HPSP Program Details

All programs of studies and academic institutions must be within US territories and accredited by recognized, approved, and active agencies. These details are verified at the time of application.

 

(Doctorate) Physician (MD/DO) Specialties: (Mental Health/Psychiatry, Primary Care, Gastroenterology. and Radiology-Diagnostic) – Degree of Doctor of Medicine or an equivalent degree resulting from a course of education in allopathic medicine or osteopathic medicine. The degree must have been obtained from an institution whose accreditation was in place for the year in which the course of study was completed. Approved schools are: (1) Schools of medicine accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) for the year in which the degree was granted, or (2) Schools of osteopathic medicine approved by the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation of the American Osteopathic Association for the year in which the degree was granted. Licensure and Registration: Physicians must possess a current, full and unrestricted license to practice medicine or surgery in a state, territory, or Commonwealth of the United States, or in the District of Columbia. The physician must maintain current registration in the state of licensure if this is a requirement for continuing active, current licensure.

Residency Training (Mental Health/Psychiatry, Primary Care, Gastroenterology. and Radiology-Diagnostic): Physicians must have completed residency training, approved by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) or American Osteopathic Association (AOA). 

(Masters) Social Worker – Have a master’s degree in social work from a school of social work fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). Graduates of schools of social work that are in candidacy status do not meet this requirement until the School of Social Work is fully accredited. A doctoral degree in social work may not be substituted for the master’s degree in social work. Verification of the degree can be made by going to http://www.cswe.org/Accreditation to verify that the social work degree meets the 4 accreditation standards for a masters of social work.

(Masters or Doctorate) Licensed Psychiatric Mental Health Counselor – Hold a master’s or doctoral degree in: Clinical Mental Health Counseling; Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling; Clinical Mental Health Counseling and Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling; or a related field, from a program accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). Examples of related mental health counseling fields include, but are not limited to Addiction Counseling; Community Counseling; Gerontology Counseling; Marital, Couple, and Family Counseling. CACREP defines the date when graduates are considered to have 3 graduated from a CACREP accredited program. Additional information may be obtained from http://www.cacrep.org/directory/. NOTE: Traditional Rehabilitation counseling programs that are accredited by CACREP do not meet the LPMHC qualification standards as Traditional Rehabilitation counseling differs from Clinical Rehabilitation counseling.

(Masters or Doctorate) Marriage and Family Therapy – Candidates must meet one of the following: (1) Hold a master’s degree or doctoral degree in marriage and family therapy from a program approved by COAMFTE, (2) Hold a master’s degree or doctoral degree in marriage and family therapy from a MFT program from a regionally accredited institution, OR, (3) Hold a master’s degree or doctoral degree in a comparable mental health degree (Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor, Social Work, Psychiatric Nursing, Psychology, and Psychiatry) that meets the current VA qualification standard of that profession.

(Masters/Doctorate/Post Masters Certificate) Nurse Practitioner (Specialties: Long-Term Care, Mental Health, and Primary Care) A post-master’s certificate or master’s or doctoral degree as a Nurse Practitioner. (NOTE: the post-master’s certificate is formal education awarded from an acceptable school of professional nursing and is not considered board certification as described under 2.c.(2) of this appendix). (1) Education Accreditation Requirement. Nursing education must be from a school of professional nursing accredited by one of the following accrediting organizations at the time the program was completed by the applicant: (a) The Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN), 3343 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 850, Atlanta, GA 30326. The ACEN accredits all levels of nursing programs, including clinical doctorate, masters/post-master’s certificate, baccalaureate, associate and diploma nursing education programs. (NOTE: The National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission/NLNAC changed its name to ACEN in May 2013 ACEN’s website may be utilized to verify accredited programs using automated inquiry processes; however, for verification of any nursing program’s accreditation prior to 1998, an automated inquiry cannot be used and ACEN must be contacted directly via their email contact information on the ACEN website to verify.); or (b) The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), 655 K Street, NW, Suite 7, Washington, DC 20001. The CCNE is an accrediting arm of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) and accredits nursing education programs at the bachelor and master’s level.

(Bachelors) Nursing (BSN) – Graduate of a school of professional nursing. (1) Education Accreditation Requirement. Nursing education must be from a school of professional nursing accredited by one of the following accrediting organizations at the time the program was completed by the applicant: Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) or Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). Licensure and Certification: All Nurses must possess and maintain an active, current, full and unrestricted license as a Nurse to practice in a State, Territory or Commonwealth of the United States, or in the District of Columbia.

(Masters) Physician Assistant (Veterans Only) – Training program which is accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education of PA (ARC-PA) and master’s degree in any discipline (e.g. physician assistant studies/biology/health sciences). Certification: Must pass the PA National Certifying Exam (PANCE).

(Bachelors or Higher) Clinical Laboratory Scientist – Bachelor’s degree or higher from an accredited college or university (e.g. Medical Laboratory Science, Clinical Laboratory Science, Biology, Chemistry or directly related science program). Certification: Generalist certification or Categorical certification as an MLS or MT given by ASCP BOC or AMT.

(Associates or Certificate) Diagnostic Radiologic Technologist – Completion of a full-time training course of at least 24 months in duration (or the equivalent) in a post-high school diagnostic radiologic technology program, evidenced by a certificate or an associate degree, accredited by the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology (JRCERT) or from other accrediting agencies as recognized by the Department of Education (DOE). Specialized areas of radiologic technology include general diagnostic radiologic technology (R), bone densitometry (BD), mammography (M), diagnostic ultrasound (S), computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), interventional radiologic technology (IR). Certification: certified in general radiologic technology by the American Registry of Radiologic Technology, Radiography (ARRT) (R). Advanced ARRT certification is required for assignments that include computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or Mammography (M).