Office of Continuing Professional Education
www.cpe.rutgers.edu
New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station
ocpe@njaes.rutgers.edu
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey 102 Ryders Lane
732-932-9271
New Brunswick, NJ 08901-8519
Fax: 732-932-1187
http://www.cpe.rutgers.edu/EPH
Factsheet: What is an REHS? What is an REHS? In New Jersey, an REHS, or Registered Environmental Health Specialist, acts as the front-line investigator for many of the state’s public health and environmental regulations. REHS is also the name of the license issued by the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services to individuals who fill this role. A licensed REHS may work at a local, county or state health department or in private industry (e.g. food manufacturing, environmental consulting). Job titles for a licensed REHS may include: health inspector, sanitary inspector, environmental compliance manager and environmental consultant. An REHS working at a health department is responsible for conducting inspections, compiling proper records of such inspections, informing operators of establishments of violations and the sanitary basis thereof, methods of abating such violations, and securing evidence that may be necessary for legal action. Examples of these responsibilities may include: • responding to nuisance complaints (pests, weeds, rodents) • investigating air, soil or water pollution complaints • inspecting restaurants or other food service/manufacturing operations • inspecting housing • assisting in early detection of food-borne disease outbreaks • lead poisoning investigations • reviewing sanitary septic plans & installations • investigating and mapping rabies & Lyme disease outbreaks • monitoring streams, lakes and groundwater • inspecting animal care & control facilities A licensed • • • • • • • • • •
REHS working in the private sector may also have responsibilities that include: conducting environmental assessments surveys & sampling in the field (of indoor air, noise, asbestos, water, soil) conducting safety & health training food safety consulting respiratory fit testing watershed management wetland delineation home inspections radon testing microbial investigations
What is the average salary of a licensed REHS in New Jersey? In the public sector (working at a local, county or state health department), salary ranges vary depending on the municipality and your level of experience. On the low end, municipalities with limited budgets may have starting salary ranges of $32,000 to $40,000 while those with higher budgets may have starting salaries in the range of $45,000 to $60,000. Are there opportunities for advancement? Yes, many health departments employ sanitary inspector trainees (those without REHS licenses yet), REHSs and Senior REHSs. Beyond that, additional experience and/or education can help an REHS move on to become a planner, epidemiologist or health officer.
How do you obtain a New Jersey REHS license? New Jersey REHSs must pass a licensing exam. To be eligible to take the exam, a potential applicant must meet the following requirements before applying to the Public Health Examination Board to take the exam. To be eligible to take the exam, a potential applicant must: 1. Hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college in a program accredited by the National Environmental Health Science and Protection Accreditation Council OR 2. Hold a bachelor degree from an accredited college or university with a minimum of 32 credits in the biology, chemistry, physics and/or environmental sciences and mathematics. Please note: only up to six (6) credits of college-level math will be accepted. At least one (1) science course must be a lab course. No grades below a 2.0 (“C”) will be accepted; AND a. Satisfactorily complete one (1) year of post-graduate, full-time employment with a local health agency recognized by the NJDHSS under the supervision of a NJ licensed REHS or Health Officer. OR b. Successfully complete the Rutgers Environment & Public Health course. OR c. Successfully complete the equivalent of the Rutgers Environment & Public Health course, which must include a 200-hour field training program at a New Jersey local health department. How can I get the application to take the New Jersey REHS licensing exam? Once the minimum eligibility requirements mentioned above are met, an application to take the exam may be obtained from the NJDHSS Public Health Licensing and Examination Board as follows: Phone: 609-292-4993 Fax: 609-292-4997 Mail: Public Health Licensing and Examination Board Attn: Michael Lakat New Jersey Dept. of Health and Senior Services PO Box 360 Trenton, NJ 08625-0360 How can I apply to take the New Jersey REHS licensing exam? You must fill out the exam application completely and mail it with original documentation of your qualifications (not photocopies) and payment of the $50 application fee (check or money order made out to “Treasurer, State of New Jersey”) to: NJDHSS, PO Box 360, Trenton, NJ 08625. When will I find out if my application to take the New Jersey REHS licensing exam is approved? You will receive an acceptance letter from the NJDHSS approximately 2-3 weeks before the exam date. You will be required to submit a $100 examination fee to take the exam.
When is the New Jersey REHS licensing exam held? The exam is held 3 times each year in February, July and November. The application deadline is typically 7 to 8 weeks before the exam date. For specific dates, contact the NJDHSS Public Health Licensing and Examination Board at 609-292-4993 or visit their website: http://www.nj.gov/health/lh/phpl.shtml Where is the New Jersey REHS licensing exam held? Your letter of acceptance will include the time and location of the exam. Typically, the exam is held at the Middlesex County Fire Academy in Sayreville, New Jersey. What is covered on the New Jersey REHS licensing exam? The exam consists of 100 questions designed to assess competency in a fixed response format. The content includes such diverse topics as: administration, communicable diseases, food protection and safety, water and wastewater treatment, vectors, pests and weeds, epidemiology, potable water, air quality, noise pollution, swimming pools and recreational bathing facilities, New Jersey statutes and rules and hazardous materials. What score do I need to pass the New Jersey REHS licensing exam? The passing score for this examination is 70 percent and is based on minimum competence criteria as developed by practitioners in the field. When will I find out how I did on the New Jersey REHS licensing exam? A letter will be mailed to you within 2 weeks of the exam date telling you if you passed or failed. The letter will include your score and, if you passed, it will include your Registry (license) number and a copy of your pocket license. A certificate will be mailed to you under a separate cover at a later date. If you did not pass the exam, your grade as well as a breakdown of your scores in the various subject areas of the exam will be included. Note that State Department of Health policy restricts the way in which examination grades are announced. The results are NOT given over the phone or via email. You must wait to receive the official mailed notification. How many people pass the New Jersey REHS licensing exam on the first try? The passing rate varies depending on the individuals, their backgrounds and the amount of time and effort put into preparing for the exam. In recent years the passing has ranged from as low as 50% to as high as 100%. Typically, however, approximately 75 to 80% of testtakers pass the exam on the first try. What happens after I pass the exam? When will I get my New Jersey REHS license? From the moment you pass the exam, you are considered a licensed REHS by the NJDHSS. Your pocket license will be included in the official notification letter, which is typically mailed out two weeks after the examination date.
What if I don’t pass the New Jersey REHS licensing exam on the first try? If you do not pass the REHS licensing exam on the first try, you will be given an additional opportunity to take the exam without reapplying. To do this, simply email or send a letter to the State indicating your intention no later than the application deadline for the exam you wish to take. You will be notified of your acceptance a few weeks before the exam date and you will be required to submit another $100 examination fee to sit for the exam. If you do not pass the exam after a second attempt, your official notification from the NJDHSS Public Health Examination Board will include list of topics in which you scored the lowest. You will not be allowed to re-take the exam until you complete additional training in those topics. Graduates of the Rutgers Environment & Public Health program have an open invitation to return to our class for the topics they need free of charge (although we reserve the right to charge for materials or food). Once you successfully complete the additional required training, you may re-apply to take the exam. You have to start the application process over, completing a new application and resubmitting all of your qualification documentation and the $50 application fee, along with proof that you completed the additional needed training. If your reapplication is approved, you will be eligible to sit for the next available licensing exam. How long is my New Jersey REHS license valid after I get it? Your license is valid until December 31 of the year after you get it if you take the exam in July or November. If you take the exam in February, you license expires on December 31 of that same year. So, for example, if you take the July or November 2010 exam, your license expires December 31, 2011. If you take the February 2010 exam, your license experience December 31, 2010. How do I renew my New Jersey REHS license each year? Renewal notices are automatically sent out by the NJDHSS in by early November each year. The renewal fee is $50.00. If you submit your renewal after the deadline stated in your renewl notice letter, you must submit an additional late fee of $25.00 (i.e. the late renewal fee is $75.00). Renewal applicants must demonstrate successful completion of the annual continuing education requirement to maintain an active license. What is the annual continuing education requirement for NJ REHSs and how do I fulfill it? During the first year after you receive your REHS license, you are not required to fulfill any continuing education requirements. For example, if your first year of licensure is 2010, you do not need to demonstrate that you earned 15 CE credits in 2010 when you apply for 2011 renewal by December 31, 2010. However, in all subsequent years, all licensed REHSs are required to earn a minimum of 15 public health continuing education (CE) credit hours each year calendar year to maintain the license. If you earn more than 15 credits in a year, you may carry over up to 5 credits.
All NJ courses approved for public health CE credits are posted on the New Jersey Learning Management Network (http://njlmn.rutgers.edu). Licensed REHSs should create an account on the NJLMN and use it to register for continuing education courses throughout the calendar year. Your attendance at approved courses will be recorded on your NJLMN transcript. You can print out your NJLMN transcript at the end of the year and submit it to the NJDHSS with a license renewal application to demonstrate successful completion of the public health CE credit requirement. NOTE: Public Health CEs should not be confused with CEUs. Any continuing education provider may offer CEUs. Only providers whose courses are approved and posted on the NJLMN can provide public health CE credits. Furthermore, it takes 10 hours of class to earn 1.0 CEU, whereas it only takes one hour of a public health class to earn 1.0 CE credit (unless the course is a recertification program or a lab or field work course -- those can only offer 0.5 CE credits for each full hour of class). For more information about licensure, visit: http://www.state.nj.us/health/lh/phpl.shtml For more information about license renewal, visit: http://www.state.nj.us/health/lh/renew.shtml How can I meet other New Jersey licensed REHSs? When you attend the Rutgers Environment and Public Health Program, you will spend 7 hours a day, 5 days a week for 7 weeks with 25-35 peers who are starting out in the profession just like you and who will become your lifelong colleagues. You will also meet an array of speakers who are working at the local, county, and state level and with whom you will interact for years to come. In addition, students should join the New Jersey chapter of the Environmental Health Association – or NJEHA. Being a member of this statewide professional association gives you the opportunity to network with REHSs who work in both the public and private sector and gives you opportunities to engage colleagues on the national level from the NEHA (National Environmental Health Association). Learn more at: www.njeha.org