About CACREP

Introduction

The Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) is over twenty (20) years old.  CACREP was created in 1981 to be the independent accrediting arm for the American Counseling Association, a membership organization for over 50,000 practicing counselors.  From its inception, CACREP has provided an effective measure of quality assurance for counselor preparation programs.  CACREP also provides leadership to programs interested in furthering their own capacity for self-evaluation.

 

As an independently incorporated organization, CACREP sets its own charge.  That charge is clearly articulated in the Articles of Incorporation as follows:

 

…to promote the advancement of education by establishing and administering a program for the accreditation of graduate programs at colleges and universities in the fields of counseling and related educational programs, and of programs in counselor education and supervision, and to engage in such other and further means as may be necessary and proper to accomplish the foregoing purposes.

 

CACREP Accredits…

           

The CACREP scope of accreditation, as recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), includes the following:

 

Master’s degree programs in career counseling; college counseling; community counseling; gerontological counseling; marital, couple, and family counseling/therapy; mental health counseling; school counseling; student affairs; and doctoral degree programs in counselor education and supervision.

 

CACREP’s Purpose

 

In 1993, the CACREP Board adopted the following vision and mission statements. 

 

The vision of CACREP is to provide leadership and to promote excellence in professional preparation through the accreditation of counseling and related educational programs.  As an accrediting body, CACREP is committed to the development of standards and procedures that reflect the needs of a dynamic, diverse and complex society.  CACREP is dedication to 1) encouraging and promoting the continuing development and improvement of preparation programs, and 2) preparing counseling and related practitioners to provide services consistent with the ideal of optimal human development.  CACREP maintains collaborative relationships with other groups that focus on accreditation, licensing, certification, and the professional development of counselors and related practitioners.

 

The mission of the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational programs is to promote the professional competence of counseling and related practitioners through the development of preparation standards, encouragement of excellence in program development, and accreditation of professional preparation programs.

 

 

In 2002, CACREP reaffirmed it vision and mission statements and further refined its purpose in the adoption of its Statement of Core Values.

 

CACREP believes in

• advancing the counseling profession through quality and excellence in counselor  

  education;

• ensuring a fair, consistent, responsible, developmental, and ethical decision-making

  process;

• serving as a responsible partner to protect the public;

• promoting practices that reflect openness to growth, change and collaboration; and

• creating and strengthening standards that reflect the needs of society, respect the

  diversity of training, and encourage program improvement.

 

Some Facts to Think About

•     There are 180 institutions in North America that offer CACREP accredited programs.

 

•            CACREP accredited programs can be found in 45 states plus British Columbia.

 

•               CACREP accredits doctoral degree programs in Counselor Education and

                 Supervision at 45 institutions.

 

•     The National Counselor Examination for Licensure and Certification (NCE) relies on the CACREP Standards for derivation of exam content.

 

•     38 states use the NCE examination for professional counselor licensure or certification

 

•     More than 50% of state licensing regulations require graduation from a CACREP program or an equivalent curriculum in order for applicants to be eligible to sit for the licensure examination.

 

•            CACREP is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) as a specialized accrediting agency meeting criteria set forth for good practices in accreditation.