Facility Requirements
Students must meet all health, safety, and any other requirements of the fieldwork site, in addition to meeting those of the Institute, prior to beginning and throughout any fieldwork experience.
Most fieldwork education facilities require students to meet and submit documentation for specific immunizations and/or health status screening prior to beginning a fieldwork experience; these requirements frequently differ from those of the Institute. For example, a fieldwork site requiring a negative TB test will also determine how recent the test must be to be acceptable – the present variation among our fieldwork sites’ policies on TB tests is 3 months to 1 year. Many sites also require current certification in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) techniques and completion of mandatory training on Universal Precautions and HIPAA. Students should ascertain whether documentation of participation in Institute training on these topics is acceptable or whether the facility requires its own process.
In addition, certain facilities and agencies require that a criminal background check (CORI or other similar process), drug testing, and/or fingerprinting be completed prior to participating in the provision of client care. In many cases, the CORI performed by the Institute upon admission is insufficient. In such circumstances, students must submit to and pay any required fees for a criminal background check, fingerprinting, or any other screening required by the fieldwork site and meet facility requirements prior to participation in that fieldwork education placement.
Any information regarding the specific requirements of a given site that is communicated to the IHP OTD Fieldwork Program by the site is included in that site’s Fieldwork Data Form (FWDF), posted to E*Value on the site’s home page. However, due to rapidly changing requirements, students should not conclude that the FWDF is up to date. Students are responsible for verifying and complying with the specific requirements of each fieldwork site to which they are assigned. For Level II Fieldwork, the IHP OTD Fieldwork Program recommends that students initiate formal communication with the assigned fieldwork site approximately 4 months in advance of the scheduled start date to identify and verify the site’s requirements and allow time for necessary completion.
Please note that, unless otherwise specified from the site, students are responsible for providing the facility with any requested evidence of compliance with health and safety requirements according to the timeline established by the facility. Students are advised to maintain their own copies of all health history and immunization records, CPR and other certifications, documentation of physical exams, etc.