Okla. Admin. Code § 450:1-13-5

Current through Vol. 42, No. 4, November 1, 2024

Section 450:1-13-5 - Student Loan Repayment

(a)Eligibility. ODMHSAS will provide student loan repayment to behavioral health practitioners in accordance with the rules in this Subchapter and state law. To be eligible for these funds the practitioner must:

(1) Be a Licensed Behavioral Health Professional as defined in this Chapter. Licensure candidates are not eligible until fully licensed;

(2) Be appropriately licensed and in good standing with the applicable state licensing entity;

(3) Be an Oklahoma resident;

(4) Be employed as a practitioner of clinical mental health and/or substance use disorder/addiction services at a behavioral health provider organization with a physical service location in the State of Oklahoma; and

(5) Commit to providing direct clinical care in Oklahoma in a full-time (at least 32 hours per week) capacity for a period of two (2) years, or an equivalent amount of hours over a period of more than two (2) but not more than four (4) years. A minimum of twenty (20) hours per week over the employment period is required to be eligible.

(b)Eligibility does not guarantee that student loan repayment will be provided. Funds will be disbursed to eligible practitioners as funds are available through the Behavioral Health Workforce Development Fund at the discretion of ODMHSAS. The following factors may be considered in the selection of which practitioners will receive student loan repayment:

(1) Date of application submission;

(2) Type of clinical services provided (e.g., primarily mental health or substance related; outpatient or inpatient);

(3) Demographics of the service area and/or service recipients;

(4) Eligibility for other loan repayment programs;

(5) Number of prior applicants in the service area who have received repayment through the fund.

(c)Application. Applications for student loan repayment from the Behavioral Health Workforce Development Fund shall be submitted to ODMHSAS on a form and in a manner prescribed by the Commissioner or designee. The application must include the following:

(1) Application form completed in full according to its instructions;

(2) Proof of Oklahoma residency in the form of:

(A) An Oklahoma driver's license or identification card;

(B) An Oklahoma voter identification card; or

(C) A utility bill dated within three (3) months prior to the application date, excluding internet and cellular phone bills.

(3) Documentation of current, valid license to practice in the State of Oklahoma by the appropriate licensing entity;

(4) Verification of current employment with a behavioral health organization in Oklahoma, including number of hours worked per week;

(5) Employer information, including name of organization and location(s) where the applicant will be providing services;

(6) Job description and/or written documentation from an authorized representative of the employing organization describing the job duties; and

(7) Signed Commitment Letter.

(d)Optional items that may be submitted with the application include:

(1) Reference letters from previous or current employer(s); and

(2) Documentation of additional certifications, credentials, and/or licenses related to behavioral health.

(e)Disbursement.

(1) Successful applicants will be eligible to receive up to $30,000 in direct student loan repayment over a maximum of four (4) years of eligible employment.

(2) Full-time practitioners (at least thirty-two [32] hours per week over the employment period) will be eligible for an initial payment of up to $20,000 after the completion of twenty-four (24) months of eligible employment. Subsequently, full-time practitioners may renew for a third year to receive an additional $10,000 in student loan repayment.

(3) For practitioners working less than full-time (twenty [20] to thirty-one [31] hours per week over the employment period) during the first two (2) years, initial student loan repayment will be provided in the amount of up to $15,000 after the completion of twenty-four (24) months of eligible employment. Subsequently, parttime practitioners may renew for a third year and fourth year to receive up to an additional $7,500 in student loan repayment for each additional year.

(4) Payment is dependent upon the practitioner providing all requested information and documentation to substantiate employment and student loan information. Failure of the practitioner to provide requested items within requested timeframes may delay or terminate eligibility for student loan repayment.

(5) Funds will be paid directly by ODMHSAS to the current lender associated with the student loan and shall not exceed the total student loan debt.

Okla. Admin. Code § 450:1-13-5

Adopted by Oklahoma Register, Volume 41, Issue 15, April 15, 2024, eff. 3/4/2024, exp. 9/14/2024 (Emergency)

Adopted by Oklahoma Register, Volume 41, Issue 22, August 1, 2024, eff. 9/1/2024