Experience Requirements
A Qualified Intellectual Disabilities Professional (QIDP) must have at least one year of experience working directly with people with developmental disabilities, meet the minimum federal educational requirements for a QIDP outlined in 42 CFR 483.430, and must provide documentation of both education and experience.
Direct work experience may include, but is not limited to:
- case management or activities that include involvement with consumers in daily, work or social activities.
- interactions with consumers in the implementation of individual service plans, education plans or behavior programs.
- gathering behavior program data by interacting with or observing consumers to determine appropriate program implementation.
- involvement with consumers in programming at residential, work sites and other venues.
Persons who would meet QIDP requirements within a reasonable time may gain QIDP experience under the direct supervision of a trained QIDP by assisting them in collecting or collating data, drafting paperwork, organizing or recording team meetings, etc. However, only QIDPs on the Department's QIDP database can be assigned full QIDP responsibilities (e.g., preparing ISPs, conducting meetings, assessing consumer progress, completing paperwork and signing documents that require QIDP approval). QIDPs cannot sign off on QIDP paperwork prepared by staff not approved as a QIDP even if that staff meets QIDP requirements.
Job & Educational Requirements
The QIDP Course Coordinator must complete a Checklist A (pdf) for each employee who is to perform the duties of a QIDP. A copy of the QIDP's resume and degree transcripts must be attached to the Checklist A. The resume should indicate the dates and locations where the QIDP worked directly with or was involved with people with developmental disabilities.
In addition to one year of experience supporting or interacting with persons with developmental disabilities, a QIDP must have one of the following educational credentials:
- Doctor of Medicine or Osteopathy: pursuant to the 225 ILCS 60 Medical Practice Act of 1987 - 225 ILCS 60 [Ill. Rev. Stat. 1989, ch. 111, par. 4400 1 et. seq.])
- Registered Nurse: pursuant to the Nurse Practice Act - 225 ILCS 65 (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1989, ch. 111, par. 3501 et. seq.)
- Occupational therapist or Occupational therapist assistant: certified by the American Occupational Therapy Association or comparable body Occupational Therapy Practice Act - 225 ILCS 75 [Ill. Rev. Stat. 1989, ch. 111, par. 3701 et. seq.])
- Physical therapist: certified by the American Physical Therapy Association or other comparable body (Illinois Physical Therapy Act - 225 ILCS 90 [Ill. Rev. Stat. 1989, ch. 111, par. 4251 et. seq.]); Physical therapist assistant registered by the American Physical Therapy Association or a graduate of a two year college level program approved by the American Physical Therapy Association or comparable body.
- Psychologist: master's degree in psychology from an accredited school (Clinical Psychologist Licensing Act - 225 ILCS 15 [Ill Rev. Stat. 1989, ch. 111, par. 5351 et. seq.])
- Social worker: bachelor's degree from a college or university or graduate degree from a school of social work accredited or approved by the Council on Social Work Education or other comparable body (The Clinical Social Work and Social Work Practice Act - 225 ILCS 20 [Ill. Rev. Stat. 1989, ch. 111, par. 6351 et. seq.])
- Speech-language pathologist or audiologist: certificate of Clinical competence in Speech Language Pathology or Audiology granted by the American Speech, Language, Hearing Association or comparative body or meet the educational requirements for licensure and be in the process of accumulating the supervised experience required for licensure (The Illinois Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Practice Act - 225 ILCS 110 [Ill. Rev. Stat. 1989, ch. 111, par. 7901 et. seq])
- Professional recreation staff person: bachelor's degree in recreation or in a specialty area such as art therapy, dance therapy, music therapy or physical therapy.
- Professional dietician: registered by the American Dietetics Association
- Human services professional: bachelor's degree in human services field, including but not limited to sociology, special education, rehabilitation counseling and psychology.
Please see Required Documentation for All Levels of Education and Foreign Education for information on how to ensure accredited educational institutions and how to document foreign education and untranslated foreign educational credentials.
Degrees in a Human Service Field
Consideration is also given to the focus of study rather than the nature of the degree. The Division will review transcripts to determine if the course work relates to or documents a concentration of course studies in the human services field. Acceptable studies in human services may include, but are not limited to:
- human behavior: social work, anatomy, communicative disorders, applied behavioral studies, counseling, gerontology, kinesiology, physiology, health education, elementary education, etc.
- human skill development: education counseling, human development, humans and their cultural behavior (e.g., anthropology), etc.
- bachelor level degrees where there is sufficient coursework (at least 30 semester hours) in human services areas.
Please see Required Documentation for All Levels of Education and Foreign Education for information on how to ensure educational institutions are accredited and how to document foreign education and untranslated foreign education credentials.
The Department's QIDP Database
Individuals approved by the Division of Developmental Disabilities as meeting the education and experience requirements of a QIDP will be added to the QIDP database. Please see QIDP Training Requirements for more information.
