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Certified Prevention Professional
In Virginia as well as across the country, the field of
prevention is maturing into a science-based human service
practice. With the passage of the Government Performance
and Results Act in the early 90's, the federal Department of
Health and Human Services began the process to identify
performance outcome indicators for all publicly funded health,
mental health and substance abuse programs. What this
means for preventionists is that we must, in a very concrete
way, be able to show that the services and programs we offer
change current and future beliefs, attitudes and behaviors.
While prevention necessarily requires the involvement of
everyone in the community to be successful, there is a
significant body of knowledge needed to help guide and
facilitate the planning of prevention programs that work.
The prevention certification process in Virginia defines the
role components of the prevention professional.
It also assures employers and community members that
preventionists have the experience, knowledge and expertise,
supported by continuing education, to assist communities in
selecting or developing prevention programs that will change
rates of substance use and abuse in communities. The
requirements for certification include an undergraduate degree
in human services, one year supervised experience in prevention
work and postgraduate training in the six prevention domains.
- Program coordination
- Education and training,
- Community organization,
- Public policy,
- Professional growth and responsibility
- Planning and evaluation
Prevention professionals must also pass a written examination
that has been approved by the International Certification
Reciprocity Consortium (ICRC) ensuring a level of quality for
prevention services accepted by all of the states and
territories and several countries. Continuation of certification
requires 50 clock hours of pertinent education and training and
reaffirmation of the pledge to uphold the Code of Ethical
Conduct for Prevention Professionals. As the prevention field
continues to change with growing demands for accountability and
proven effectiveness, the funding and other resources needed to
support prevention services will be channeled to those
organizations and agencies with knowledgeable and experiences
prevention staff.
This is a boom time for prevention. We are moving from
soft science to science-based programming. Prevention
certification attests to the capability of the certified
professional to provide quality prevention services. If
you are not certified or it is time to renew your certification,
go to the SACAVA web site at www.sacava.org
for information and to download the applications, or call Janis
Davis, the SACAVA Office Director at (804) 745-8815.
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