Providers

Tennessee IPS Credentialing Process

Staff who provide IPS services are required to complete the following activities to become provisionally approved to offer IPS services to individuals:

  1. Attend the “IPS Basics Training” provided by the Tennessee IPS Trainer Team
  2. Successfully complete a content-based evaluation

Upon completion of these two activities, an email will be sent to the staff member’s supervisor confirming provisional approval has been granted for the staff member to provide IPS services. Staff are not approved to provide IPS services until the first two activities have been successfully completed. The staff member should not be conducting meetings with participants, completing IPS documents, job developing, submitting authorizations, etc., independently, with or without supervision. Staff may only begin providing services after the agency has received an email confirming these two required activities have been successfully completed and new staff are provisionally approved to provide services.

Next Steps for Staff Providing IPS Services

Additionally, the following activities must be completed within the first six months:

  1. Completion of the “New IPS Specialist Observation Checklist” provided by the Tennessee IPS Trainer Team
  2. Field practice for job development with an IPS Trainer
  3. Enrollment in the online IPS Practitioner Skills course provided by the IPS Employment Center (Link to Course on IPSworks.org)

Additional Steps for Supervisors

In addition to completing all above requirements, any staff member directly supervising IPS staff (i.e. IPS Team Leads or Supervisors) must complete the following activities:

  1. Attend the “IPS Team Leader Training” provided by the Tennessee IPS Trainer Team within two months of being appointed to the Team Leader position
  2. Completion of training for REDCap data collection provided by the Office of Wellness and Employment within two months of being appointed to the Team Leader position
  3. Enrollment in the IPS Supervisors Skills course provided by the IPS Employment Center (More Information at this link on IPSworks.org) within six months of being appointed to the Team Leader position

The Tennessee IPS Leadership Team manages the IPS Credentialing Process. Record of completion for activities should be submitted to the Tennessee IPS Trainer Team via email to:

Upon successful completion, a certificate will be provided to the Community Rehabilitation Provider. The Tennessee IPS Leadership Team will also receive a copy of the awarded certificates.

If requirements of the IPS credentialing process are not successfully completed within six months of the hire date (calculated as 180 calendar days from the date of hire), provisional approval to provide IPS services will be suspended. IPS staff will not be able to provide IPS services or submit authorizations for services completed until an extension has been granted and/or requirements have been successfully completed. In the event an extension is needed, please notify the IPS Leadership Team at least two weeks in advance of the completion deadline to request an extension. Extension requests should include the following: why an extension is needed, how the agency plans to complete the missing requirements, and how long the agency would like to request for the extension. Extension requests will be reviewed and approved on a case-by-case basis.

Note: The Tennessee IPS Leadership Team consists of the Director and Assistant Director of the Office of Wellness and Employment with the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, the Assistant Vocational Rehabilitation Director, and the Director of the Tennessee IPS Training Program.