A. As certification is a requirement for Medicaid reimbursement, all CHWs/CHRs in South Dakota need to complete an approved training program. While lived experience and previous work experience are important components of being a CHW/CHR, formal training is also needed to validate the profession in South Dakota.

A. Training programs completed in another state will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis but must meet the minimum training requirements for South Dakota of 200 hours of training and 40 hours of shadowing.

A. The process typically takes 30-60 days once all required documents for certification have been uploaded to the certification platform.

A. Training programs interested in having a curriculum reviewed to be an approved training program for South Dakota CHWs/CHRs should email info@chwsd.org and indicate “Training Curriculum for Certification Review” in the subject line.

A. No. For a training curriculum to be reviewed, the training program must first provide documentation that the training program exceeds the minimum requirements of 200 hours of training and 40 hours of shadowing.

A. CHW/CHR training curricula are typically reviewed within 90 days of the complete training curriculum being submitted to the CHWSD.

A. A background check and fingerprint screening are required for CHW/CHR certification. Individuals with a felony conviction within the past 10 years are not eligible to apply if the offense involved crimes against persons (such as murder, rape, assault, or similar offenses), financial crimes (including extortion, embezzlement, income tax evasion, insurance fraud, or similar offenses), any felony that placed the Medicare program or its beneficiaries at immediate risk (such as malpractice-related offenses), or any felony resulting in mandatory exclusion from Medicare, Medicaid or any other federal healthcare program. If these offenses occurred more than 10 years ago, the Certification Committee may review the application on a case-by-case basis, and references will be required. 

For any other felony not listed above, excluding child abuse or sexual abuse convictions, applicants with a conviction date within the past five years may apply, however, must provide an employer reference explaining why the applicant should be approved for CHW/CHR certification. The Certification Committee will consider the nature of the offense along with the recommendations provided when determining whether to approve or deny the application. If the felony conviction occurred more than five years prior to the application date, no additional action is required; however, CHWSD and the Certification Committee reserve the right to review any application containing a felony conviction and may request additional information or an employer reference regardless of when the conviction occurred. Applicants listed on the sex offender registry will not be approved for CHW/CHR certification.

A. Send fingerprint background check and payment via check to: Office of the Attorney General, Division of Criminal Investigation, 1302 E. Highway 14, Suite 5, Pierre, SD 57501.