CACREP A Name You Can Trust

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CACREPA Name You Can Trust

• Presented by
• Carol Bobby, CACREP Executive Director
• TACES Conference
• Austin, TX

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The Agenda

• CACREPs Growth Curve
• 20/20 A Vision for the Future of the Counseling
  Profession
• Key elements of the 2009 CACREP Standards
• What makes a Program CACREP Equivalent?
• The Professions Dilemma
• Tackling the Pppppproblem(s)

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Current Trends in CACREP Accredited Programs
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20/20 The Seven Principles

• Sharing a common professional identity is
  critical for counselors.
• Presenting ourselves as a unified profession has
  multiple benefits.
• Working together to improve the public perception
  of counseling and to advocate for professional
  issues will strengthen the profession.

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The Seven Principles (cont.)

• Creating a portability system for licensure will
  benefit counselors and strengthen the counseling
  profession.
• Expanding and promoting our research base is
  essential to the efficacy of professional
  counselors and to the public perception of the
  profession.
• Focusing on students and prospective students is
  necessary to ensure the ongoing health of the
  counseling profession.
• Promoting client welfare and advocating for the
  populations we serve is a primary focus of the
  counseling profession.

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What Does it Really Mean to be CACREP Accredited?

• Steps for Programs
• The self-study process involves all aspects of
  the programs curriculum and learning environment
• Initial review by the Board
• On-site visit by peer experts
• Final Board Review
• Follow-up Reports

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What Does it Really Mean to be CACREP Accredited?

• For our constituents
• Students receive a quality education that meets
  or exceeds state standards
• Clinical didactic experiences that provide the
  needed competencies to excel as a counseling
  professional
• A streamlined application process for
  certification licensure
• Programs distinguish themselves from other
  non-accredited programs, plus they get
  cost-effective consultation
• The profession has an accrediting body that
  ensures continuity professional delivery of a
  core set of required educational experiences
  regardless of specialty emphases
• Working toward reciprocity
• Clients benefit from receiving services from
  counselors who have received the most
  professional training

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The Purposes of the 2009 CACREP Standards

• Given CACREPs proven benefits, the 2009
  standards were written with an emphasis on
• Maintaining relevance and excellence in counselor
  preparation
• Defining necessary aspects of the learning
  environment
• Developing strong counselor identity for
  graduates through faculty role modeling,
  professional development activities, and the core
  curriculum.
• Linking knowledge of theory to practice through
  skill development and clinical experiences.

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Select 2009 Standards

• Core Curriculum (diversity, addictions
  counseling, emergency preparedness, crisis
  intervention, suicide prevention models)
• Faculty Issues (professional identity, core vs.
  non-core, sufficiency in number, program
  leadership, FTE ratios)

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Select 2009 Standards (contd)

• Clinical Standards (practicum sites, supervision
  contracts, direct service with real clients,
  requirements for taping, 600 hour internship in
  all areas)
• Program Evaluation (continuous systematic)
• Student Learning Outcomes (program area
  standards knowledge, skills and practices
  comprehensive assessment plan)

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So what is a CACREP-equivalent program?

• Is there really such a thing?

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Concerns about Equivalencies

• Is misunderstood by current prospective
  students
• Is misleading to the public
• Is usually based on a paper review of the hours
  required to
• Complete clinical experiences
• Obtain the degree

• Creates differing pathways (i.e. non-regulated)
  for entry into the profession
• Interferes with licensure portability
• Contributes to a continued lack of clarity
  regarding the professional identity of counselors

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The Professions Dilemma

• Use of unclear indicators to determine and
  validate professional identity of counselors.
• Systemic challenges in defining the profession of
  counseling
• ACA uses work role
• Licensure boards allow for equivalencies
• One-way relationships with other professions in
  terms of employment opportunities

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Why and How Should TACES Members Help?
PpPpP

• Professional Identity improvement
• Public recognition
• Portability and reciprocity
• Public protection
• Partnering with CACREP

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Tackling the Problem

• Brainstorm with CACREP on how to approach these
  concerns.
• Some states mandate accrediting reviews for any
  higher education program that has a professional
  component with a corresponding accreditor.
• Determine for yourself where CACREP fits into
  meeting the 20/20 principles, into facilitating
  portability of credentials, and into clarifying
  the publics understanding of the counseling
  profession.

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For more information

• Contact CACREP
• Email
• cacrep_at_cacrep.org
• Phone
• [phone]