Section 441.61.16. Pilot recredentialing services.

The department shall make available, as a pilot program, recredentialing services for refugees who are graduates of a foreign school that qualifies its students for certification or licensure as registered nurses or licensed practical nurses. These pilot services shall be available to the extent that funding is available through the federal fiscal year 2001 Polk County targeted assistance grant (see 441—61.17(217) for definition) and through Office of Refugee Resettlement social services funds up to a maximum of $22,500. The pilot program shall end September 30, 2003.

       61.16(1) Services included in recredentialing services. In addition to employability services as described in subrule 61.5(11), the department shall provide the following to participants in recredentialing services:

        a.           Practical assistance in securing documents and services needed to achieve evaluation of credentials earned outside the United States through appropriate United States professional credentials-evaluation organizations.

        b.           Payment of the initial fee for services of professional credentials-evaluation organizations.

        c.           Payment, to a maximum of $5,000 per eligible refugee, as contracted for or otherwise arranged or approved by the bureau, for professional refresher training or other education or training services to enable participants to achieve Iowa certification or licensure.

       61.16(2) Limitations on recredentialing services. In addition to the policies described in rule 441—61.6(217), the following shall apply to participants in recredentialing services:

        a.           The department shall identify eligible participants for recredentialing services through the appropriate employability assessment services as provided in paragraph 61.5(11)“b.”

        b.           The department shall deny eligibility for recredentialing services when the applicant cannot achieve acceptable levels in bureau-administered assessment tests of English literacy, spoken English proficiency, and math proficiency.

        c.           The department shall consider that eligibility for recredentialing services begins with payment of the fee to the appropriate professional credentials-evaluation organization.

        d.           The department shall deny or terminate eligibility for recredentialing services when it becomes clear that recredentialing cannot be achieved within the limitations as provided in rule 441—61.6(217). In addition to the appropriate professional credentials-evaluation organization, appropriate education and training institutions may be consulted to determine whether recredentialing may be achieved within these limitations.

        e.           The department shall limit eligibility for recredentialing services based on place of residence only so far as the source of recredentialing services funding requires such limitation.