Affiliate Highlight: The Center for Credentialing & Education

The Center for Credentialing & Education (CCE) is a not-for-profit organization created in 1995 as an affiliate of the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC). CCE’s mission is to advance professional excellence through credentialing, assessments, and business support services, and it credentials nearly 25,000 professionals globally in a variety of fields.

The scope of CCE’s administration of assessment programs is far-reaching, with more than 37,000 assessments and examinations administered annually, including the National Counselor Examination (NCE), the Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Examination (CPCE), and jurisprudence assessments for five states. CCE currently works with individuals and organizations in 16 countries.

“We offer a dynamic portfolio of services including credentials, assessments and examination services, and customized solutions through our business support and licensure services,” says Tammi Lee, Vice President of CCE’s Business Services and Partnerships Division. “It has always been our goal to give each credential holder, client, and partner a superior experience, and we are committed to maintaining excellence and integrity in every aspect of our job by upholding the highest ethical standards.”

While CCE’s portfolio of services is diverse, credentialing is at the heart of its business. CCE partners with training providers worldwide who teach the best practices in clinical supervision, coaching, career facilitation, and telemental health. After completing the necessary training and experience required, candidates can apply to become an Approved Clinical Supervisor (ACS), Board Certified Coach (BCC), Board Certified-Telemental Health (BC-TMH) provider, or to obtain the Global Career Development Facilitator (GCDF).

“Credentials ensure that professionals are continuously learning new skills or adding knowledge to their existing resources as our workplaces continue to evolve,” says Dr. Winifert Lawson-Graves, Director of Business Development and Marketing. “Voluntarily earning a credential can enable an individual to remain well-equipped to adapt to ever-changing advances in technological or professional arenas.”

CCE partners with nearly 200 training providers in the United States, Europe, and Asia. 

“We strive to ensure that individuals who want to earn a CCE credential are well-prepared,” Dr. Lawson-Graves continues. “CCE’s approved training providers prepare credential holders to work safely and effectively with their clients, and make sure that they are implementing the best practices.”

CCE is also contracted to deliver state jurisprudence assessments for the licensed professional counseling boards in Arizona, Maryland, Arkansas, Tennessee, and Mississippi through its online learning management system, CCE Academy. Jurisprudence assessments protect the public by measuring a professional counselor’s mastery of the knowledge and skills regulated by state law. The assessments are developed by subject matter experts and psychometricians to ensure that they accurately measure the information that state legislators have determined necessary for safe practice. 

Additionally, for more than 20 years, CCE has provided full-service management to several non-profits, state licensing boards, and credentialing bodies in the mental health and human services fields. Services include board support, credentials management, licensure services, website development and maintenance, accounting, human resources, customer service, event planning, and marketing efforts. 

Longtime clients include the Art Therapy Credentials Board (ATCB), North Carolina Board of Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselors (NCBLCMHC), and the American Association of State Counseling Boards (AASCB).  

“We relieve our clients’ boards of directors from their daily responsibilities of management and operations, and that allows them to focus on their core competencies and their organizations’ missions,” says Robin Colburn, CCE’s Director of Contracted Management Services. “Our expertise with nonprofits gives us the advantage of understanding anticipatory management; we know the challenges that they typically face.” 

Licensure support, examination development, and educational review services are important segments of CCE’s business.

CCE administers licensure candidate transcript review and validation for several states and provides a step-by-step process for developing psychometrically defensible examinations. The organization also manages applications for certification and licensure testing.

“CCE provides educational equivalency review services through agreements with states that have partnered with us for this business service,” Tammi Lee says. “We also process exam registrations for candidates testing for state licensure in all states in the U.S., and perform educational equivalency reviews for South Carolina, Colorado, Iowa, Florida, and North Dakota. We are currently in the final stages of agreement to perform educational reviews for Michigan as well.” 

Approximately 410 college and university counseling programs in the United States use CCE’s Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Examination (CPCE), and CCE has contracted with Pearson VUE to assist in the administration and scoring of the NCE, which was first used in 1983 as part of the NCC application process. In 2020, CCE successfully launched OnVue web-based delivery of both examinations.

CCE’s vision to enhance society worldwide is a multifaceted effort to nurture and promote the development and growth of students and professionals.

The CCE Scholarship Program, in collaboration with the NBCC Foundation, has grown over the past 10 years to provide a total of more than $161,000 in awards to assist counseling professionals in attaining other CCE credentials and to support and increase their ongoing professional development and continuing education opportunities. 

To learn more about CCE and its credentials and services, visit https://www.cce-global.org.