Articles from prior issues of The Advocate

January/February 2000

National Committee To Study Consultant Certification
by Susan Neitzert, Certification Chair

NATIONAL CERTIFICATION FOR EXAMINER AND for Support Staff is an easy process. To qualify for certification on the National Level, Examiners and Support Staff personnel must have completed a minimum of three years of successful practice, performing at least satisfactory work, and not be in a probationary or conditional status with the employing agency. All applicants must be full members in good standing of NADE, which requires current membership in the organization. All applicants will subscribe to the NADE Code of Ethics.

Examiners must have a minimum of a Baccalaureate Degree, unless the employing agency has a policy requiring or permitting other basic education as an equivalency. Support staff must have a minimum of a High School Diploma, unless the employing agency has a policy requiring or permitting other basic education as an equivalency.

The minimum training requirements for a Disability Examiner are: Medical - 36 hours, Vocational - 24 hours, and Technical - 12 hours. The minimum training requirements for a Disability Support Staff person are: Medical - 6 hours, Interpersonal Communications - 12 hours, and Technical - 36 hours. The Certification Committee has been asked to continue researching the possibility of offering certification for in-house medical/psychology consultants. We need your feedback in this area. How much interest is there from medical consultants for certification? Should there be a minimum education requirement? Should we just require that they hold a license in good standing in their profession? How much and what kind of on the job training do they receive? What should the categories and minimum standard for program specific training be? We would like your feedback no later than February 1, 2000 so that we can send recommendations to the mid-year board.

Please address your comments or questions to your regional certification chairs listed below:

Great Lakes Lynne Noltensmeier 17815 C.R. 1100N Havana, IL 62644 217-285-7179

Great Plains Ella Timm 925 S. Thompson Sioux Falls SD 57105 605-367-5499 ext. 108

Southeast Chris Pointer PO Box 1000 Frankfort KY 40602 800-928-8050

Mid Atlantic Jennifer Free-Pecora 8736 Cimarron Circle Baltimore MD 21234 410-308-4517

Southwest Edwin Emery PO Box 4446 Shreveport LA 71134 318-869-6458

Northeast Bertha Ansley PO Box 9009 Endicott NY 13761-9009 607-741-4430 National Certification Chair Susan Neitzert c/o DDS 817 W Russell Suite 101 Sioux Falls SD 57104 Ph: 605-367-5499 ext. 130 Fax: 605-367-5485 Sue.Neitzert@state.sd.us