master s degree and/r clinical training in an accepted mental health field which includes, but is nt limited t, cunseling, nursing, ccupatinal therapy, psychlgy, scial wrk, vcatinal rehabilitatin, r activity therapy. As part f his r her jb duties, a CFSS must perfrm tasks described in the CFSS Scpe f Activities. The Scpe f Activities shws the wide range f tasks a CFSS can perfrm t assist the child r yuth and the family in regaining cntrl ver their wn lives based n the principles f resiliency and recvery. The ability t perfrm any r all f the tasks in the curse f the CFSS s jb duties is demnstrated by the mastery f cmpetencies thrugh testing and evaluatin as required by the Family Supprt Specialist Training Prgrams recgnized by TDMHSAS (see Sectin VI.A.6, page 6). Receipt f Certificatin des nt ffer r guarantee emplyment r jb placement. Each Certified Family Supprt Specialist shuld apply fr psitins available in his r her cmmunity. V. Emplyment Standards fr Reimbursable Services If the delivery f the Certified Family Supprt Specialist service is t be rendered as a Medicaid (TennCare) cvered service, then the fllwing guidelines must be met: A) Applicants r active CFSS must be emplyed t wrk in the rle as a paid Certified Family Supprt Specialist by an agency that is licensed by TDMHSAS and authrized t participate in the Medicaid (TennCare) prgram. B) Agencies that are licensed by TDMHSAS and authrized t participate in the Medicaid (TennCare) prgram shall: 1) Establish criteria, under which they hire, train and retain Certified Family Supprt Specialists 2) Prvide supervisin fr Certified Family Supprt Specialists in accrdance with acceptable guidelines and standards f practice as defined by the State and the Centers fr Medicare and Medicaid Services. C) Each Certified Family Supprt Specialist prviding Medicaid-reimbursable services must be under the supervisin f a mental health prfessinal as defined by the State f Tennessee. The mental health prfessinal must wrk fr an agency that is licensed by TDMHSAS and authrized t participate in the Medicaid prgram. A mental health prfessinal means a bard eligible r a bard certified psychiatrist r a persn with at least a Master s degree and/r clinical training in an accepted mental health field which includes, but is nt limited t, cunseling, nursing, ccupatinal therapy, psychlgy, scial wrk, vcatinal rehabilitatin, r activity therapy. VI. CERTIFICATION T becme a CFSS in the State f Tennessee, each applicant must meet all minimum requirements, as utlined in the FSSCP Guidelines, Standards and Prcedures. 5
A. Certificatin Requirements T becme a CFSS in the State f Tennessee, all applicants must meet the fllwing minimum requirements: 1) Be at least eighteen (18) years f age r lder; 2) Hld a high schl diplma r a General Educatinal Develpment (GED); 3) Self-identify as being r having been the caregiver/family member f a child r yuth with a mental, emtinal, behaviral, r c-ccurring disrder; 4) Prvide a statement f persnal experience regarding navigating the child-serving systems as the caregiver/family member f a child r yuth with a mental, emtinal, behaviral r c-ccurring disrder; 5) During the last five (5) years, have actively participated fr at least twelve (12) cnsecutive mnths in service planning, system navigatin, and building resiliency fr a child r yuth; 6) Successfully cmplete the evidence-based and/r best practice training currently recgnized by TDMHSAS listed belw: ONE f the fllwing trainings: (a) Natinal Alliance n Mental Illness f Tennessee s (NAMI-TN) Family Educatin Prgram (b) Tennessee Vices fr Children s (TVC) Parent-2-Parent Training FOLLOWED BY Family Supprt Specialist Prfessinal Cmpetencies Curse (TVC/NAMI-TN) OR Effective December 1, 2013, applicants may prvide dcumentatin f Certificatin as a Parent Supprt Prvider thrugh the Natinal Certificatin Cmmissin fr Family Supprt t serve in lieu f currently required State f Tennessee trainings as nted in Sectin VI.A.6. Fr infrmatin n trainings, cntact the Office f Statewide Systems f Care (OSSOC) at 615-770-1788 r fcfss.tdmhsas@tn.gv. Other evidence-based and/r best practice family supprt specialist training prgrams may be cnsidered if apprpriate dcumentatin related t the prgram s curriculum, requirements, and cmpetencies are apprved by the OSSOC. 6
7) Successfully demnstrate mastery f the fllwing cmpetencies thrugh testing and evaluatin as required by ne f the evidence-based and/r best practice Family Supprt Specialist Training Prgrams recgnized by TDMHSAS: An understanding f the basic skills and knwledge needed t prvide direct caregiver-t-caregiver supprt services and the ability t apply basic skills t rutine tasks. Knwledge f the structure f the child-serving systems and hw they wrk Knwledge f the child-serving systems and cmmunity resurces and hw t access them An understanding f the Certified Family Supprt Specialist Scpe f Activities An understanding f the Certified Family Supprt Specialist Cde f Ethics Knwledge f the meaning and rle f prviding direct caregiver-t-caregiver supprt services as a Certified Family Supprt Specialist Knwledge f hw t dcument activities related t delivery f direct caregiver-t-caregiver supprt services Knwledge f hw t help caregivers cmbat negative selftalk, vercme fears, and slve prblems Knwledge f hw t help caregivers articulate, set, and accmplish gals Knwledge f hw t teach caregivers t create their wn family and individualized plans f care Knwledge f hw t teach caregivers t wrk with mental health r c-ccurring disrder prfessinals in rder t btain the services they want Knwledge f hw t create and facilitate a variety f family and individual activities that supprt and strengthen resiliency An understanding f resiliency and the ability t use their persnal stry t help thers. This includes, but is nt limited t, the fllwing: Hw resiliency is fstered in children and yuth and what is helpful and nt helpful The ability t identify the pwer f a caregiver s beliefs and values and hw they supprt r wrk against success The basic definitin and dynamics f the wraparund prcess The ability t articulate what has been helpful and what has nt been helpful in their wn experience as a caregiver 7
The ability t discern when and hw much f ne s persnal stry t share and with whm An understanding f healing and cllabrative relatinships and the ability t establish such relatinships with ther caregivers and within the wrkplace. The dynamics f relatinships, including pwer differentials, cnflict, and trust The ability t apply this knwledge t deal persnally with cnflict and difficult interpersnal relatins The cncept f seeking ut cmmn grund in establishing cllabrative relatinships The meaning and imprtance f family and cultural differences and beliefs The ability t ask pen-ended questins that direct a persn t his r her strengths The ability t participate in healing cmmunicatin The ability t interact sensitively and effectively with peple f ther cultures The rle f direct supprt t caregivers f children r yuth with emtinal, behaviral r c-ccurring disrders An understanding f the imprtance f and have the ability t maintain selfcare. The dynamics f stress and burnut The rle f ne s wn wellness plan The ability t identify ne s wn strategies fr self-care The ability t develp and utilize a persnal supprt netwrk fr bth persnal and prfessinal activities 8) Have a minimum f six (6) mnths paid and/r vlunteer wrk in a supprt capacity in any r all f the fllwing rles: Family Supprt Prvider: a persn eighteen (18) years f age r lder wh has been trained t act as an advcate, supprt, and care crdinatr fr caregivers f children and yuth with mental, emtinal, behaviral, r c-ccurring disrders. Caregiver Educatr: a persn eighteen (18) years f age r lder wh has lived experience and has been trained t prvide infrmatin and educatin t ther caregivers s they can make sund decisins abut the resiliency and recvery prcess and treatment. Examples include, but are nt limited t, being a family educatin curse teacher, teaching varius educatinal tpics at a psychscial prgram, r prviding 8
caregivers with educatinal activities that prmte resiliency and recvery. Supprt Grup Facilitatr: a persn eighteen (18) years f age r lder wh has been trained t lead self-help activities in a grup setting with the gal f prviding emtinal supprt t the participants. These grups can be structured arund specific supprt needs which include, but are nt limited t, supprt grups fr parents f children with serius emtinal disturbance (SED) r c-ccurring disrders (COD), and wmen s r men's supprt grups. Other Relevant Experience: a persn eighteen (18) years f age r lder wh has ther emplyment r vlunteer experience that enhances and supprts wrk as a Family Supprt Specialist. This experience may be cnsidered if apprpriate dcumentatin related t the emplyment r vlunteer prgram, missin and bjective is apprved by the OSSOC. 9) Either as an emplyee r a vlunteer, be under the direct supervisin f a mental health prfessinal. 10) Read, understand, and agree t the fllwing: Successful cmpletin f the required currently recgnized evidence-based and/r best practice Family Supprt Specialist Training Prgrams The Family Supprt Specialist Training Prgram required cmpetencies Paid and/r vlunteer emplyment experience The Certified Family Supprt Specialist Scpe f Activities The Certified Family Supprt Specialist Cde f Ethics B. Term f Certificatin The term f certificatin shall be ne (1) year. VII. CERTIFICATION PROCEDURE It is th e a pp lica n t s resp n sibility t e n su re that all required dcuments are accurately cmpleted and submitted. The cmpleted applicatin and ther required dcuments, with the exceptin f the Emplyment Summary Frm, must be submitted by the applicant via mail directly t: Office f Statewide Systems f Care ATTN: FSSCP - Certificatin Andrew Jacksn Building, 5 th Flr 500 Deaderick Street Nashville, TN 37243 9
Required applicatin dcuments: Applicatin Prcess Checklist Cmpleted Applicatin Statement f persnal experience Cpy f high schl diplma r General Educatinal Develpment (GED) (verificatin upn request). Cmpleted Emplyment Summary Frm (Applicable nly t applicants wh are emplyed). The Emplyment Summary Frm must be cmpleted, signed and submitted by the direct supervisr t the OSSOC if the individual is emplyed. Cpies f the certificates f cmpletin frm the required evidence-based and/r best practice Family Supprt Specialist Training Prgrams currently recgnized by TDMHSAS. Three (3) Cmpleted Statement f Supprt Frms (Applicants shuld make cpies f the frm and ask each supprter t return the cmpleted frm t yu in a sealed envelpe). Signed Acknwledgement f the Certified Family Supprt Specialist Scpe f Activities Signed Acknwledgement f the Certified Family Supprt Specialist Cde f Ethics If the submitted applicatin packet is nt cmplete, a deficiency letter stating what dcumentatin is missing will be mailed t the applicant within ten (10) business days. All dcumentatin requested in the deficiency letter must be received by the OSSOC within thirty (30) calendar days f the date f the deficiency letter. An applicatin packet nt cmpleted within thirty (30) calendar days will be clsed. The applicant must then submit a new applicatin packet with all the required dcumentatin fr cnsideratin. When the applicatin packet is cmplete, the file will be prmptly reviewed by the OSSOC and a certificatin determinatin made. Upn successful review, the applicant will be mailed the certificate within fur weeks. The OSSOC will nly discuss the applicatin status with the applicant. Please infrm all thers that updates must be btained frm the applicant. T btain a CFSS Applicatin and related frms, cntact the Office f Statewide Systems f Care at 615-770-1788 r visit the OSSOC website at: http://www.tn.gv/behaviralhealth/tpic/system f care initiative fr children yuth. VIII. REPORTING CHANGES A CFSS must ntify in writing the OSSOC, within ten (10) business days f any f the fllwing: Any change in name, address, r ther cntact infrmatin. 10
Any change in emplyment r emplyment status. An updated Emplyment Summary Frm must be cmpleted and signed by the immediate supervisr and faxed by the emplyer t the OSSOC. Any change in the agency staff persn respnsible fr prviding supervisin, even if agency des nt change. NOTE: A CFSS must at all times be under the direct supervisin f a mental health prfessinal as defined by TDMHSAS. He r she n lnger prvides direct caregiver-t-caregiver supprt services. He r she vilates the CFSS Cde f Ethics. NOTE: Failure t prvide ntificatin f any f these changes may result in, but is nt limited t, terminatin f certificatin. IX. CERTIFICATION RENEWAL T maintain active certificatin status, the Certified Family Supprt Specialist must: cmplete and submit a Certificatin Renewal applicatin annually within the current term f certificatin; if emplyed with an agency that is a TDMHSAS-licensed r therwise apprved agency submit emplyment frm signed by the supervisr; remain under the direct supervisin f a mental health prfessinal as defined by TDMHSAS; prvide dcumentatin f the successful cmpletin f recgnized n-ging CFSS educatin; have n reprts f vilatin f the CFSS Cde f Ethics; and submit any ther dcuments requested by the OSSOC. A. Certificatin Renewal Prcedure Each Certified Family Supprt Specialist is respnsible fr renewing his r her certificatin, and must submit the Certificatin Renewal applicatin and all ther required dcumentatin, at least frty-five (45) calendar days prir t the end f the current certificatin perid. Unless renewed annually and prir t expiratin f certificatin, the certificatin shall expire ne year frm the certificatin date. T btain an applicatin fr Certificatin Renewal, cntact the Office f Statewide Systems f Care at 1-615-770-1788 r visit the website at: http://www.tn.gv/behaviral health/tpic/systemf care initiative fr children yuth. B. Onging Educatin Guidelines Fifteen (15) hurs f n-ging CFSS educatin are required annually t maintain active certificatin and must be earned within the annual certificatin perid. On-ging 11