The Certified Prevention Specialist (CPS) can provide services across the spectrum of debilitating behaviors, including, but not limited to, addictions, delinquency, teen pregnancy, suicide, and drop-out prevention.  The training for the CPS is to equip the candidate with the knowledge and skills to perform the functions effectively.  After completing the three courses with Christian Institute, candidates will be eligible to take the written exam for certification.

Christian Institute's training encompasses the five domains set forth by the International Certification and Reciprocity Consortium (IC&RC) which constitutes the educational knowledge that Certified Prevention Specialists should have.  This is the content of the curriculum that you will receive from Christian Institute in your training.  The five domains and the highlight of each domain are as follows:

• Planning and Evaluation
  • Assess community needs
  • Develop prevention plans
  • Select community prevention strategies
  • Apply sound prevention theories and practice to meet the identified needs of the target population.
  • Identify financial sources .
  • Conduct evaluation activities of the prevention program to enhance program effectiveness.
• Education and Skill Development
  • Conduct education and skill development activities for intended audience
  • Use relevant prevention theory and practice for effective education and skill development activities.
  • Deliver culturally competent education and training 
  • Educate consumers by providing accurate, relevant, and appropriate information about ATOD abuse and related problems in order to encourage healthy lifestyles
  • Provide prevention information to professionals in related fields through appropriate means to increase their understanding of prevention and ATOD-related problems.
• Community Organization
  • Define the community by identifying its demographic characteristics for providing appropriate prevention services.
  • Identify and engage key community members and leaders
  • Identify prevention needs and resources within the community
  • Develop a prevention plan in accordance with appropriate prevention theory
  • Support the community by providing technical assistance
  • Develop the capacity of the community through ongoing mentoring and training 
• Public and Organizational Policy
  • Identify policy makers using formal and informal processes in order to influence prevention policies and cultural and social norms.
  • Plan policy initiatives working in collaboration with appropriate community groups to implement policy change.
  • Gain the support of decision makers by informing them about effective prevention practice in order to influence policy development.
  • Establish working relationships with media by serving as a credible resource in order to develop public support for effective prevention policy.
• Professional Growth and Responsibility
  • Attain knowledge of current research-based prevention theory and practice
  • Model collaboration by networking with colleagues, other professionals, individuals, and community organizations to ensure effective prevention services.
  • Practice ethical behavior by adhering to legal and professional standards to protect the consumer and promote the integrity of the profession.
  • Recognize existing community norms through awareness of culture, lifestyle, and other factors in order to ensure sensitivity to the unique needs of the community.
  • Develop cultural competence through education and training
    

Is the Certified Prevention Specialist for you?

This CPS credential is reciprocal, meaning that the certification is transferable to other states that belong to the International Certification and Reciprocity Consortium and offer a reciprocal prevention credential).

To become certified, one must meet the following requirements. Christian Institute will help you along the way.

• One year (2,000 hours) of ATOD prevention experience
• 100 hours approved prevention training (50 hrs. ATOD specific) and six hours of prevention specific ethics education.
• 120 hours of practicum experience in the five performance domains (minimum of 10 hours in each)
• 3 letters of reference; one from former or current supervisor and two from peers (Letters must attest to applicant’s knowledge, experience and character)
• Signed Ethics Code & Consent to Release Information
• Pass the ICRC approved written examination

Acceptable experience can be either volunteer or paid employment in which you spend your time providing direct drug and alcohol prevention services/activities or where you spend your time providing supervision of prevention services/activities. All relevant employment must be verified with letters from employers and/or volunteer coordinators, specifying alcohol, tobacco and other drug prevention related duties. Christian Institute helps you with this process.

Based on your current employment, you may already have the required experience. You will need only the courses and complete the internship.

How to Start the Process

If interested, please fill out the Student Interest Form (the link is on the right side of this page) and a CI representative will contact you within one business day for a telephone interview.

After the interview, you will be told if they are accepted to enroll in the courses.

Upon acceptance, students may register for the courses. Call us toll-free at (866) 513-7807 if you have questions.

How to Register for CI's Online Courses

Once accepted, students will go to the webpage and click on the course they want to take. Payments are made with VISA, MasterCard and American Express credit cards or debit cards. If students want to call in their payment or send it in by check, they may do so. The tuition for each course is $200.

Once registration and payment are received, students will receive within 24 hours the link to the course, their log-in information and password.

Students can then begin taking the online course.

How CI's Online Courses Work

CI offers online the courses needed to qualify to take the written exam to become a certified Prevention Specialist.

The amount of time that students take to complete one online course is 30 to 60 days. The courses have standard curriculum but the pacing is individualized.

Students are expected to have at least a high school diploma or GED, an operating knowledge of computers such as sending and receiving emails, uploading and downloading files, opening websites, and using a word-processing software like Microsoft Word.

The requirements for each course are:

• read the syllabus and course requirements once logged into the online course
• read the appropriate readings assigned for each unit
• take a quiz after each unit
• complete two assignments of doing a hands-on activity such as visiting a recovery program and writing a 500-word reflection paper
• take the final exam

After submitting the final exam, students will receive within one week their grade for the course.

Students will interact with the course instructor through the course, email and even telephone; all students will have the instructor's contact information.

Sample Course

You can view a sample course format. You will be logged in as a guest. Use the login name: sample. The password is sample. To log into this sample course, click here. When you enroll in a course, you will be given your official login name and password.

Courses needed for Certified Prevention Specialist

For more information on certification, contact CI at (866) 513-7807 or CAADAC at (916) 368-9412.

Christian Institute (CI) is approved by CAADAC (California Association of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselors.) You can visit CAADAC’s website at www.caadac.org for more information.