Grief Counseling Certification

“Dedicated to Continued Learning, Growth, and Achievement in Health Care Practice”

Receive your Grief Counseling Certification. The American Academy of Grief Counseling offers comprehensive, quality, Certification and Fellowship programs for qualified professionals including, physicians, nurses, counselors, social workers, funeral directors, clergy and other professional providers practicing the specialty of Grief Counseling. The AAGC offers a two-tier program beginning with Certification of Grief Counselors with advancement to Fellowship status in the Academy.

The objectives of the AAGC are:

Grief Counseling Certification

Certified Grief Counselor – requires attainment and/or verification of one of the following certification criteria:

Prerequisites to enter the continuing education program for Certification eligibility are provided below. Candidates must meet a minimum of one prerequisite to be considered for entry into the program.

Prerequisite to enrolling in the continuing education program and qualifying for Grief Counseling Certification are:

Registrants must meet at least one of the following:

If you would like to find out if you meet the qualifications for this certification program. Please submit an Inquiry Form at the following link: Access Here.

Once Certified, members must commit to adherence to the Code of Ethics for Certified Grief Counselors and adhere to their specific profession’s Standards of Practice.

The Grief Counseling Certification Process

We have a dedicated page that provides a quick over-view of our certification process. It will provide you with good information about the process/phases of both the education courses and application for certification. For more information click here.

Certification – Identification & Credentials

Those applicants who become certified by the AAGC- shall be deemed “certified” and may use the initials/credential “GC-C”, after their names: “Certified Grief Counselor”

Timeline

All grief counseling certifications shall be for a period of 4 years from the date that the initial certification by the AAGC is granted.

Re-Certification

Certified members may receive re-certification at the expiration of their four year term by one of the following means:

• Obtaining 50 or more hours of continuing education within the four year period of certification. Click here for the Criteria for Re-Certification.
• Have successfully advanced to Fellowship Status in the AAGC prior to the expiration of their current certification. Once a certified member achieves Fellowship in the AAGC, they are required only to reapply for Fellowship status, and continue to maintain their Certification along with their Fellowship.

Grief Counseling Certification Certificate

Those applicants who have successfully achieved certification, or re-certification by the AAGC will receive a large size official Certificate attesting to certification, as well as an official letter of notification. The certificate is suitable for framing and details the official professional certification title, initials that may be used, and time frames for certification. Those re-certifying receive a new, updated certificate.

Standards & Code of Ethics

The Code of Ethics for Certified Grief Counselors and Fellows of the American Academy of Grief Counseling may be viewed online by clicking here. The Code of Ethics is approved by the Governing Board and the Advisory Board of the American Academy of Grief Counseling.

Fee Schedule

• The certification fee for Grief Counselors is $220.00, plus shipping and handling, for the four year term of certification. All Certification packets, which include the official certificate, wallet ID card, and other related documents are shipped with tracking. Payment in full is due at the time of application. If an applicant does not meet certification criteria, the application fee is refunded. A completed application must be submitted with full payment to be considered for certification. The application form is available Here.
• Application for Re-certification is $220.00, plus shipping and handling, for the next four year period. This is a one time payment and is required in full at the time of application for re-certification. A completed application must accompany the payment.
• Major credit cards are accepted. Check and money orders are to be payable to: The American Institute of Healthcare Professionals.

Grief Counseling Certification Specialty Programs.

***The Following Certification Specialties are available ONLY to those who are currently Certified as a Grief Counselor in the American Academy of Grief Counseling***

Child & Adolescent Grief Counseling Program

Once Certified by the American Academy of Grief Counselors, certified members may enter the specialty Certification Program in Child and Adolescent Grief Counseling. For complete information visit our Child & Adolescent Grief Counseling Certification Program.

Christian Grief Counseling Program

Once Certified by the American Academy of Grief Counselors, certified members may enter the specialty Certification Program in Christian Grief Counseling. For complete information visit our Christian Grief Counseling Certification Program.

Grief Counseling Fellowship Program

The AAGC provides for a Fellowship status for Certified Grief Counselors. Fellowship is granted following the successful completion of all requirements as defined by the AAGC. Fellowship status is considered the highest form of professional recognition by a certification body, and attests to the Fellow’s ongoing commitment, knowledge attainment, skill, and practice experience in the field of professional Grief Counseling. Fellows may also continue to use the initials GC-C as they maintain their initial certification along with their Fellowship. For complete information visit our Grief Counseling Fellowship Program

Grief Diversity Counseling Specialist Certification

Once Certified by the American Academy of Grief Counselors, certified members may enter the specialty Certification in Grief Diversity Counseling which focuses on counseling to diverse populations. Those certified in this program may also continue to use the initials GC-C as they maintain their initial certification along with their Grief Diversity Counseling Specialist Certification. For complete information visit our Grief Diversity Counselor Specialist Certification program

Grief Support Group Certified Specialist Certification

Once Certified by the American Academy of Grief Counselors, certified members may enter the specialty Certification in Grief Support Groups. Those certified in this program may also continue to use the initials GC-C as they maintain their initial certification along with their Grief Support Group Specialist Certification. For complete information visit our information visit our Grief Support Group Certified Specialist Certificate Program.

Grief Support Practitioner Program

Once Certified by the American Academy of Grief Counselors, certified members may enter the Advanced Certification Program and become certified as a “Grief Support Practitioner.” Candidates must be currently certified in grief counseling by the American Academy of Grief Counseling and hold a graduate level degree in order to qualify for entry into this program. For complete information visit our Grief Support Practitioner Certification Program.

Stand Alone Programs

***The Following Certification programs are offered by the American Academy of Grief Counseling. They are considered stand alone programs with their own pre-requisites for entry.***

Pastoral Thanatology Certification

The American Academy of Grief Counseling also offers a comprehensive program for “Pastoral Thanatology” Certification. For complete information visit our Pastoral Thanatology Certification Program.

Pet Loss Grief Support Specialist Certification Program

The American Academy of Grief Counseling also offer a full CE Education and Certification program in Pet Loss Grief Support. For complete information visit our Pet Loss Grief Support Certification Program.

What is Certification?

“A certification is a third-party attestation of an individual’s level of knowledge or proficiency in a certain industry or profession. They are granted by authorities in the field, such as professional societies and universities, or by private certificate-granting agencies. Most certifications are time-limited; some expire after a period of time (e.g., the lifetime of a product that required certification for use), while others can be renewed indefinitely as long as certain requirements are met. Renewal usually requires ongoing education to remain up-to-date on advancements in the field, evidenced by earning the specified number of continuing education credits (CECs), or continuing education units (CE’s), from approved professional development courses. “ 1

Certification is an official recognition from a “Professional Organization” that one has met all of the established standards as determined by that professional organization to be conferred the specific “certification” by that professional organization.  Certifications are most frequently established and conferred by “professional organizations.” Certification is thus a validation that a professional has thus achieved a high standard of knowledge, learning and skills in a specific specialty area of practice. It attests to an achievement in professional practice that is beyond that achieved for licensure. It is also specialty practice specific, rather than generic in nature.

Certification is distinctly different from ‘licensing.” Licensure is conferred /granted by the Government. In most all cases, licensure is the responsibility of the State Government. Every state has its own government agencies that oversee and confer licensure to professionals, i.e. the state boards of nursing.  Licensure is established by “laws” and then specific rules and regulations which conform to the tenets of the state’s laws. Licensure is granted and over-seen by state agencies. Certification, on the other hand, is NOT licensure and is not established by any “laws.”  Licensing agencies generally do not “oversee” professional certifications, unless their specific laws mandate a certain professional certification, in order to practice. An example of this would be: for a registered nurse to receive and be conferred a license as a “Nurse Practitioner” most states require that the RN also have Certification from the American Nurses Credentialing Center or the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners.  So, in order to be licensed as a nurse practitioner, the nurse must hold certification from one of those two professional organizations. The State Board of Nursing does not oversee the certification, but rather requires it for nurse practitioner license.

Why Achieve a Certification?

“Professional certification shows consumers and potential employers that you are committed to your profession and are well-trained. It gives them confidence in your abilities and knowledge. Certification makes you more valuable to employers, so you can expect to earn more than someone without certification. Certification also offers advancement opportunities.” 2  Other compelling reasons to consider a specialty practice certification include: Acquire advanced knowledge and skills in a sub-specialty health care practice: 1) Achieve national recognition for attainment of knowledge and skills by meeting established standards of professional advanced practice, 2). Enhance and expand your health care practice, 3). Increase your marketability, 4). Be viewed as a credentialed expert in your practice specialty, and 5). Become part of a professional group and network of recognized and certified health care specialists.

Report findings published on Nurse.com revealed the following regarding Nurses that held certifications: 1). Certified nurses make more money, 2). Certified nurses have respect and recognition, 3). Certified nurses have validated competence in their specialty area, 4). Certified nurses are more marketable and hirable, 5). Certified nurses perceive they have more power in their organizations, 6). Certified nurses have more professional opportunities, 7). Certified nurses have standing among their professional peers, and 8). Certified nurses are more confident. 3

While these study finds were specific to the nursing profession, we believe such benefits are applicable to all health care professionals who hold practice specialty certifications, especially related to recognition, opportunities in employment and validated competency in their practices.

Ongoing Learning

A major hallmark of quality Certification programs is the mandate that Certified Members commit to continued learning in order to maintain their certifications. This is most generally achieved by requiring a recertification process in which certified member’s document continued learning in their practice specialty by way of continuing education. Certifying bodies will establish quality standards for the requirements for its certified members to achieve contact hours of continuing education credits in order to maintain their certification status by the organization or association. 1, 2

The American Institute of Health Care Professionals upholds this high quality standard for recertification of its members by an established program of recertification via mandatory continuing education as well as clinical practice hours over a four-year time frame.  Certified members may recertify their status upon meeting the standards established for recertification of their practice specialties.

The AIHCP CE Model for Certification

The Model for Certification at the American Institute of Health Care Professionals is one based on a core curriculum of focused Continuing Education (CE) Courses. We feel strongly that the conferral of a professional certification requires the attainment of current knowledge and skills in a specialty practice and those who achieve certification should all have the same educational achievements and knowledge/skill base. We insure this by modeling our Certification programs on student’s achievements in a strong curriculum of continuing education in order to achieve our professional Certifications.

Why is continuing education important as a foundation of our model? There are several reasons why continuing education is important for health care professionals. First, it helps them keep up with the latest advances in their field. Second, it helps them maintain their skills and knowledge. Third, it helps them stay current with changes in the healthcare industry. Fourth, it helps them meet their licensure requirements. Finally, it helps them improve their patient care skills. With the rapid pace of change in the medical world, it is essential for health care professionals to keep abreast of new developments in order to provide the best possible care for their patients.

Another reason that we proposed continuing education courses as the foundation of our Certification model is that the benefits of continuing education courses are numerous. For one, they can keep you abreast of the latest developments in your field, which can be beneficial both professionally and personally. Additionally, they can help you network with other professionals in your field, which can lead to new opportunities. Finally, continuing education courses can simply be enjoyable and enriching, providing student candidates with a chance to learn new things and explore different topics.

Our model consists of several types of continuing education courses. Many of our CE courses are self-directed and self-paced with faculty-mentoring as required by the student candidates. Students utilize text books for the course and very often supplemental learning materials such as course handouts, articles and videos. Other types of courses we have include online video on demand lectures courses that provide for printable copies of the slides used in the videos.

All of our CE courses have examinations that must be successfully completed in order for students to receive credit for the courses and also receive a CE Course Certificate. Most all of the examinations on taken right online with a computerized system and are objective-type questions such as multiple choice and true/false questions. Students take the examination online and once completed receive immediate feedback of their examination score and the questions they may have missed including what the correct responses are to missed questions. Students must complete a comprehensive online course evaluation in order to receive their CE Course Certificate. Students may communicate with their course instructors regarding any questions they have about the examination both pre and post-test taking.

All of our CE Courses are approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing. We are an accredited provider of continuing education for the California Board of Registered Nursing. For many of our CE Courses we also have Board of Nursing Approval by the Florida Board of Nursing and the DC Board of Nursing. As well we are a Rule Approved Provider for CE by the following Boards of Nursing: Arkansas, Georgia, South Carolina, West Virginia, Kentucky and New Mexico. The AIHCP is also an Approved Provider for Continuing Education by the South Carolina Professional Counselors, Marriage & Family Therapists and Psycho-Educational Specialists licensing board.

Upon successful completion of our CE Courses, our student candidates receive a full-sized Course CE Certificate with the full name of the course, date of completion, number of earned contact hours as well as all Board and Organizational approvals for the course. As our student candidates are generally health care professionals they have the added benefit of being able to use their earned CE Course contact hours for their State re-licensing CE requirements and many can use them for their CE requirements for recertification in other professionals organizations.

Our foundational model of CE for Certification is also based on the importance to stay current in the health care field as changes in technology and treatments occur rapidly. As a health care professional, you need to be able to provide the best possible care for your patients. Staying current also allows you to keep up with the latest guidelines and standards of care. Additionally, new research is constantly emerging that can impact patient care.

In conclusion, our foundational model of continuing education courses for certification for health care professionals is important in order to keep up with the latest advancements in health care. They also help to refresh and update the skills of those who have been working in the field for many years. All of our courses can be taken online and are self-paced for the student candidate’s easy of self-paced learning and many employers offer financial assistance to employees who enter our programs.

References:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Professional_certification October 2018. Page 1.
2. https://www.collegetransfer.net/AskCT/WhatisProfessionalCertification/ October 2018
3. https://www.nurse.com/blog/2018/03/14/enjoy-the-perks-of-nurse-certification/ October 2018