Important announcement for Community Behavioral Health Providers

The Office of Child and Family Services is pleased to announce that the Maine Registry of Certified Nursing Assistants and Direct Care Workers (“the Registry”) now includes Behavioral Health Professionals, under 22 MRS § 1812-G (2-A).  Prior to securing employment of a potential BHP, please access the Registry  to ensure candidates are not annotated.  BHPs will be listed on the Registry if they are disqualified from being employed as a BHP. Annotation on the Registry results from a disqualifying criminal conviction, or a substantiated finding of child abuse or neglect, following an investigation by the Office’s Out of Home Investigation Unit and the exhaustion of appeal rights, as applicable.

Annotation on the Registry precludes a Behavioral Health Professional from current and future employment as a BHP or any other category of direct care worker.  The Registry will include only BHPs who are disqualified from employment; it is not a listing of all certified BHPs.

As a reminder, BHPs and all other Direct Care Workers are Mandated Reporters under state law; to report Child Abuse or Neglect, please call:  1-800-452-1999, or learn more here:  https://www.maine.gov/dhhs/ocfs/mandated-reporters.shtml.

Should you have any questions about this announcement, please contact Robert Carr, Division of Licensing and Certification, Robert.E.Carr@maine.gov.