(A)To constitute a certified mental health assistant program for purposes of section4772.04of the Revised Code, an education program approved by the chancellor of higher education shall be at least thirty credit hours of graduate coursework that includes courses in each of the following areas:
(1)Psychiatric diagnoses included in the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders published by the American psychiatric association;
(2)Laboratory studies used in diagnosing or managing psychiatric conditions;
(3)Medical conditions that mimic or present as psychiatric conditions;
(4)Medical conditions associated with psychiatric conditions or treatment;
(5)Psychopharmacology, including treatment of psychiatric conditions, interactions, and recognition and management of drug si
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(A) To constitute a certified mental health assistant program for purposes of section4772.04of the Revised Code, an education program approved by the chancellor of higher education shall be at least thirty credit hours of graduate coursework that includes courses in each of the following areas:
(1) Psychiatric diagnoses included in the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders published by the American psychiatric association;
(2) Laboratory studies used in diagnosing or managing psychiatric conditions;
(3) Medical conditions that mimic or present as psychiatric conditions;
(4) Medical conditions associated with psychiatric conditions or treatment;
(5) Psychopharmacology, including treatment of psychiatric conditions, interactions, and recognition and management of drug side effects and complications;
(6) Psychosocial interventions;
(7) Conducting suicide and homicide risk assessments;
(8) Forensic issues in psychiatry;
(9) Basic behavioral health counseling;
(10) Clinical experiences in inpatient psychiatric units, outpatient mental health clinics, psychiatric consultation and liaison services, and addiction services.
(B) The chancellor of higher education, in the process of approving or disapproving the certified mental health assistant program, shall consider feedback and recommendations from the advisory committee created pursuant to division (C) of this section.
(C)(1) An advisory committee on certified mental health assistant programs is created within the state medical board. The committee shall consist of five members appointed by the board's executive director. The following organizations may recommend appointments to the executive director for consideration:
(a) Ohio state medical association;
(b) Northeast Ohio medical university;
(c) Ohio psychiatric physicians association.
(2) The executive director shall appoint initial members and fill vacancies after considering the recommendations the executive director receives. If the executive director does not receive any recommendations or receives an insufficient number of recommendations, the executive director shall appoint members and fill vacancies on the executive director's own advice.
Initial appointments to the committee shall be made not later than sixty days after the effective date of this section. Subject to division (C)(4) of this section regarding the duration of the committee, all of the following apply:
(a) Of the initial appointments described in division (C)(1) of this section, two shall be for terms of one year and three shall be for terms of two years. Thereafter, terms shall be for two years, with each term ending on the same day of the same month as did the term that it succeeds.
(b) Members may be reappointed;
(c) Vacancies shall be filled in the same manner as appointments;
(d) When the term of any member expires, a successor shall be appointed in the same manner as the initial appointment. Any member appointed to fill a vacancy occurring prior to the expiration of the term for which the member's predecessor was appointed holds office for the remainder of that term.
(e) A member shall continue in office subsequent to the expiration date of the member's term until the member's successor takes office or until a period of sixty days has elapsed, whichever occurs first.
(3) The committee shall organize by selecting a chairperson from among its members. The committee may select a new chairperson at any time. Three members constitute a quorum for the transaction of official business. Meetings may be conducted by virtual means, at the discretion of the chairperson. Notwithstanding division (C) of section121.22of the Revised Code, a committee member who attends a meeting by virtual means is considered present in person at the meeting, may vote at the meeting, and is counted for purposes of determining whether a quorum is present at the meeting.
Members shall serve without compensation but receive payment for their actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their official duties. The expenses shall be paid by the board.
(4) The committee shall advise the board and the department of higher education regarding certified mental health assistant programs until such time that there is a national accrediting body for certified mental health assistants. Until there is a national accrediting body, the committee, in providing feedback and recommendations, shall reference the physician assistant accrediting standards from the accreditation review commission on education for the physician assistant. Once there is a national accrediting body, the committee ceases to exist.
Last updated April 8, 2025 at 3:53 PM