§ 108 — Board of certification of community health workers; powers and duties

Section 108. In addition to the powers and duties set forth in sections 106 and 107, the board shall have the following powers and duties:(a) to develop and administer a program for certification of community health workers, and to establish education, training, experience and other qualifications for such certification, application requirements and standards for practice as a certified community health worker;(b) to set standards and requirements for the establishment, board evaluation and board approval or board acceptance of community health worker education and training programs in the commonwealth, the successful completion of which shall make individuals eligible to apply to the board for certification as a community health worker;(c) to set standards and requirements for approval or acceptance of continuing education courses and programs as the board may require for the biennial renewal of a community health worker certificate;(d) to establish minimum education, training, experience and other qualifications that a certified community health worker shall possess to qualify as a trainer in any education, training or continuing education program for community health workers approved or accepted by the board;(e) to establish a means to acknowledge, document and assess relevant education, training, experience, mastery of core competencies or other qualifications acquired by community health workers practicing in the commonwealth before the effective dates of sections 106 to 108, inclusive, and sections 259 to 262, inclusive, of chapter 112 for purposes of certification without completion of a community health worker education and training program approved or accepted by the board;(f) to establish and implement procedures for receipt, review and action upon applications for certification as a community health worker and the biennial renewal thereof, for which the board may require documentation of completion of continuing education, and the issuance of certificates of competency to practice as a community health worker;(g) to make, adopt, amend, repeal and enforce such rules and regulations consistent with law as it deems necessary for the protection of the public health, safety and welfare and for the proper administration and enforcement of its responsibilities;(h) to collect reasonable fees established pursuant to section 3B of chapter 7 and to deposit such fees into the Quality in Health Professions Trust Fund pursuant to section 35X of chapter 10 to support board operations and administration;(i) to identify and adopt a certification examination or other means to assess community health worker competency in connection with board certification, should the board determine that such examination would enhance the advancement of the practice and profession of community health workers;(j) to establish tiered classes or levels of practice as a certified community health worker and certification requirements for each established class or level, including a class or level which qualifies a board-certified community health worker to act as a trainer in an education, training or continuing education program approved or accepted by the board, for the purpose of enhancing career advancement as such tiered classes or levels of practice may be determined necessary by the board for that purpose following study and assessment by the board, with the assistance and advice of interested parties;(k) to certify as a community health worker an applicant who has been duly certified as a community health worker under the laws of another state, territory or commonwealth of the United States or the District of Columbia where the requirements for certification are, in the opinion of the board, equivalent to those in the commonwealth for community health workers and such applicant submits documentation satisfactory to the board of such certification and the requirements therefor;(l) to establish grounds for complaints related to the practice of community health workers and to establish and implement procedures for the review, investigation and resolution of such complaints;(m) to establish the disciplinary actions available to the board in connection with complaint resolution, which may include a fine, reprimand, probation or censure or suspension, revocation or denial of a certificate issued by the board or a combination of the foregoing and to discipline certificate holders in accordance with procedures established by the board that shall conform with chapter 30A and 801 CMR 1.01 et seq.;(n) to perform such other functions and duties as may be required to carry out this section.