About CACREP
A Brief History
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, the Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (ACES) developed a number of standards and accreditation-related documents that allowed them to conduct voluntary accreditation of counseling programs.
ACES approached the American Personnel and Guidance Association (APGA, a pre-cursor to ACA) about cooperative accreditation efforts and the result was the establishment of the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) in 1981.
Vision
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 dedicated to
- encouraging and promoting the continuing development and improvement of preparation programs; and
- preparing counseling and related professionals 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.
Mission
The mission of CACREP is to promote the professional competence of counseling and related practitioners through
- the development of preparation standards;
- the encouragement of excellence in program development; and
- the accreditation of professional preparation programs.
Core Values
In March 2002, the CACREP Board of Directors developed this Statement of Core Values to provide additional clarification and support for the existing Mission and Vision statements.
The CACREP Board of Directors believes in
- advancing the counseling profession through quality and excellence in counselor education;
- ensuring a fair, consistent, and ethical decision-making process;
- serving as a responsible leader in protecting 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 instructional approaches and strategies, and encourage program improvement and best practices
CHEA Recognition
CACREP has been recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, a national advocate and institutional voice for self-regulation of academic quality through accreditation. CHEA is an association of 3,000 degree-granting colleges and universities and recognizes 60 institutional and programmatic accrediting organizations.CHEA recognition provides assurance to the public and higher education institutions that CACREP is a legitimate accreditor with authority granted by a regulating body who has reviewed the standards, processes, and policies of CACREP.CHEA recognition also assures the public that the programs that achieve CACREP accreditation are legitimate degree programs. Both CHEA and CACREP assist the public in avoiding spending money on illegitimate degrees promoted by degree mills and accreditation mills.
CACREP's Scope of Accreditation
CACREP accredits master’s and doctoral degree programs in counseling and its specialties that are offered by colleges and universities in the United States and throughout the world. Visit CHEA
The CACREP Board of Directors
The CACREP Board is composed of between 13 and 15 members. It must include at least eight (8) counselor educators, at least two (2) counseling practitioners, and at least two (2) public members, who are not current or former members of the counseling profession.
All Directors serve for one (1) five year term and are not eligible for reappointment. They must also agree to and abide by the Board Member Conflict of Interest Policy.
Here’s why CACREP matters:
- CACREP matters because we have continuously advocated for our Professional Counselor identity as a necessary element of counselor education and training
- CACREP values inclusion and protecting the public through academic standards for our profession by establishing minimum standards to guide the Counseling profession, supporting anyone, with any identity, possessing the relational skills and dispositions who are motivated to help others by becoming a Professional Counselor
Earl Grey
Chair
Faculty Member, Southern New Hampshire University
Cheri Meder
Board term ends 6/30/2024
Faculty Member, Adams State University
Sonja Sutherland
Board term ends 6/30/2027
Faculty Member, Walden University
Aaron Mertes
Board term ends 6/30/2028
Faculty Member, Montana State University Billings
Bita Rivas
Board term ends 6/30/2025
Faculty Member, California State University Sacramento
Carlos Del Rio
Board term ends 6/30/2028
Faculty Member, Bellevue University
Christopher Schmidt
Board term ends 6/30/2025
Faculty Member, Villanova University
Jay Tift
Board term ends 6/30/2027
Practitioner
John Steward
Board term ends 6/30/2028
Practitioner
Keith Klostermann
Board term ends 6/30/2026
Faculty Member, State University of New York at Fredonia
Kent B. Provost
Board term ends 6/30/2026
Faculty Member, Governors State University
Kyla Marie Kurian
Board term ends 6/30/2027
Faculty Member, North Carolina Central University
Marianne Schimelfenig
Board term ends 6/30/2026
Public Member
Publications
CACREP Flyer
CACREP has developed a 1-page flyer for anyone to use in advocacy efforts, such as with administrators, state legislators, and others.
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A Guide to Graduate Programs in Counseling
Written for undergraduate students and other prospective counselors, A Guide to Graduate Programs in Counseling is the first of its kind to create a comprehensive, reliable means of learning about the counseling profession, entry level preparation (i.e., master’s degrees in counseling specializations), and what to consider when searching for, applying to, and ultimately selecting a graduate program in counseling that is the “perfect fit.”
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CACREP Connection
CACREP publishes an e-newsletter called CACREP Connection, which is designed to keep programs informed of the latest news regarding CACREP Accreditation, Initiatives, Policies and Standards.
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CACREP Annual Reports
CACREP publishes an annual report summarizing CACREP initiatives and activities over the year as well as reporting data on accredited programs and students.
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Articles About CACREP
This includes articles published about CACREP in outside publications.
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Research Corner
Welcome to CACREP’s Research Corner! CACREP continuously strives to support research that examines the various impacts of accreditation and related issues through initiating student research, faculty research, and CACREP-commissioned research on current affairs within the counseling profession. Here you will find information about CACREP’s Research Agenda, professional literature that supports CACREP’s efforts, and research opportunities for students and faculty.
Professional literature says….
- 81.7% of LPCs sanctioned for ethics violations graduated from non-CACREP-accredited programs (Even & Robinson, 2013)
- Test takers from CACREP programs scored significantly higher on the NCE exam than test takers from non-CACREP programs (Adams, 2006)
- Graduate students from CACREP programs passed the NCE at higher rates (86%) than did students from non-CACREP programs (77%) (Milsom & Akos, 2007)
- 88% of students from CACREP programs successfully obtained the NCSC credential, compared to only 52% of students from non-CACREP programs (Milson & Akos, 2007)
If you have any questions or are interested in getting involved in CACREP’s Research Initiatives please contact us at [email protected].
Research Initiatives for Graduate Students
The CACREP Research Initiative for Graduate Students (CRIGS) program offers current CACREP graduate students the opportunity to become a CRIGS Research Fellow for a one year term. Research Fellows will collaborate with one another, as well as with CACREP Staff, to engage in research endeavors that mirror and support CACREP’s vision, mission, and values. Research Fellows involved in the CRIGS program will have the unique opportunity to be involved in scholarly endeavors that align with the goals and objectives of the CACREP Research Agenda.
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Student and Faculty RFPs
CACREP is soliciting research proposals from counselor educators and researchers that examine the impact and/or utility of CACREP accreditation. Research proposals should be developed in alignment with the CACREP Research Agenda (dated 2018) and attempt to address research related to one or more areas of interest explicitly identified on the current agenda.
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CACREP Research Agenda
CACREP develops an annual Research Agenda to identify significant information and advocacy needs as well as emerging issues relevant to its mission. CACREP believes these issues have short- and long-term impact on the quality of its accreditation process. The Research Agenda is not an exhaustive listing of research topics, but rather highlights priority topics that are directly related to its mission and strategic initiatives.
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Awards
Martin Ritchie Award for Excellence in Advocacy
CACREP’s Martin Ritchie Award for Excellence in Advocacy recognizes individuals who engage in superlative advocacy efforts on behalf of CACREP and its vision, mission, and values, which ultimately serve to advance the counseling profession through quality and excellence in counselor education.
Read MoreThe Carol Bobby Pioneer Award for Visionary Leadership
As a reflection of her career defined by visionary leadership and commitment to students, the purpose of CACREP’s Carol Bobby Pioneer Award for Visionary Leadership is to celebrate a doctoral student in a CACREP-accredited counselor education and supervision program who embodies visionary leadership aligned with CACREP’s core values.
Read MorePrevious Decision Announcements
Announcements of previous accreditation decisions are listed below: