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Behavioral Health Services
Behavioral Health Services

Initiate credentialing

The County Behavioral Health Services Department (BHSD) credentialing and re-credentialing process is in place to ensure BHSD maintains a high-quality mental health and substance use disorder service delivery network that meets all federal and state regulatory requirements.

All licensed, waivered, registered, certified and non-licensed practitioners such as paraprofessionals, mental health rehabilitation specialists (MHRS), interns and trainees that provide mental health and/or substance use disorder services as County employees or under contract with the BHSD are required to be credentialed.

Please reference the disciplines and taxonomies for accepted credential types posted on the BHSD website and can be found on this link:

Credentialing process

Learn about our credentialing application steps, requirements and cycle.

  1. Share your CAQH profile ID number, and in your CAQH provider profile, authorize VHP access. If you don't have a profile, learn how to create a CAQH profile.
  2. Download and complete the CAQH credentialing request form.  
  3. Gather the required documents listed below.
  4. Submit the form and required documents to: [email protected]; [email protected]

Required documents

1.  Credentialing Request Form cred-request-rev-08-24-22.pdf (sccgov.org)

2.  Copy of license/registration/certification

3.  Copy of Liability Insurance

4.  Copy of Resume 

  1. Gather the required documents listed below.
  2. Submit the form and required documents to: [email protected]; [email protected]

Required documents

  • CPPA application form. Refer to instructions to complete the application. 
  • Resume
  • Copy of liability insurance
  • Mental Health Rehabilitation Specialist certificate, if applicable. 
  • Intern or trainee placement agreement, if applicable. The agreement must be with a school that is on file for County and CCPs, as having agreements for placement.
  • Refer to complete instructions for submitting this package.
  • If you answered "Yes" to any of the questions A-F in Section VIII of the CPPA application, please provide additional details using CPPA application Addendum A Attestation Questions. Failure to provide details to the questions may delay the processing of your application.

There is a 14-calendar day turnaround time for processing a provider application for credentialing.  This timeline begins when an application is completed and does not need additional information. Providers who have issues that need monthly committee review will not qualify for the 14-calendar day process.

All applicants who have submitted a completed application for participation (initial or re-credentialing), and have been presented to the Credentialing Committee, will be notified in writing of the credentialing decision within 30 calendar days of the Credentialing Committee meeting. 

Once credentialing has been approved, the provider can start providing services.  However, it can take up two weeks for the provider to be mapped in the BHSD electronic health record.

  • In compliance with regulatory standards, VHP re-credentials practitioners at least every 36 months from the date of the initial or previous credentialing decision. The re-credentialing process incorporates reverification and identification of changes in the practitioner’s license, sanctions, certifications, malpractice reports, health status, and/or performance information, such as professional conduct and competence. The re-credentialing process includes primary source verification.

  • Providers will be reviewed each month for compliance and quality measures.

Supplementary guides and application forms

You are eligible to apply if you meet one or more of the following MHRS qualifying requirements:

  • Masters degree in the mental health field with two years of mental health clinical work experience. 
  • Bachelors degree in the mental health field with four years of mental health clinical work experience. 
  • Associates degree with six years of mental health clinical work experience. Two of the six years of required work experience must be completed after receiving your Associates degree.l

Download and complete the MHRS application. Follow the submission directions in the application.

You are eligible to request a professional license waiver if you are one of the following:

  • Psychologist intern or pre-licensed psychologist 
  • Out-of-state psychologist 
  • Out-of-state clinical social worker
  • Out-of-state marriage and family therapist 
  • Out-of-state professional clinical counselor

Download and complete the professional license waiver request form, then follow submission directions in the form.

For audit purposes, keep a copy of the Electronic Signature Agreement in your records.