What are the conditions of obligated service?
§ 64a.105 What are the conditions of obligated service?
In order to receive a clinical traineeship an individual must comply with the following conditions:
(a) Written assurance. Prior to the award of a clinical traineeship, the individual must sign a written assurance (in such form and manner as the Secretary prescribes) that he or she will satisfy the requirements of this section.
(b) Commencement and crediting of service.
(1) An individual must start the obligated service within twenty-four months after termination of the clinical traineeship and carry out the service on a continuous basis unless, as specified in paragraph (e) of this section, the individual has requested and had approved, respectively, an extension of the time for beginning the service, or a break in service.
(2) Following termination of the traineeship, the individual must annually provide (in such form and manner as the Secretary prescribes) a written report describing those previous years' activities which are related to service that fulfills the payback obligation. The Secretary will review this report and credit all service performed in those categories specified in paragraph (d) of this section toward the individual's payback obligation, except any service which is performed:
(i) Before termination of the individual's clinical traineeship; and
(ii) As part of any activity, such as course work, preparation of a dissertation or thesis, or practicum, which is needed to complete the training for which the individual received the traineeship.
(c) Duration of obligation. The period of service payback must equal the period of support under the clinical traineeship on a month for month basis.
(d) Performance of the obligated service -
(1) General requirements. The obligated service must consist of the provision of service for which the individual was trained (in the training program for which the clinical traineeship was received) and must be performed on a full-time basis (not less than 30 hours per week averaged over the obligated service period).
(2) Preferred service. Except as provided under paragraph (d)(3) of this section, the individual must provide the obligated service in:
(i) A public inpatient mental institution;
(ii) Any entity which is receiving or has received a grant under the Mental Health Systems Act or the Community Mental Health Centers Act;
(iii) A psychiatric manpower shortage area designated by the Secretary under section 332 of the Public Health Service Act and 42 CFR part 5;
(iv) Any public or private nonprofit entity or in any nursing home (whether public, private nonprofit, or for profit) in which 50 percent or more of those served are within one or more of the following groups: Racial or ethnic minorities (American Indian or Alaskan Native, Asian or Pacific Islander, Black, Hispanic), chronically mentally ill, mentally retarded, criminal or delinquent populations, rape victims, physically handicapped, abusers of alcohol, or persons addicted to drugs or other substances, children and adolescents, the elderly, poverty populations, migrants, members of the armed forces (or veterans if seen in a Federal facility), residents of areas other than those defined as urbanized by the Department of Commerce, or any other special populations, such as groups of refugees or disaster victims, which are specifically designated by the Secretary for this purpose.
(3) Alternate service. If the individual obtains the written approval of the Secretary, the individual may fulfill his or her obligation by:
(i) Serving in any public or private nonprofit entity or in any nursing home (whether public, private nonprofit, or for profit) in which not less than 25 percent of those served are within one or more of the underserved population groups listed in paragraph (d)(2)(iv) of this section. The individual must demonstrate a service commitment of more than 50 percent of his or her time to the targeted populations.
(ii) Teaching, conducting research, or conducting evaluation directed at improving alcohol, drug abuse or mental health services to one or more of the priority population groups listed in paragraph (d)(2)(iv) of this section, or working in a position which fosters the closer collaboration of health and alcohol, drug abuse or mental health services.
(iii) Providing in a public or private nonprofit entity consultation, training and education, liaison, community support or other professional services for which the individual was trained when the individual's work is directed toward improving alcohol, drug abuse or mental health services to the priority populations listed in paragraph (d)(2)(iv) of this section.
(e) Conditions for deferral or break in service, waiver, or cancellation.
(1) Upon receipt of a written request showing good cause therefor by the individual having a payback obligation, the Secretary may:
(i) Extend the period for beginning the obligated service (24 months after termination of the clinical traineeship), permit breaks in the required continuous service or extend the period for repayment under paragraph (g)(2) of this section, if it is determined that:
(A) An extension or break in service is necessary for the completion of training;
(B) Performance of the obligation must be delayed because a temporary disability makes present performance impossible; or
(C) Performance of the obligation must be delayed because present performance would involve a substantial hardship and failure to extend the period would be against equity and good conscience.
(ii) Waive, in whole or in part, the service payback and recovery requirements of this section if it is determined that fulfillment would be impossible because the individual is permanently and totally disabled.
(iii) In making determinations under § 64a.105(e)(1)(i)(C), the Secretary will take into consideration the following factors:
(A) The individual's present financial resources and obligations;
(B) The individual's estimated future financial resources and obligations;
(C) The reasons for the individual's failure to complete the requirements within the prescribed period, such as problems of a personal nature;
(D) The unavailability of employment opportunities appropriate to the individual's education and training; and
(E) Any other extenuating circumstances.
(2) Upon receipt of written notice giving evidence of a conflicting obligation under section 752 or 753 of the Act or of an election to fulfill an obligation under section 472 of the Act prior to an obligation under this section, the Secretary will extend the period for beginning service (24 months after termination of the clinical traineeship), permit breaks in the required continuous service or extend the period for repayment under paragraph (g)(1), as appropriate.
(3) The service payback and recovery obligations of an individual will be cancelled upon the submission to the Secretary of a certificate of that individual's death or other evidence which the Secretary determines to be satisfactory.
(f) Conflicting or multiple payback obligations. In any case where the individual has, in addition to a payback obligation incurred under this section, an obligation to perform service under section 752 or 753 of the Act (because of receipt of a National Health Service Corps scholarship) or under section 472 of the Act (because of receipt of a National Research Service Award), or both, performance of the same activity may not be counted toward more than one of these obligations. In determining the order in which obligations must be fulfilled, obligations under section 752 or 753 take precedence over obligations incurred under this section. However, with respect to obligations under this section and 472, the individual may elect which obligation to fulfill first. Any individual who has an obligation under section 752 or 753 or makes an election to fulfill an obligation under section 472 prior to an obligation under this section, must give written notice to the Secretary as provided by paragraph (e)(3) of this section.
(g) Recovery for failure to perform obligated service.
(1) If an individual fails to begin or complete the obligated service in accordance with the requirements of paragraphs (a) through (f) of this section, that individual is obligated to repay the United States an amount equal to three times the cost of the award (including stipends and other trainee allowances) plus interest on that amount calculated for the total period since the trainee failed to perform the obligated service at the rate set by the Secretary of the Treasury for National Research Service Awards prevailing on the date on which the period of appointment begins, multiplied, in any case in which the service that was required has been performed in part, by the percentage which the length of service that was not performed is to the length of the service that was required to be performed. The amount will be determined under the following formula:
where
A = the amount the United States is entitled to recover;
θ = the cost of the clinical traineeship (including stipends and other trainee allowances);
m = the number of months since the trainee failed to perform obligated service;
i = the National Research Service Award rate on the date which the period of appointment begins divided by twelve;
t = the total number of months of the service obligation;
s = the number of months that have been served.
(2) Unless the Secretary extends the repayment period as provided in paragraph (e) of this section, the individual shall pay to the United States the total amount which the United States is entitled to recover under paragraph (g)(1) of this section immediately upon the date that the individual fails to begin or complete the period of obligated service (including failing to comply with the applicable terms and conditions of an extension or break in service granted the individual) or upon the date that the individual indicates his or her intention not to fulfill the service obligation as determined by the Secretary. The amount is considered a debt owed to the United States, with interest accruing monthly upon the total debt as provided under paragraph (g)(1) of this section.
[46 FR 39979, Aug. 5, 1981, as amended at 52 FR 18359, May 15, 1987]
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