or university.

(c) The applicant shall have worked five years in a position requiring provisional grade management 2 level adult services certification.

(ii) The professional grade certification shall be renewed on the expiration date with the completion of one-hundred-twenty units of continuing professional development.

(5) Management 3 level certification

(a) Temporary grade

(i) The temporary grade certification shall be issued to an applicant hired into a position requiring management 3 level certification who meets the following requirements:

(a) The applicant shall hold a master’s degree from a college or university.

(b) The applicant shall have completed three years full-time, supervised, paid work experience in administration, supervision, instruction, or habilitation of individuals with mental retardation or other developmental disabilities, including one year in a management or supervisory capacity (as determined by the department).

(c) The applicant shall have successfully completed four seminars or college courses required for provisional grade certification in accordance with paragraphs (D)(5)(b)(i)(c) and

(D)(5)(b)(i)(d) of this rule.

(iii) Provided the applicant completes the requirements as specified in paragraph

(D)(5)(a)(ii) of this rule, the temporary grade certification may be renewed.

(v) Provided the applicant completes the requirements as specified in paragraph

(D)(5)(a)(iv) of this rule, the temporary grade certification may be renewed.

(vi) During the effective period of the third temporary grade certification, the applicant shall successfully complete the remaining seminar or college course required for provisional grade certification.

(vii) If the applicant fails to complete the requirements as specified in paragraph

(D)(5)(a)(ii), (D)(5)(a)(iv), or (D)(5)(a)(vi) of this rule, no additional temporary grade management 3 level certification shall be issued to the applicant.

(b) Provisional grade

(i) The provisional grade certification shall be issued to an applicant who meets the following requirements:

(a) The applicant shall hold a master’s degree from a college or university.

(i) Introduction to developmental disabilities that includes behavior support and self-determination;

(ii) Individual program development or principles of group facilitation;

(iii) Principles of behavior support; and

(iv) Principles of work or principles of habilitation programming.

(d) The applicant shall have successfully completed college courses in four of the following ten areas:

(i) Business, health care, public, or social agency administration;

(ii) Public or administrative law;

(iii) Budgeting/finance;

(iv) Principles of leadership/supervision;

(v) Information management or statistical analysis;

(vi) Human resources management;

(vii) Marketing/public relations;

(viii) Organizational theory and development;

(ix) Negotiation, conflict resolution, and mediation; or

(x) Strategic planning, management, and implementation.

(e) The superintendent may recommend and the department may approve the substitution of other seminars that are related to an applicant’s position, in place of the seminars specified in paragraph (D)(5)(b)(i)(c) of this rule. The superintendent may recommend and the department may approve the substitution of other college courses that are related to an applicant’s position, in place of the college courses specified in paragraph (D)(5)(b)(i)(d) of this rule.

(f) The provisional grade certification may be renewed on the expiration date with the completion of sixty units of continuing professional development.

(i) The professional grade certification shall be issued to an applicant who elects to upgrade the provisional grade certification by meeting the following requirements:

(a) The applicant shall meet both the initial and renewal requirements for the provisional grade certification.

(b) The applicant shall have both a master’s degree and ten post-graduate semester hours

(or fifteen post-graduate quarter hours) from a college or university.

(c) The applicant shall have worked five years in a position requiring provisional grade management 3 level adult services certification.

(ii) The professional grade certification may be renewed on the expiration date with the completion of one-hundred-twenty units of continuing professional development.

(E) Renewal of temporary grade adult services registration or certification issued prior to the effective date of this rule

(1) Persons who hold, upon the effective date of this rule, currently valid temporary grade adult services registration or certification, shall obtain the comparable level of initial provisional grade adult services registration or certification by either:

(a) Completing the requirements for provisional grade adult services registration or certification pursuant to paragraph (D) of this rule; or

(b) Completing the requirements for provisional grade adult services registration or certification pursuant to rule 5123:2-5-01 or 5123:2-5-02 of the Administrative Code that was in effect immediately prior to the effective date of this rule.

(2) Persons who obtain initial provisional grade adult services registration or certification pursuant to paragraph (E)(1) of this rule shall renew the registration or certification pursuant to paragraph (D) of this rule.

(F) Renewal of provisional grade or professional grade adult services registration or certification issued prior to the effective date of this rule

(1) Persons who hold, upon the effective date of this rule, currently valid provisional grade or professional grade adult services registration or certification, shall renew the registration or certification one time by completing the requirements pursuant to rule 5123:2-5-01 or 5123:2-5-02 of the Administrative Code that was in effect immediately prior to the effective date of this rule. For the purpose of redistributing expiration dates of registrations and certifications more evenly across the calendar year, the department may, at its discretion, reissue provisional grade registrations or certifications for effective periods in excess of five years but not to exceed six years and may reissue professional grade registrations or certifications for effective periods in excess of ten years but not to exceed eleven years.

(2) Subsequent renewals shall be made pursuant to paragraph (D) of this rule.

(G) Renewal of expired provisional grade or professional grade registration or certification

(1) Registrations or certifications expired for less than one year may be renewed upon completion of all renewal requirements of the expired registration or certification.

(2) Registrations or certifications issued subsequent to January 12, 1996 that have expired for one or more years may be renewed upon completion of all renewal requirements of the expired registration or certification, completion of fifteen additional units of continuing professional development, and payment of the fees required by rule 5123:2-5-06 of the Administrative Code.

(3) Registrations or certifications issued prior to January 12, 1996 that have been expired for one or more years may not be renewed; the applicant will be required to meet the requirements for initial registration or certification pursuant to paragraph (D) of this rule.

(H) Right of appeal

An applicant whose application for registration or certification is disapproved based upon the applicant’s failure to meet the requirements of this rule, may request in writing, within thirty days of the rejection, an administrative review by the director or the director’s designee.

(I) Denial, suspension, or revocation

Registrations and certifications under this rule are subject to denial, suspension, or revocation in accordance with rule 5123:2-5-04 of the Administrative Code.

Replaces: Part of 5123:2-5-01 and Part of 5123:2-5-02

Effective: 07/01/2005

R.C. 119.032 review dates: 07/01/2010

Promulgated Under: 119.03

Statutory Authority: 5123.04, 5123.082, 5126.25

Rule Amplifies: 5123.04, 5123.082, 5126.20, 5126.22, 5126.221, 5126.25

Prior Effective Dates: 4/24/78, 5/14/79, 1/25/82, 5/19/91, 1/12/96