New Vital Statistics Form Coming Your Way

New and Improved Vital Statistics Form Coming Your Way this April

In the past, CACREP has asked programs to submit a Vital Statistics document, or CACREP Data form, that provides useful information about some of the most recent trends in CACREP-accredited counseling programs. There have been some concerns about these forms regarding the type of information being reported, how the information is used, and lack of user-friendliness of the template. As a result of these concerns, CACREP has now revamped the Vital Statistics Form/submission process and there are a few things that all programs need to be aware of:

1. The updated CACREP Vital Statics Form will now be offered through an online survey format, making it easier to access and to answer; no more paper versions that you need to mail in or forms to email back. Links to the 2012 Vital Statistics Form will be made available at the same time CACREP annual fee invoices are sent out in April.
2. To provide greater clarity, there will be one version for master’s level CACREP programs, and one for doctoral CACREP programs.  At the master’s level, there will still be separate  forms for those accredited under the 2001 and the 2009 Standards.
3. All data collected from the Vital Statistics Forms will be analyzed in aggregate and reported back to CACREP programs. The Vital Statistics Form is NOT being used to evaluate individual programs. The information is being tracked to provide useful data for CACREP as well as other stakeholders such as counselor educators, counselors, students, government agencies, and others.
4. CACREP acknowledges the time and effort in gathering necessary information to complete the Vital Statistics Form. We hope to compile the most comprehensive and accurate data possible to return to the public. Therefore, as of 2012, there will be a $100 late fee assessed to programs that do not complete the Vital Statistics Form by the required due date (September 15, 2012).
5. More information will be provided about the Vital Statistics Form as April approaches. In the mean time, please continue to monitor the number of graduates you have from each of your programs, graduate placement rates, student demographic information, and current headcount of students in each of your CACREP-accredited programs.
6. Finally, CACREP communicates with programs most often through the use of CACREP liaisons. To ensure the pathways of communication continue to run smoothly, we ask that you log on to the CACREP website and update all contact information for your liaison, especially if you have had any changes within your department related to this role.  If you need login information, please contact the CACREP Office