Skill Standards

• The primary purposes of the Skill Standards Project are to foster the adoption of national, voluntary skill standards for direct service workers.

  • To increase both horizontal and vertical career opportunities for human service personnel.

  • To create a foundation for a nationally recognized, voluntary certification of direct services practitioners.

  • To improve responsiveness to service participants, increase workers' marketability, and enhance service effectiveness and quality.

  • The project is based on the assumption that the development of skill standards in the human service field is a critical step toward strengthening education and training programs.

• A mass effort was made in the 1990s to identify the job characteristics of the human services professional.

  • The result of this effort was the identification of the 12 competency areas.

  • The 12 competency areas are typically performed by human services professionals; a set of skills or job functions related to each competency and activity statements or tasks that the human service professional would undertake to fulfill the job functions.

  Competency Areas for Skill Standards:

• Competency 1: Participant Empowerment: The competent community support human service practitioner (CSHSP) enhances the ability of the participant to lead a self-determining life by providing the support and information necessary to build self-esteem and assertiveness and to make decisions. (p. 21)

• Competency 2: Communication: The community support human service practitioner should be knowledgeable about the range of effective communication strategies and skills necessary to establish a collaborative relationship with the participant. (p. 26)

• Competency 3: Assessment: The community support human service practitioner should be knowledgeable about formal and informal assessment practices to respond to the needs, desires, and interests of the participants. (p. 29)

• Competency 4: Community and Service Networking: The community support human service practitioner should be knowledgeable about the formal and informal supports available in his or her community and skilled in assisting the participant in identifying and gaining access to such supports. (p. 35)

• Competency 5: Facilitation of Services: The community support human service practitioner is knowledgeable about a range of participatory planning techniques and is skilled in implementing plans in a collaborative and expeditious manner. (p. 40)

• Competency 6: Community and Living Skills and Supports: The community support human service practitioner has the ability to match specific supports and interventions to the unique needs of individual participants and recognizes the importance of friends, family, and community relationships. (p. 45)

• Competency 7: Education, Training, and Self-Development: The community support human service practitioner should be able to identify areas for self-improvement, pursue necessary educational/training resources, and share knowledge with others. (p. 51)

• Competency 8: Advocacy: The community support human service practitioner should be knowledgeable about the diverse challenges facing participants (e.g. human rights, legal, administrative, and financial) and should be able to identify and use effective advocacy strategies to overcome such challenges. (p. 54)

• Competency 9: Vocational Educational and Career Support: The community support human service practitioner should be knowledgeable about the career- and education-related concerns of the participant and should be able to mobilize the resources and support necessary to assist the participant to reach his or her goals. (p. 57)

• Competency 10: Crisis Intervention: The community support human service practitioner should be knowledgeable about crisis prevention, intervention, and resolution techniques and should match such techniques to particular circumstances and individuals. (p. 60)

• Competency 11: Organizational Participation: The community-based support worker is familiar with the mission and practices of the support organization and participates in the life of the organization. (p. 63)

• Competency 12: Documentation: The community-based support worker is aware of the requirements for documentation in his or her organization and is able to manage these requirements efficiently. (p. 67)

Credentialing

• Credentialing is one method of ensuring that professionals are competent.

  • Credentialing in the mental health professions is a relatively new

  • Regulating occupations began as far back as the 13th century when the Holy Roman Empire set requirements for the practice of medicine.

• Credentialing:

  • Delimits the field. Any legislation passed related to credentialing, such as defining who can and cannot do specific jobs, helps to define the role of the professional.

  • Identifies competence. Credentialing helps to ensure that effective knowledge and skills have been achieved.

  • Increases professionalism. Credentialing increases the status of the members of a profession and clearly identifies who those members are.

  • Leads to parity. Credentialing helps professionals achieve parity in professional status, salary, and other areas with closely related mental health professions (e.g., social workers).

  • Offers protection to the public. Credentials help identify, to the public, those individuals who have the appropriate training and skills to do counseling.

• Two of the most common types of credentialing are certification and licensure.

Certification

• Certification involves the formal recognition that individuals within a professional group have met specific standards of professionalism.

  • Generally, certification is seen as a protection of a title.

  • Certification attests to a person’s attainment of a certain level of competence but does not define the scope and practice of a professional.

• To gain certification, one often must meet specific educational requirements, such as a bachelor’s degree, undergo a certain amount of supervision, and pass an exam.

• Generally, in order to maintain certification, one must pay a yearly fee.

• Certification can occur at a state level or a national level.

• Certification at a state level is where the state defines what is needed for a person to become credentialed.

• Certification at a national level is where a national governing body makes the decision on what is needed for a person to become credentialed.

• Although national certification suggests that a certain level of competence in a professional field has been achieved, unless a state legislates that the specific national certification will be used at the state level, such certification carries little or no legal clout.

• Regardless of legal authority, professionals often want these credentials because it indicates they have mastered a certain body of knowledge that can be useful for hiring and promotions.

• Certification often requires ongoing continuing education for an individual to maintain his or her credential.

Licensure

• Licensures are generally regulated by states.

  • States generally set the standards for licensure, which often requires a minimum educational level, passing a state or national exam, and additional documentation of expertise such as evidence of post-education supervision.

  • How licensures are attained varies heavily from state to state.

  • Generally, licensure holds little portability, so you will most likely need to attain more than one if you wish to practice in more than one state.

• Licensure denotes that the licensed individual has met rigorous standards and indicates that individuals without licenses cannot practice in that particular professional arena.

• Just like with certification, licensure also generally requires a yearly fee.

Credentialing in the Human Services

• In 2008, the Center for Credentialing and Education (CCE), in consultation with NOHS and with the Council for Standards in Human Service Education (CSHSE), developed a certification process for human service professionals.

• The CCE certifies any individual who has an associate’s, bachelor’s, or master’s degree in human services or a related field.

  • However, people with degrees in related fields must show that they have obtained 15-semester credits in courses traditionally offered in human service programs.

  • Persons who have degrees in related fields must also have two-semester credits in each of the following:

    • Interviewing and intervention skills

    • Case management

    • Ethics in the helping professions

• The CCE exam assesses knowledge in the following areas

  • Assessment

  • Treatment planning and outcome evaluation

  • Theoretical orientation/interventions

  • Case management

  • Professional practice and ethics

  • Administration, program development, evaluation, and supervision

• Those who pass the CCE exam must then obtain 60 clocked hours of continuing education credits every five years in human service competency areas.

  • In addition, those who obtain the HS-BCP are expected to abide by the HS-BCP code of ethics.

• Although Human services professionals should also adhere to the NOHS code of ethics, the code ethics of the NOHS is an aspirational code that covers a large array of ethical concerns related to the field of human services.

  • The CCE code is shorter and more focused on monitoring the functioning of certificants and adjudicating infractions.

• The HS- BCP is an essential addition to human service standards.

  • The HS-BCP helps to delineate the professional identity of human service professionals.

Select Credentials in Related Helping Professions

• Each credential makes a statement about a mental health specialist’s body knowledge and expertise.

  Credentialing as a Substance Abuse Counselor and Other State Credentials

• Some states have certifications for substance abuse counselors that require little or no educational experience, while some require an associate’s, bachelor’s, or master’s degree for this credential.

• There are national master’s-level certifications in addictions counseling, such as the Master Addiction Counselor (MAC) administered by the National Board for Certified Counselors

• Depending on your state, other kinds of certifications will likely be available to you (e.g., child abuse, coaching, and mediation).

Credentialing for the Master’s Degree in Counseling

• One can become a certified or licensed (depending on the state) school counselor.

  • This credential is usually granted by the State Board of Education after the attainment of a master’s degree from a state-approved school counseling program.

• Rehabilitation counselors can obtain a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC) credential.

• All 50 states now offer licensure for professional counselors as a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC).

• Any master’s-level counselor can become a National Certified Counselor (NCC)

  • National Certified Counselor (NCC) is a certification sponsored by the NBCC.

• Subspecialties of the NCC include certifications in clinical mental health counseling, school counseling, and addiction counseling.

• Counselors with a specialty in couples and marriage counseling may choose to become a nationally Certified Family therapist (CFT) and a State Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT).

  Credentialing for the Master’s Degree in Social Work.

• Social workers can be a member of the Academy of Certified Social Workers (ACSW).

• Social workers with more clinical experience can become Qualified Clinical Social Workers (QCSW)

  • Advanced clinicians can become a Diplomate in Clinical Social Work (DCSW).

• Many clinical social workers become licensed in their states as Licensed Clinical Social workers (LCSW).

• Social workers can become certified in any of 10 specialty areas, such as gerontology, youth and family, military, and more.

  Credentialing as a School Psychologist and as a Counseling or Clinical Psychologist

• After graduating from a state-approved school psychology program, one can become a certified or licensed school psychologist.

  • States vary in credentialing terms.

• Every state offers licensure for doctoral-level psychologists, which allows one to engage in independent practice as a licensed psychologist.

• Psychologists can become board certified in any of 14 specialty areas, such as neuropsychology, forensic psychology, group psychology, and more.

• Many states now offer hospital privileges for licensed psychologists, which gives them access to the treatment of individuals with serious mental illnesses.

• Two states and some branches of the federal government have granted licensed psychologists prescribing privileges for psychotropic medications.

  Credentialing for Couples and Family Therapy

• Every state in the country has enacted some credentialing law for marriage and family counselors or therapists.

• Although these states require a master’s degree, they often vary dramatically in the exact course work that is needed.

• These licensed clinicians are generally called Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists (LMFTs)

• In 1994, the International Association of Marriage and Family Counselors (IAMFC), a division of ACA, developed a certification process through the National Credentialing Academy (NCA) that enables a marriage and family therapist to become a CFT

  Credentialing as a Psychiatrist

• A physician who obtains a license within a state can theoretically practice in any area of medicine.

  • Because hospital accreditation standards generally require the hiring of board-certified physicians, almost all physicians today are board certified in a specialty area

• Board certification means that the physician has had additional experience in the specialty area and has taken and passed a rigorous exam in that area.

  • Most psychiatrists are not only licensed physicians in the state where they practice, but also board certified in psychiatry

Credentialing as a Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse

• There are two levels of psychiatric-mental health registered nurses—basic and advanced.

• Basic psychiatric-mental health registered nurses generally do not have advanced degrees and can work with clients and families doing entry-level psychiatric nursing.

• Advanced psychiatric-mental health nurses are generally registered nurses with a master’s degree in psychiatric-mental health nursing.

• Advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) can provide a wide range of mental health services, such as prescribing medications, and receive third-party reimbursement in many states.

• All registered nurses can take a national licensure exam after graduation, although licensure is ultimately regulated by the states.

  • In addition to taking a national licensure exam, many will go on to take a national certification exam.

Program Accreditation

• Another standard that underscores professionalism is program accreditation.

• Accreditation is a rigorous process whereby a human services program undergoes an involved self-study, usually makes a number of major changes to its program and practices, and then invites an accreditation team to visit and attest to whether the program meets the external standards of the accrediting body.

• After the accreditation team recommends, the CSHSE board votes on whether to accredit the program.

• CSHSE is the relevant accrediting body in human services.

  • The CSHSE standards delineate general program characteristics and curriculum areas that must be addressed if a program is to be accredited.

• Benefits of the accreditation process include the following:

  • Students who graduate from accredited programs study from a common curriculum, are generally more knowledgeable about core issues in the human services, and usually participate in fieldwork experiences that are more intensive and longer in duration.

  • Program accreditation often becomes the standard by which credentialing bodies determine who is eligible to become certified or licensed.

  • Program accreditation offers the impetus for setting and maintaining high standards.

  • Program accreditation almost always results in improved programs.

  • Administrators and legislators are often more willing to provide money to maintain the high standards of accredited programs as compared to less rigorous nonaccredited programs.

  • Those students who graduate from accredited programs generally have better job opportunities.

  • Accredited programs often attract better faculty.

  • Accredited programs often attract better students.

• Accreditation of human service programs started in 1979.

• Approximately 45 human services programs are fully accredited.

• CSHSE accredits associate-, bachelor-, and master-level programs.

• The CSHSE standards of accreditation address the two broad areas of program characteristics and curriculum.

Ethical Standards

The Development of Ethical Codes

• The American Psychological Association (APA) published its first code of ethics in 1953.

• The NASW adopted the APA’s code in 1960.

• In 1961 the ACA developed its own ethical code.

• Ethical codes undergo major revisions over the years to reflect society’s ever-changing values.

• Ethical codes serve a number of purposes, including the following:

  • Protecting consumers and furthering the professional standing of the organization.

  • Making a statement about the maturity and professional identity of a profession.

  • Guiding professionals toward behaviors and actions that reflect underlying professional values.

  • Offering a framework for the sometimes difficult ethical decision-making process.

  • Serving as a measure of defense if the professional is sued for malpractice.

• Ethical codes have limitations, including the following:

  • Not addressing some issues and offering no clear way of responding to other issues.

  • Periodically having conflicts within the same code, between two related codes, between the code and the law, and between the code and a counselor’s value system.

  • Sometimes having difficulty enforcing ethical violations in the codes.

  • Not including the public in the code construction process and not always taking the public’s interests into account.

  • Having a difficult time keeping up with and addressing “cutting-edge” issues.

Ethical Decision making

• In the searchto resolve ethical dilemmas three ethical decision-making models have been developed.

  • Problem-solving models.

  • Moral models.

  • Developmental models.

• Problem-Solving Models: Provide the helper with a step-by-step, practical approach to ethical decision-making.

• Moral Models: Principle and Virtue Ethics Models: Moral models stress moral principles in ethical decision-making and include principle ethics models and virtue ethics models.

• Developmental Models: developmental models attempt to understand how an adult’s ways of understanding the world might change over time.

  • Developmental Models were not specifically created for ethical decision-making.

• Ethical guidelines are not legal documents; however, Human Service professionals are expected to abide by them.

Ethical, Professional, and Legal Issues: Competence and Qualifications as a Professional

• Human service professionals hold a commitment to lifelong learning and continually advance their knowledge and skills to serve clients more effectively.

• Human service professionals promote the continuing development of their profession.

The Effective Human Service Professional: Professionally Committed, Ethically Assured

• The effective human service professional is committed to his or her professional growth and competence.

• Such a human service professional knows the roots of his or her profession and can work in a consultative and mature manner with members of related professions.

• Finally, the effective human service professional actively supports standards such as program accreditation, credentialing, and Skill Standards, because he or she understands that such standards ultimately facilitate providing the best possible services to clients