Iowa Administrative Code › Agency 283 - College Student Aid Commission › Chapter 31 - Mental Health Professional Loan Repayment Program › Rule 283-31.1 - Definitions

Current through Register Vol. 47, No. 3, July 24, 2024
"Eligible institution"
means an institution of
				higher learning governed by the state board of regents or an accredited private
				institution as defined in Iowa Code section
				261.9.
"Eligible loan"
means the total subsidized,
				unsubsidized, and consolidated Federal Stafford Loan amount under the Federal
				Family Education Loan Program, Federal Direct Loan Program, federal Graduate
				PLUS Loan, or federal Perkins Loan, including principal and interest. Only the
				outstanding portion of a federal consolidation loan that was used to repay an
				eligible subsidized or unsubsidized Federal Stafford Loan, Federal Direct Loan,
				federal Graduate PLUS Loan, or federal Perkins Loan qualifies for loan
				repayment. An individual who signs a program agreement to receive loan
				repayment under this program and who refinances an eligible loan by obtaining a
				private educational loan may continue to receive loan repayment awards.
"Eligible practice area"
means a location in
				Iowa that is within a federal mental health shortage area, as designated by the
				health resources and services administration of the United States Department of
				Health and Human Services. Mental health professionals who serve clients who
				reside in eligible practice areas, including rural locations outside of city
				limits but within the federal mental health shortage area, are eligible to
				receive the loan repayment award if they are serving those clients on at least
				a part-time basis. If the designation status of a mental health shortage area
				is removed after the mental health professional signs an agreement, the mental
				health professional will continue to qualify for loan repayments provided that
				all other provisions of the agreement continue to be met.
"Full-time"
means that an average of at least
				40 hours per week are spent providing services as a mental health professional
				to clients in eligible practice areas.
"Mental health professional"
means a
				nonprescribing individual who meets all of the following qualifications:
1. The individual holds at least a master's
			 degree from an eligible institution in a mental health field, including
			 psychology, counseling and guidance, social work, marriage and family therapy,
			 or mental health counseling.
2. The
			 individual has at least two years of post-master's degree clinical experience,
			 supervised by another individual in the mental health field, in assessing and
			 diagnosing mental health needs and problems and in providing mental health
			 counseling services to individuals or groups on a full-time or part-time
			 basis.
3. The individual holds a
			 current practitioner's license issued by an agency or board under the Iowa
			 department of public health or its successor agency, authorizing the individual
			 to practice as a licensed psychologist, licensed independent social worker or
			 licensed master social worker, licensed marriage and family therapist, or
			 licensed mental health counselor.
"Part-time"
means that an average of at least
				28 hours, but fewer than 40 hours, per week are spent providing services as a
				mental health professional to clients in eligible practice
				areas.