CSA Designation Achieves Prestigious NCCA Accreditation
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Ed Pittock
(303) 951-6585
DENVER, CO, September 16, 2008 - Society of Certified Senior Advisors® (SCSA) today announced that its Certified Senior Advisor (CSA)® designation has been accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA). The NCCA is the accrediting body of the National Organization for Competency Assurance (NOCA), which sets quality standards for credentialing organizations.
“This is a great day for CSAs and the seniors they serve. Accreditation demonstrates that the CSA credential meets the stringent standards of the NCCA. The CSA designation is beneficial for anyone who wants to work with seniors, and beneficial for the seniors they serve,” said SCSA President Ed Pittock.
“What NCCA accreditation means is that the process used to assess a CSA’s knowledge about aging has been independently measured and verified. This will allow the seniors they serve to have confidence that the CSA professionals they are working with have a credential that has been accredited by the NCCA, which many regulators believe provides an added level of protection to seniors who may be unaware of what designations mean and what they represent,” Pittock said.
The CSA designation supplements professional licenses, credentials and education with knowledge about the health, financial and social aspects of aging. Accreditation establishes strict standards for testing the knowledge that aspiring CSAs have -- knowledge that will enable them to identify seniors’ needs and issues, understand how seniors’ values and motivations affect their choices, and how to communicate appropriately and compassionately with seniors, as well as be a valuable resource.
SCSA advocated the use of accreditation as a national standard in testimony before the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Aging. SCSA then endorsed a proposal from the North American Securities Administrators Association to adopt a nationwide standard for “senior designations.”
Certification programs that receive NCCA accreditation demonstrate compliance with the NCCA’s Standards for the Accreditation of Certification Programs, which were the first industry-developed standards for professional certification. The 21 standards cover purpose; governance and resources; responsibilities to stakeholders; assessment instruments; recertification; and maintaining accreditation.
Other designations accredited by NCCA include Certified Hospice and Palliative Licensed Nurse, Certified Financial Planners (CFP), Certified Pharmacy Technician, Gerontological Nurse Practitioner and dozens more.
To view the acceptance letter from NCCA, click here.
ABOUT SCSA. Society of Certified Senior Advisors® (SCSA) is the world’s largest membership organization educating and certifying professionals who serve seniors. Headquarters are located in Denver, Colorado.