CE Education Program for Certification
The American Institute of Health Care Professionals, Inc., offers a full Continuing Education program of online courses for those seeking Certification in Crisis Intervention Consulting.
Upon completion of the seven (7) courses detailed below, eligible applicants may apply for and receive certification as a Certified Crisis Intervention Consultant. Each course is provided for in a dedicated online classroom. The courses are designed as independent study/continuing education courses, with one-to-one faculty mentoring. There is open enrollment and students may register and begin the Crisis Intervention CE Courses Program at anytime. Students must meet the eligibility criteria, as provided below, to register for these continuing education courses.
To review the Crisis Intervention Counseling Certification Program: access here.
Continuing Education Courses
Course Fees: Below are listed the required courses for this curriculum. At the end of each course description you will find the course cost listed. All textbooks and learning materials are separate and not included in the course cost.
The following CE Courses have provider approvals:
The American Institute of Health Care Professionals Inc: is an Approved Provider for Continuing Education by the South Carolina Professional Counselors, Marriage & Family Therapists and Psycho-Educational Specialists licensing board, Provider # 4637.
The American Institute of Health Care Professionals Inc. is a licensed Continuing Education Provider in the State of California, Board of Registered Nursing, Provider # CEP 15595.
The following CE Courses have provider approvals: The American Institute of Health Care Professionals, Inc. is an Approved Provider of Continuing Education by the Florida State Board of Nursing Provider # 50-11975.
OTHER STATE BOARDS OF NURSING
The American Institute of Health Care Professionals Inc: is a Rule Approved Provider of Continuing Education by the Arkansas Board of Nursing. CE Provider # 50-11975.
The American Institute of Health Care Professionals Inc: is a Rule Approved Provider of Continuing Education by the Georgia Board of Nursing. CE Provider # 50-11975.
The American Institute of Health Care Professionals Inc: is a Rule Approved Provider of Continuing Education by the South Carolina Board of Nursing. CE Provider # 50-11975.
The American Institute of Health Care Professionals Inc: is a Rule Approved Provider of Continuing Education by the West Virginia Board of Examiners for Professional Registered Nurses. CE Provider # 50-11975.
The American Institute of Health Care Professionals Inc: is a Rule Approved Provider of Continuing Education by the Kentucky Board of Nursing CE Provider # 50-11975.
The American Institute of Health Care Professionals Inc: is a Rule Approved Provider of Continuing Education by the New Mexico Board of Nursing. CE Provider # 50-11975.
CI 500 – Crisis Intervention Theory
This online continuing education course is designed to provide mental health professionals with a solid and comprehensive foundation of the study of crisis intervention theory and therapeutic practices. This CE online course utilizes three textbooks allowing for an in-depth exploration of various theories and models of crisis, intervention techniques and therapeutic modalities used in clinical practices and in community and social care settings today. Mental health professionals and other health care professionals will examine many types of crisis including community crisis, disasters, substance abuse, crisis of loss, PTSD, rape, trauma, child abuse, sexual abuse, unemployment, HIV/AIDS, spousal abuse, developmental crisis, and more. Mental health and other health care professionals will learn assessment criteria for crisis situations, as well as many effective counseling strategies to put into crisis counseling practice. Behavioral Cognitive Therapies and their use in Crisis Counseling are examined as well. Issues of multiple types of abuses are examined and crisis intervention plans and strategies for dealing effectively with such abuses are presented. Legal and ethical issues in crisis counseling are examined. Mental health and other health professionals will also examine and learn how cultural diversity impacts crisis responses and how to deal effectively with diverse populations. The structure and function of crisis intervention programs in the United States, as well as the history of crisis intervention is also examined. This course is particularly designed for those seeking to attain Certification as a Certified Crisis Intervention Consultant as offered by the American Institute of Health Care Professionals, Inc. Level of complexity: Intermediate to Advanced.
Course Code: CI 500. Contact hours of education = 40. Course Fee: $150.00
CI 510 – Crisis Intervention Assessment & Treatment I
This course provides student with information about the current issues as they relate to crisis intervention. Numerous case examples are provided to illustrate the practical application of both assessing and treating the client in crisis. Students will examine issues related to crisis from many different aspects. Solid definitions are examined. The ACT model of intervention is presented and students examine its use in many types of crisis situations, including natural disasters, terrorist attacks, etc. Students will also study assessment and treatment interventions according to age and growth/development.
Course Code: CI 510. Contact hours of education = 50. Course Fee: $150.00
CI 520 – Crisis Intervention Assessment & Treatment II
This course provides student with information about the current issues as they relate to crisis intervention. It continues with issues examined where course CI 510 left off. Numerous case examples are provided to illustrate the practical application of both assessing and treating the client in crisis. Students will examine assessment models and treatment interventions as related to school crisis, emergency room settings, life-threatening diseases, domestic violence and more. Emphasis of learning will be the application of evidence-based assessment and treatment techniques. Critical thinking skills are applied to case presentations.
Course Code: CI 520. Contact hours of education = 50. Course Fee: $150.00
SM 530 – Clinical Stress Management
This online continuing education course, is designed for mental health professionals and other health care professionals seeking to expand their professional practices by offering clients highly effective stress-management, evidence-based therapeutic interventions. Mental health and health care professionals will study foundational theories of stress and its effects on body, mind and spirit. These professionals will examine research related outcomes related to stress management techniques that have been validated in clinical practices with evidence-based effectiveness. The mind-body-connection is studied throughout the course and is emphasized as a holistic model in which to assess and treat clients who present with stress related body, mind, and spirit distresses. Mental health and other health care professionals will examine and learn and be able to assess clients for many life and occupational situations related to stress and their responses and coping mechanisms to them. The diversity in stress environments for clients and the response to them is examined as well. Mental health professionals and health care professionals will then explore and learn, from in-depth study, key evidence-based clinical interventions in stress management that can be effectively use with clients to significantly reduce and management their defined stressors. Professionals will be able to work with their clients to develop personalized stress management intervention plans that clients may use on an on-going basis to manage their long-term stressors to enhance their overall mental, physical and spiritual health. Mental health professionals will also learn to assist clients to perform self-assessments of the effectiveness of the outcomes of their personalized stress management intervention plans. This course is particularly designed for mental health and other health care professionals who are seeking to achieve the Crisis Intervention Consulting Certification status as offered by the AIHCP, Inc. Level of Complexity: Intermediate and Advanced.
Course Code: SM 530. Contact hours of education = 30. Cost: $150.00
CI 540 – Crisis & Trauma Counseling
This course provides an introduction to the theories and practice of crisis intervention with special concentration in traumatic events/circumstances experienced by clients of all ages. Students will study the application of trauma theory and counseling to many types of populations. Issues of many types of losses and grief reactions will be examined. Assessment parameters for clients’ coping skills will be studied. Other course content examined includes physiological effects of trauma, loss and bereavement, suicide and its intervention and defense mechanisms, and common fears of clients. Students also study all facets of post-traumatic stress disorder and learn cognitive approaches to treatment interventions.
Course Code: CI 540. Contact hours of continuing education = 40. Course Fee: $150.00
MED 300/SM 550 – Relaxation Strategies
This online continuing education course for mental health professionals is a foundational course in relaxation theories, methods and strategies. It is provided at the intermediate level of complexity for mental health professionals who are acquiring knowledge and skills to work with and teach clients therapeutic modalities in the behavioral sciences and practices of meditation as well as stress management and guided imagery. This course provides mental health professionals a comprehensive overview of breath work, concentration and their physiological effects on the central nervous system. Professional mental health practitioners will study anatomy and physiology related to breath work as well as physiology and anatomy of the nervous system. They will examine various types of breath work, the use of mantras and the elicitation of the relaxation response, with an emphasis on teaching clients to use these therapeutic modalities as therapeutic behavioral treatment interventions in acute settings and over the long-term. Research outcomes related to meditation and relaxation techniques and their positive effects on mental as well as physical and spiritual wellness are examined. Guided imagery is examined in detail and mental health professionals will learn various methods of its use in clinical practice in-order to work with clients to achieve greater quality outcomes in behavioral health care. The effective use of guided imagery in everyday stress management is also examined. This course provides a solid intermediary foundation of knowledge for mental health professionals seeking knowledge and skills to become proficient in relaxation modalities with which to expand their professional practices to offer more comprehensive and highly effective, evidence-based interventions to their clients. This course is also particularly designed for mental health professionals, including psychologists, psychiatrists, counselors, social workers who are interested in achieving certifications as a Crisis Intervention Counselor, Meditation Instructor and/or a Stress Management Consultant with the AIHCP. Level of complexity: Intermediate.
Course Code: MED 300/SM550 . Education contact hours = 35. Course Cost: $165.00
CI 560 – Crisis Intervention Treatment Planning
This course provides an introduction to the theories and practice of treatment planning. Treatment planning helps guide the therapist and client to identify and measure progress as the client recovers from crisis and traumatic events. Students will examine the role and benefits of treatment planning in the clinical setting. The major emphasis of this course is on learning methodologies for conducting comprehensive patient assessments, using assessment information to develop individual treatment plans, and strategies for treatment plan evaluations and ongoing revisions. Legal issues in documentation are also examined.
Course Code= CI 560. Contact hours of education = 40. Course Fee: $150.00
Additional Links
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 hireable, 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:
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Professional_certification October 2018. Page 1.
- https://www.collegetransfer.net/AskCT/WhatisProfessionalCertification/ October 2018
- https://www.nurse.com/blog/2018/03/14/enjoy-the-perks-of-nurse-certification/ October 2018