BCCI Certification Manual

This manual is the official guide to the policies and procedures for board and associate certification and the maintenance of certification with the Board of Chaplaincy Certification Inc. an affiliate of the Association of Professional Chaplains.

This manual is updated as needed and maintained by the BCCI Commission on Certification and ratified by the Board of Directors for APC/BCCI.

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Certification Manual

Please click on the links below for Policies and Procedures details.

Section 1. Part 1 – Policies and Procedures for Board Certification

(Revised 3/23)

I. Policies for Certification as a Board-Certified Chaplain

A. Education Requirements

Graduate-level theological degree from a college, university, or theological school accredited by a member of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation(www.chea.org/). Degree(s) and any additional coursework must total a minimum of 72 semester credits (108 quarter credits).
1. If degree includes credit for units of CPE, only one (1) unit of properly accredited CPE may be used for both academic credit and the CPE requirements for certification at the same time.
2. If the degree program does not total at least 72 credits or is not CHEA accredited, the applicant must apply for an equivalency and be approved by the BCCI Commission on Certification. (See Section 1. Part 5)

B. Documentation of current endorsement (or acceptable language in accordance with the applicant’s spiritual/faith tradition) received or reaffirmed within last 12 months. Spiritual/faith groups must be recognized by the Department of Defense (Armed Forces Chaplains Board) or previously reviewed and approved by the BCCI. If not, the applicant must contact the BCCI office regarding a review of the spiritual/faith group. (See Section1. Part 6)

C. Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) to function as a spiritual care provider. The required clinical education is four (4) units (1600 hours) from a qualified CPE program.

Qualified CPE program must be recognized by the Department of Education (DOE) and
accredited by a DOE approved agency as a post-graduate level training program.
Allowance for up to 1 unit of CPE from a provider that does not meet the qualifications by applying for an equivalency. (See Section 1. Part 5)
Certified Educator Candidate (CEC) units will not be accepted for certification.

D. A minimum of 2,000 hours of work experience as a chaplain (equivalent of one (1) year full-time).

The 2,000 hours begin after the completion of the chaplain’s fourth CPE unit.
Clinical hours accumulated during training after the required four (4) units of CPE may be counted at a rate of 250 hours for each additional unit of completed CPE and used as an equivalency. (See Section 1. Part 5)
The 2,000-hour requirement is met by applicants when a substantial part of their duties include work commonly performed by chaplains. CEC clinical hours that are spent providing direct patient care and can be verified and documented may be used as an equivalency. Research hours may also be used as an equivalency. (See Section 1. Part 5)
If an applicant has not acquired the 2,000 hours of work experience, they may apply for Provisional Board-Certified Chaplain

E. Three (3) letters of recommendation for BCCI certification from the following:

The applicant’s current administrator to whom they are responsible.
A board-certified chaplain who is certified by BCCI or one of the following organizations: ACPE, CASC/ACSS, NACC, or NAJC.
A certified/licensed peer professional in a discipline other than chaplaincy (e.g., doctor, nurse, social worker) with whom the applicant has a working relationship.

F. Demonstration of all 29 Common Competencies for Professional Chaplains to the satisfaction of a BCCI Certification Committee.

G. Must be recommended for certification by a BCCI Certification Committee, approved by the BCCI Commission, and ratified by the BCCI Board of Directors.

II. Procedures for Certification as a Board-Certified Chaplain

A. Applicants are responsible for making sure that all required materials are complete and received by the BCCI Certification Coordinator by the deadline for the area in which they would like to appear.

Application deadlines are strictly observed.
Interviews are held virtually twice a year and once in-person at the Annual Conference. Space is limited to 48 interviews in-person at the Annual Conference.
Application and Candidate Interview Schedule can be found at: www.apchaplains.org/bcci-site

B. Initial packet of application materials must be sent in paper form to the BCCI office.

C. Incomplete applications will be returned to the applicant, and BCCI will retain a $50 administration fee for reviewing and returning incomplete materials. The applicant will need to reapply in the future.

D. Unidentified, extraneous materials will be removed from the packet and will not be reviewed.

E. All material submitted by the candidate must be original and written by the candidate. Plagiarism of any form will not be tolerated.

Plagiarism will be defined as:
1. Submitting someone else’s work as your own.
2. Copying words or ideas from someone else without giving credit.
3. Failing to put a quotation in quotation marks.
4. Giving incorrect information about the source of a quotation.
5. Changing words but copying the sentence structure of a source without giving credit.
6. Copying so many words or ideas from a source that it makes up the majority of your work, whether you give credit or not.

Plagiarism will be subject to a review by the APC Professional Ethics Committee in consultation with the BCCI Commission on Certification. If found in violation, the candidate will be withdrawn from the certification process for at least one year.

F. The applicant/candidate will conduct themselves in a professional and ethical manner, respecting the boundaries and personhood of any BCCI Staff, Commission Member, or Certification Committee Member. If at any time an applicant/candidate acts in an unprofessional, unethical, or threatening manner, their conduct will be subject to a review by the APC Professional Ethics Committee in consultation with the BCCI Commission on Certification.

G. Equivalencies must be reviewed and approved before an applicant’s application is considered complete.

If an equivalency application is received at the deadline, the applicant will not be scheduled for an interview associated with that deadline.
Applicants should allow 180 days for review time, depending on the complexity of the submitted equivalency materials (See Section 1. Part 5)
Spiritual/Faith groups that use mentored education will be evaluated using the outline found in the Buddhist White Paper.
Degrees from foreign schools will require the applicant to submit an evaluation by an educational credential evaluation agency that is a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (www.naces.org/).

H. Application fees:

Current application fees must accompany the applicant’s application.
Checks or money orders must be made payable to the Board of Chaplaincy Certification, Inc.
All fees must be current before any equivalencies are processed or the applicant’s file is reviewed by a BCCI Certification Committee.
Current application fees and equivalency fees can be found at: www.apchaplains.org/bcci-site
Discounted rates are available for APC members. To qualify for the APC member rate, applicants must be current with APC membership dues or apply for APC membership.

I. Materials to be received by the BCCI Certification Coordinator directly from the applicant by the deadline for the Area that the applicant wishes to have BCCI Certification Committee scheduled in:

Application Form – this document must have all sections complete.
Current application fee.
Official graduate degree(s) transcript(s) or equivalency materials. (See Section 1. Part 5)
A letter from employer verifying 2,000 hours of work experience as a chaplain or equivalency materials (See Section 1. Part 5). If 2,000 hours cannot be verified, the applicant will indicate this on the Application Form by applying as a Provisional Board-Certified Chaplain.
Documentation of current endorsement (or acceptable language in accordance with the applicant’s spiritual/faith tradition) received or reaffirmed within last 12 months. The letter must be mailed, emailed, or faxed by the endorser directly to the BCCI Office.
Three (3) letters of recommendation:
1. From the applicant’s current administrator to whom they are responsible.
2. From Board Certified Chaplain of APC/BCCI, ACPE, CASC/ACSS, NACC, or NAJC.
3. From a certified/licensed peer professional in a discipline other than chaplaincy (e.g., doctor, nurse, social worker) with whom the applicant has a working relationship.
Transcripts or certificate of completion of four (4) CPE units or equivalency materials (See Section 1. Part 5).
Complete and signed Accountability for Ethical Conduct form.
Autobiography – an autobiographical sketch of at least three pages in length, but no more than five (5) pages in length double-spaced, twelve-point (12-point) font, and one-inch (1-inch) margins. The autobiography should highlight the major events and themes of the applicant’s life as they impact their practice of ministry. This paper is not strictly intended to demonstrate any particular competency, but to serve as a backdrop for the applicant’s other material.
Two (2) Chaplain Clinical Contact Narratives are required.
1. Each part of the clinical contact narrative will have a character count requirement listed in each section. Character counts include spaces and punctuation. Please note: any blank spaces at the end of each part will not be considered part of the character count when your application is reviewed and will be returned to you for revisions.
2. Two (2) dated narratives are required. At least one (1) must be from the chaplain’s current work setting and from within twelve (12) months of submitting the application. The other narrative must be from within twenty-four (24) months of submitting the application.
3. The narratives cannot contain web links to outside materials/sources. Any content that is linked to an outside source will not be accepted and will be returned for revisions.
4. The narratives should demonstrate the applicant’s current level of functioning and provide descriptive examples of his or her professional competency. These narratives differ from the foci of many educational/CPE settings in that they are not to focus on the chaplain’s learning experience and personal growth.
5. The chaplain is encouraged to relate encounters that suggest respect for diversity and difference (e.g., care for a patient from a different faith tradition), as per competency PPS3.
6. Each narrative must include examples of the following competencies:
  1. ITP2: Demonstrate this with an analysis of how the competency has been met. Also include self-evaluation, theological reflection, and identified ethical considerations.
  2. PPS10: Demonstrate this by including a spiritual assessment.
  3. PPS11: Provide an example of documentation. This may be a printout of charting in an electronic medical record or other appropriate records with all the identifying information removed or it may simply be what the chaplain would have written in the medical record. All identifying information must be removed.
  4. Other competencies may also be demonstrated in the clinical contact and analysis. In the word-for-word encounter (Part 2 below), clearly identify where the competency is being addressed. Then, in the analysis (Part 6 below), elaborate on how it is demonstrated. For example: To demonstrate PPS5, the chaplain clinical contact (Part 2) would include spiritual care for a grieving person, noting “PPS5” in the margins or parentheses at the most salient moment(s) of such care, and the analysis (Part 6) would discuss how the chaplain’s intervention at that moment provided effective support.
7. All information sent must be de-identified in accordance with HIPAA regulations and requirements found in 45 CFR 164.514. To de-identify information, the applicant must remove 18 specific identifiers of the individual or of relatives, employers or household members of the individual. The identifiers that must be removed are as follows:
  1. Names (both first and last)
  2. All geographic subdivisions smaller than a state, including a street address, city, county, precinct, zip code and their equivalent geocodes, except for the initial three digits of a zip code if, according to the current publicly available data from the Bureau of Census, (1) the geographic unit formed by combining all zip codes with the same initial digits contains more than 20,000 people, and ( 2) the initial three digits of a zip code for all such geographic units containing 20,000 or fewer people are changed to 000.
  3. All elements of dates (except year) for dates directly related to an individual, including birth date, admission date, discharge date and date of death; and all ages over 89 and all elements of date (including year) indicative of such age, except that such ages and elements may be aggregated into a single category of “age 90 or over.”
  4. Telephone numbers
  5. Fax numbers
  6. E-mail addresses
  7. Social Security numbers
  8. Medical record numbers
  9. Health plan beneficiary numbers
  10. Account numbers
  11. Certificate/license numbers
  12. Vehicle identifiers and serial numbers, including license plate numbers
  13. Device identifiers and serial numbers
  14. Web Universal Resource Locators
  15. Internet Protocol addresses
  16. Biometric identifiers, including finger and voice prints
  17. Full face photographic images and any comparable images
  18. Any other unique identifying number, characteristic or code (this would include a patient identifying number).
8. Applications sent with HIPAA violations will be returned to the candidate for correction.
  1. The applicant must wait for the next application deadline to resubmit their materials.
Four (4) essays demonstrating Common Competencies for Professional Chaplains
1. All competencies must be addressed in one of the four competency essays.
2. Page length for Sections 1(ITP), 2(PIC), and 4(OL) must be no less than four (4) and no more than six (6) pages in length. Section 3(PPS) must be no less than six (6) and no more than eight (8) pages in length.
3. Each essay must be double-spaced, twelve-point (12-point) font, and one-inch (1-inch) margins.
4. Essays are to be written at a graduate level.
5. It is recommended that the applicant is explicit about which competency they are addressing throughout the essays.

J. The BCCI Certification Coordinator will review for completeness of all fees, materials, and approved equivalencies, if any, within approximately 45 days. Once an application is complete the process is as follows:

The BCCI Certification Coordinator will email notification to the candidate when the materials have been reviewed and are complete.
The candidate will select the area in which they wish to have the candidate’s interview held.
The Area Certification Chair will coordinate the members of committee, date, time and place for the candidate’s interview and will send an Interview Confirmation Form to the candidate, committee members and BCCI Certification Coordinator.
The candidate may request an exception to committee composition with just cause excluding certain individuals due to history or perceived bias (e.g., co-workers, former Board of Chaplaincy Certification Inc. Certification Manual 7 supervisors, etc.). Requests for exceptions should be made to the Area Certification Chair.
The BCCI Certification Coordinator will email the appropriate materials to each of the committee members for review.
Upon receiving the candidate’s materials, the committee has approximately twelve (12) business days to read and determine the candidate’s readiness. If within that time the entire certification committee has serious concerns about the candidate’s readiness to meet committee, they will contact the Area Certification Chair who will contact the candidate to inform them of the concerns and give them the option to continue with the scheduled interview, or to withdraw at this time. If the candidate chooses to withdraw, they may resubmit materials and reapply at another time at no additional charge.
The candidate, committee members, Area Certification Chair, and BCCI Certification Coordinator will receive a copy of the Presenter’s Report, containing a review and summary of materials at least seven (7) calendar days prior to the candidate’s interview.
1. The Presenter’s Report may suggest competencies that need further clarification from the candidate during the candidate’s interview.
2. Other committee members may also have additional competencies not included in the report that will be addressed with the candidate on the day of their interview.
If Presenter’s Report is not received in the required time, the candidate is given the option to have their interview rescheduled.
On the day of the candidate’s interview:
1. The committee members will convene for approximately 30 minutes prior to meeting the candidate. If more time is needed, the candidate will be notified of the delay.
2. The candidate will meet with the BCCI Certification Committee for up to 60 minutes, with an additional 30 minutes allowed if needed. The candidate or any of the committee members may request the additional 30 minutes.
3. The candidate will be excused as the committee members deliberate up to 60 minutes on their decision for candidate certification.
4. The committee will complete the Interview Form to be sent to the BCCI Commission on Certification, which will include one of the following recommendations:
  1. Certification as a Board-Certified Chaplain recommended if the candidate meets all 29 Competencies.
  2. Provisional Board-Certified Chaplain status recommended.
    1. Subsequent appearance before another BCCI Certification Committee – the candidate meets at least 24 of the 29 Competencies, including all eleven (11) of Section III: Professional Practice Skills Competencies (PPS:1-11). The candidate must appear before another BCCI certification Committee to demonstrate the competencies not met. (See Section 1. Part 1. Points III. & IV.)
    2. The candidate has not completed 2,000 hours of work experience as a chaplain. The candidate must submit proof to the BCCI Certification Coordinator of completion of 2,000 work experience. (See Section 1. Part 1. Points III. & IV.)
    3. Both a and b above.
  3. Subsequent Appearance Only is recommended for candidates who have not demonstrated all competencies related to Section III: Professional Practice Skills Competencies (PPS: 1-11) and/or have demonstrated less than 24 Competencies. The candidate must appear before another BCCI Certification Committee to demonstrate competencies not met. (See Section 1. Part 1. Points III. & IV.)
  4. Certification is not recommended if:
    1. The committee determines that the candidate has not demonstrated knowledge, understanding and integration of 17 or more of the Competencies.
    2. If the candidate states or demonstrates a professional spiritual care practice that violates the APC Code of Ethics.
5. The candidate will receive a verbal report of the committee’s decision and recommendation(s) after deliberations are complete and a written copy of the Interview Form will be mailed and/or emailed by the BCCI office to the candidate approximately two (2) weeks after the candidate’s interview.
6. If the candidate is not recommended for certification as a Board-Certified Chaplain, a copy of the Appeals Policy and Procedure will be mailed and/or emailed to the candidate. (See Section 1. Part 7.)

K. Certification will be effective after the BCCI Commission on Certification has been approved and the BCCI Board of Directors has ratified the committee’s recommendation.

L. Certificates for Board Certified Chaplain and Provisional Board-Certified Chaplain will be provided at or mailed after the APC annual conference.

M. Any questions should be e-mailed to the BCCI Certification Coordinator at bcci@apchaplains.org.

III. Policies for Provisional Board-Certified Chaplains, Subsequent Appearance Only Candidates and Certification Not Recommended for BCC

A. Applicant’s who have not acquired 2,000 hours of work experience as a chaplain may apply for certification as a Provisional Board-Certified Chaplain (PBCC) and must meet all other Policies and Procedures of a Board-Certified Chaplain (BCC) (See Section1. Part 1. I. and II.)

B. Candidates must be recommended for PBCC or Subsequent Appearance Only by a BCCI Certification Committee, approved by the BCCI Commission on Certification, and ratified by the BCCI Board of Directors.

C. Provisional Board-Certified Chaplain:

The candidate may be granted PBCC status in one or both of the following situations:
1. The BCC candidate has demonstrated competency in at least 24 of the 29 Competencies, including all eleven (11) of Section III: Professional Practice Skills Competencies (PPS: 1-11).
2. The PBCC candidate has not completed 2,000 hours of experience as a chaplain following completion of four (4) units of CPE.
A PBCC has up to two (2) years from their initial ratification date to:
1. Submit for a subsequent appearance before another BCCI Certification Committee to demonstrate competency in the remaining Competencies.
2. And/or submit proper documentation of 2,000 hours of experience as a chaplain.

D. Subsequent Appearance Only:

The PBCC candidate may be granted Subsequent Appearance Only status if they have met less than 24 of the 29 Competencies and/or did not meet all eleven (11) of Section III: Professional Practice Skills Competencies (PPS: 1-11).
A Subsequent Appearance Only status candidate has up to two (2) years from their initial ratification date to submit for a subsequent appearance before another BCCI Certification Committee to demonstrate competency in the remaining Competencies.

E. Candidates may apply for one (1) year extensions for extenuating circumstances. Contact the BCCI office for information.

F. If the candidate does not complete the above requirements in the appropriate amount of time, they will be removed from the BCCI roster and will need to reapply for certification.

G. Candidates will be given the opportunity for two (2) subsequent appearances to demonstrate competency in remaining competencies (for a total of three (3) interviews). If the competencies are not demonstrated after the second subsequent appearance, the candidate must reapply for certification.

H. Certification Not Recommended:

If a candidate is not recommended for certification, they must submit a new application and accompanying materials to the BCCI Certification Coordinator.
Candidate must meet another BCCI Certification Committee to demonstrate all 29 competencies.
Candidate may reapply on or after the second deadline after their interview.

IV. Procedure for Provisional Board-Certified Chaplain, Subsequent Appearance Only Candidates and Certification Not Recommended for BCC

A. When PBCC status has been granted to candidates meeting all requirements except the 2,000-hour work experience as a chaplain, the following must be submitted to the BCCI Certification Coordinator upon completion of the 2,000 hours:

Notification/documentation of completion of hours or Work Experience Equivalency (See Section 1. Part 5) with supporting documents and fee.
Verification that all other application information is still current.
Confirmation letter from candidate’s administrator.

B. If a PBCC is unable to complete the 2,000-hour requirement after two (2) years, the candidate may contact the BCCI Certification Coordinator to submit a Work Experience Extension Request, which may be granted by the BCCI Commission on Certification for up to one (1) year at a time.

C. When Provisional Board-Certified Chaplain status or Subsequent Appearance has been recommended to a candidate who has not met all the 29 Competencies, the following must be submitted to the BCCI Certification Coordinator prior to the scheduling of a subsequent candidate interview:

Subsequent Appearance fee. Current fees can be found at: www.apchaplains.org/bcci-site.
A Subsequent Appearance Application Form with current date and information.
A cover letter requesting another appearance and demonstrating that the requirements of spiritual/faith group endorsement, employment, etc., are still met and in effect. Any changes in the candidate’s endorsement, employment or other significant areas should be described in the letter.
Essay addressing any competencies marked as unmet by previous BCCI Certification Committee.
Updated autobiography.
Chaplain Clinical Contact with cover sheet demonstrating one or more of unmet competencies. Must be a new Clinical Contact written within 12 months of subsequent appearance notification.
Complete and signed Accountability for Ethical Conduct form.

D. After materials have been submitted by candidates needing a subsequent appearance, the process is the same as first appearance candidates (See Section 1. Part 1. II. H-K) with the exception that subsequent appearance candidates will be expected to address only the Competencies not previously met.

E. Certification not recommended candidates must follow all policies and procedures for a Board-Certified applicant.

Section 1. Part 2 – Policies and Procedures for Associate Certification

(Revised 5/19)

I. Policies for Certification as an Associate Certified Chaplain

A. Education Requirements

Graduate-level theological degree from a college, university, or theological school accredited by a member of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (www.chea.org). Degree(s) and any additional coursework must involve a minimum of 48 semester credits.
1. If degree includes credit for units of CPE, only one (1) unit of properly accredited CPE may be used for both academic credit and the CPE requirements for certification at the same time.
2. If the degree program does not involve at least 48 credits or is not CHEA accredited, the applicant must apply for an equivalency and be approved by the BCCI Commission on Certification through the equivalency process. (See Section 1. Part 5)

C. Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) to function as a competent spiritual care provider. The required clinical education is at least two (2) units (800 hours) from a qualified CPE program.

Qualified CPE programs must be recognized by the Department of Education (DOE) and accredited by a DOE approved agency as a post-graduate level training program.
Allowance for up to 1 unit of CPE from a provider that does not meet the qualifications by applying for an equivalency. (See Section 1. Part 5)

D. A minimum of 2,000 hours of work experience as a chaplain (equivalent of one (1) year full-time).

The 2,000 hours begin after the completion of the chaplain’s second CPE unit.
Clinical hours accumulated during training after the required two (2) units of CPE may be counted at a rate of 250 hours for each additional unit of CPE completed and used as an equivalency. (See Section 1. Part 5)
The 2,000 hour requirement is met by applicants when a substantial part of their duties include work commonly performed by chaplains. On-call, volunteer, and CEC clinical hours that are spent providing direct care and can be verified and documented may be used as an equivalency. Research hours may also be used as an equivalency. (See Section 1. Part 5)
If an applicant has not acquired the 2,000 hours of work experience, they may apply for Provisional Associate Certified Chaplain.

E. Three (3) letters of recommendation for certification by BCCI from the following:

From the applicant’s current administrator to whom they are responsible.
From a Board or Associate Certified Chaplain of APC/BCCI, ACPE, CASC/ACSS, NACC, NAJC.
From a certified/licensed peer professional in a discipline other than chaplaincy (e.g., doctor, nurse, social worker) with whom the applicant has a working relationship.

F. Demonstration of all 29 Common Competencies for Professional Chaplains to the satisfaction of a BCCI Certification Committee.

G. Must be recommended for certification by a BCCI Certification Committee, approved by the BCCI Commission on Certification, and ratified by the BCCI Board of Directors.

II. Procedures for Certification as an Associate Certified Chaplain

Application deadlines are strictly observed.
Interviews are held in several geographic areas throughout the year, on a rotating basis. An applicant may prefer to be interviewed as soon as possible and elect to travel (at his/her expense) to complete the interview, or an applicant may opt to wait until interviews are held near his/her home.
Application and Committee Interview Schedule can be found at: www.apchaplains.org/bcci-site/

B. Initial packet of materials must be sent in paper form to the BCCI office.

D. Unidentified, extraneous materials will be removed from the packet and will not be reviewed.

E. All material submitted by the candidate must be original and written by the candidate. Plagiarism of any form will not be tolerated.

Plagiarism will be defined as:
1. Submitting someone else’s work as your own.
2. Copying words or ideas from someone else without giving credit.
3. Failing to put a quotation in quotation marks.
4. Giving incorrect information about the source of a quotation.
5. Changing words but copying the sentence structure of a source without giving credit.
6. Copying so many words or ideas from a source that it makes up the majority of your work, whether you give it credit or not.
Plagiarism will be subject to a review by the APC Professional Ethics Committee in consultation with the BCCI Commission on Certification. If found in violation, the candidate will be withdrawn from the certification process for at least one year.

F. The applicant/candidate will conduct themselves in a professional and ethical manner, respecting the boundaries and personhood of any BCCI Staff, Commission Member, Area Certification Chair, or Certification Committee Member. If at any time an applicant/candidate acts in an unprofessional, unethical, or threatening way, the conduct will be subject to a review by the APC Professional Ethics Committee in consultation with the BCCI Commission on Certification.

G. Equivalencies must be reviewed and approved before an applicant’s application is considered complete.

If an equivalency application is received at the deadline, the applicant will not be scheduled for an interview associated with this deadline.
Applicants should allow 180 days for review time, depending on the complexity of the submitted equivalency materials (See Section 1. Part 5)
Spiritual/faith groups that use mentored education will be evaluated using the outline found in the Buddhist White Paper.
Degrees from foreign schools will require the applicant to submit an evaluation by an educational credential evaluation agency that is a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (www.NACES.org)

H. Application fees:

Current application fees must accompany the applicant’s application.
Checks or money orders must be made payable to the Board of Chaplaincy Certification, Inc.
All fees must be current before any equivalencies are processed or the applicant’s file is reviewed by a BCCI Certification Committee.
Current application fees and equivalency fees can be found at: www.apchaplains.org/bcci-site/
Discounted rates are available for APC members. To qualify for the APC member rate, applicants must be current with APC membership dues or apply for APC membership.

I. Materials to be received by the BCCI Certification Coordinator directly from the applicant by the deadline for the Area that the applicant wishes to have BCCI Certification Committee scheduled in:

Application Form – this document must have all sections complete.
Current application fee.
Official graduate degree(s) transcript(s) or equivalency materials. (See Section 1. Part 5)
A letter from employer verifying 2,000 hours of work experience as a chaplain or equivalency materials (See Section 1. Part 5). If 2,000 hours cannot be verified, the applicant will indicate this on the Application Form by applying as a Provisional Associate Certified Chaplain.
Documentation of current endorsement (or acceptable language in accordance with the applicant’s spiritual/faith tradition) received or reaffirmed within last 12 months. The letter must be mailed, emailed, or faxed by the endorser directly to the BCCI Office.
Three (3) Letters of recommendation:
1. From the applicant’s current administrator to whom they are responsible.
2. From a Board or Associate Certified Chaplain of APC/BCCI, ACPE, CASC/ACSS, NACC, NAJC.
3. From a certified/licensed peer professional in a discipline other than chaplaincy (e.g., doctor, nurse, social worker) with whom the applicant has a working relationship.
Transcripts or certificate of completion of at least two (2) CPE units or equivalency materials. (See Section 1. Part 5)
Complete and signed Accountability for Ethical Conduct form submitted in a sealed envelope marked: Accountability Statement-Confidential.
Autobiography – an autobiographical sketch of no more than five (5) pages in length, double-spaced, twelve-point (12-point) font, and one-inch (1-inch) margins. The autobiography should highlight the major events and themes of the applicant’s life as they have an impact on his/her practice of ministry. This paper is not strictly intended to demonstrate any particular competency, but to serve as a backdrop for the applicant’s other material.
Two (2) Chaplain Clinical Contact Narratives are required.
1. Each part of the clinical contact narrative will have a character count requirement listed in each section. Character counts include spaces and punctuation. Please note: any blank spaces at the end of each part will not be considered part of the character count when your application is reviewed and will be returned to you for revisions.
2. Two (2) dated narratives are required. At least one (1) must be from the chaplain’s current work setting and from within twelve (12) months of submitting the application. The other narrative must be from within twenty-four (24) months of submitting the application.
3. The narratives cannot contain web links to outside materials/sources. Any content that is linked to an outside source will not be accepted and will be returned for revisions.
4. The narratives should demonstrate the applicant’s current level of functioning and provide descriptive examples of his or her professional competency. These narratives differ from the foci of many educational/CPE settings in that they are not to focus on the chaplain’s learning experience and personal growth.
5. The applicant is encouraged to relate encounters that suggest respect for diversity and difference (e.g., care for a patient from a different spiritual/faith tradition), as per competency PPS3.
6. Each narrative must include examples of the following competencies:
  1. ITP2: Demonstrate this with an analysis of how the competency has been met. Also include self-evaluation, theological reflection, and identified ethical considerations.
  2. PPS10: Demonstrate this by including a spiritual assessment.
  3. PPS11: Provide an example of documentation. This may be a printout of charting in an electronic medical record or other appropriate records with all the identifying information removed or it may simply be what the chaplain would have written in the medical record. All identifying information must be removed.
  4. Other competencies may also be demonstrated in the clinical contact and analysis. In the word-for-word encounter (Part 2 below), clearly identify where the competency is being addressed. Then, in the analysis (Part 6 below), elaborate on how it is demonstrated. For example: To demonstrate PPS5, the chaplain clinical contact (Part 2) would include spiritual care for a grieving person, noting “PPS5” in the margins or parentheses at the most salient moment(s) of such care, and the analysis (Part 6) would discuss how the chaplain’s intervention at that moment provided effective support.
  5. All information sent must be de-identified in accordance with HIPAA regulations and requirements found in 45 CFR 164.514. To de-identify information, the applicant must remove 18 specific identifiers of the individual or of relatives, employers or household members of the individual. The identifiers that must be removed are as follows:
    1. Names (both first and last)
    2. All geographic subdivisions smaller than a state, including a street address, city, county, precinct, zip code and their equivalent geocodes, except for the initial three digits of a zip code if, according to the current publicly available data from the Bureau of Census, (1) the geographic unit formed by combining all zip codes with the same initial digits contains more than 20,000 people, and ( 2) the initial three digits of a zip code for all such geographic units containing 20,000 or fewer people are changed to 000.
    3. All elements of dates (except year) for dates directly related to an individual, including birth date, admission date, discharge date and date of death; and all ages over 89 and all elements of date (including year) indicative of such age, except that such ages and elements may be aggregated into a single category of “age 90 or over”.
    4. Telephone numbers
    5. Fax numbers
    6. E-mail addresses
    7. Social Security numbers
    8. Medical record numbers
    9. Health plan beneficiary numbers
    10. Account numbers
    11. Certificate/license numbers
    12. Vehicle identifiers and serial numbers, including license plate numbers
    13. Device identifiers and serial numbers
    14. Web Universal Resource Locators
    15. Internet Protocol addresses
    16. Biometric identifiers, including finger and voice prints
    17. Full face photographic images and any comparable images
    18. Any other unique identifying number, characteristic or code (this would include a patient identifying number).
  6. Applications sent with HIPAA violations will be corrected by the applicant.
  7. The applicant must wait until the next scheduled round of interviews
Four (4) essays demonstrating Common Competencies for Professional Chaplains.
1. All competencies must be addressed in one of the four competency essays.
2. Page length for Sections 1(ITP), 2(PIC), and 4(OL) must be no less than four (4) and no more than six (6) pages in length. Section 3(PPS) must be no less than six (6) and no more than eight (8) pages in length.
3. Each essay must be double-spaced, twelve-point (12-point) font, and one-inch (1-inch) margins.
4. Essays are to be written at a graduate level.
5. It is recommended that the candidate is explicit about which competency they are addressing throughout the essays.

J. The BCCI Certification Coordinator will review for completeness of all fees, materials, and approved equivalencies, if any within approximately 45 days. Once an application is complete the process is as follows:

The BCCI Certification Coordinator will email notification to the candidate when the materials have been reviewed and are complete.
The candidate will select the area in which they wish to have the committee appearance held.
The Area Certification Chair will coordinate the members of committee, date, time and place for the committee meeting and will send an Interview Confirmation Form to the candidate, committee members and BCCI Certification Coordinator.
The candidate may request an exception to committee composition with just cause excluding certain individuals due to history or perceived bias (e.g., co-workers, former supervisors, etc.). Requests for exceptions should be made to the Area Certification Chair.
The BCCI Certification Coordinator will email all the appropriate materials to each of the committee members for review.
Upon receiving the candidate’s materials, the committee has approximately twelve (12) business days to read and determine the candidate’s readiness. If within that time the entire certification committee has serious concerns about the candidate’s readiness to meet committee, they will contact the Area Certification Chair who will contact the candidate to inform them of the concerns and give them the option to continue with the scheduled interview, or to withdraw at this time. If the candidate chooses to withdraw, they may resubmit materials and reapply at another time at no additional charge.
The candidate, committee members, Area Certification Chair, and BCCI Certification Coordinator will receive a copy of the Presenter’s Report, containing a review and summary of materials at least seven (7) calendar days prior to the committee interview.
1. The Presenter’s Report may suggest competencies that need further clarification from the candidate during the committee appearance.
2. Committee members may also have additional competencies not included in the report that will be addressed with the candidate on the day of his/her appearance.
If Presenter’s Report is not received in the required time, the candidate is given the option to have his/her appearance rescheduled.
On the day of the committee appearance:
1. The committee members will convene for approximately 30 minutes prior to meeting the candidate. If more time is needed, the candidate will be notified of the delay.
2. The candidate will meet with the BCCI Certification Committee for up to 60 minutes, with an additional 30 minutes allowed if needed. The candidate or any of the committee members may request the additional 30 minutes.
3. The candidate will be excused as the committee members deliberate up to 60 minutes on their decision for certification of the candidate.
4. The committee will complete the Interview Form to be sent to the BCCI Commission on Certification, which will include one of the following recommendations:
  1. Certification as an Associate Certified Chaplain recommended if the candidate meets all 29 Competencies.
  2. Provisional Associate Certified Chaplain status recommended.
    1. Subsequent appearance before another BCCI Certification Committee – the candidate meets at least 24 of the 29 Competencies, including all eleven (11) of Section III: Professional Practice Skills Competencies (PPS:1-11). The candidate must appear before another BCCI Certification Committee to demonstrate the competencies not met. (See Section 1. Part 1. Points III. & IV.)
    2. The candidate has not completed 2,000 hours of work experience as a chaplain. The candidate must submit proof to the BCCI Certification Coordinator of completion of 2,000 work experience. (See Section 1. Part 1. Points III. & IV.)
    3. Both a and b above.
  3. Subsequent Appearance Only is recommended for candidates who have not demonstrated all competencies related to Section III: Professional Practice Skills Competencies (PPS: 1-11) and/or have demonstrated less than 24 Competencies. The candidate must appear before another BCCI Certification Committee to demonstrate competencies not met. (See Section 1. Part 1. Points III. & IV.)
  4. Certification is not recommended if:
    1. The committee determines that the candidate has not demonstrated knowledge, understanding and integration of 17 or more of the Competencies.
    2. If the candidate states or demonstrates a professional spiritual care practice that violates the APC Code of Ethics.
The candidate will receive a verbal report of the committee’s decision and recommendation(s) after deliberations are complete and a written copy of the Interview Form will be mailed and/or emailed by the BCCI office to the candidate within two (2) weeks of the committee appearance.
If the candidate is not recommended for certification as an Associate Certified Chaplain, a copy of the Appeals Policy and Procedure will be mailed and/or emailed to the candidate. (See Section 1. Part 7)

K. Certification will be effective after the BCCI Commission on Certification has been approved, and the BCCI Board of Directors has ratified the committee’s recommendation.

L. Certificates for Associate Certified Chaplain and Provisional Associate Certified Chaplain will be given at or mailed after the APC annual conference.

M. Any questions should be e-mailed to the BCCI Certification Coordinator at bcci@apchaplains.org.

III. Policies for Provisional Associate Certified Chaplains, Subsequent Appearance Only Candidates and Certification Not Recommended for ACC

A. Applicants who have not acquired 2,000 hours of work experience as a chaplain may apply for certification as a Provisional Associate Certified Chaplain (PACC) and must meet all other Policies and Procedures of an Associate Certified Chaplain (ACC) (See Section1. Part 2. I. and II.)

B. Candidates must be recommended for PACC or Subsequent Appearance Only by a BCCI Certification Committee, approved by the BCCI Commission on Certification, and ratified by the BCCI Board of Directors.
C. Provisional Associate Certified Chaplain:

The candidate may be granted PACC status in one or both of the following situations:
1. The ACC candidate has demonstrated competency in at least 24 of the 29 Competencies, including all eleven (11) of Section III: Professional Practice Skills Competencies (PPS: 1-11).
2. The PACC candidate has not completed 2,000 hours of experience as a chaplain following completion of two (2) units of CPE.
A PACC has up to two (2) years from his/her initial ratification date to:
1. Submit for a subsequent appearance before another BCCI Certification Committee to demonstrate competency in the remaining Competencies.
2. And/or submit proper documentation of 2,000 hours of experience as a chaplain.

D. Subsequent Appearance Only:

The ACC candidate may be granted Subsequent Appearance Only status if they have met less than 24 of the 29 Competencies and/or did not meet all eleven (11) of Section III: Professional Practice Skills Competencies (PPS: 1-11).
A Subsequent Appearance Only status candidate may submit appropriate materials for a new committee on or after the second deadline after his/her appearance.
A Subsequent Appearance Only status candidate has up to two (2) years from his/her initial ratification date to submit for a subsequent appearance before another BCCI Certification Committee to demonstrate competency in the remaining Competencies.

E. Candidates may apply for one (1) year extensions for extenuating circumstances. Contact BCCI office for information.

F. If the candidate does not complete the above requirements in the appropriate amount of time, they will be removed from the BCCI roster and will need to reapply for certification.

G. Candidates will be given the opportunity for two (2) subsequent appearances to demonstrate competency in remaining Competencies (for a total of three (3) committees appearances). If the Competencies are not demonstrated after the second subsequent appearance, the candidate must reapply for certification.

H. Certification Not Recommended:

If a candidate is not recommended for certification, they must resubmit all new materials to the BCCI Certification Coordinator.
Candidate must meet another BCCI Certification Committee to demonstrate all 29 Competencies.
Candidate may reapply on or after the second deadline after his/her appearance.

IV. Procedure for Provisional Associate Certified Chaplain, Subsequent Appearance Only Candidates and Certification Not Recommended for ACC

A. When PACC status has been granted to candidates meeting all requirements except the 2,000 hour work experience as a chaplain the following must be submitted to the BCCI Certification Coordinator upon completion of the 2,000 hours:

Notification/documentation of completion of hours.
Verification that all other application information is still current.
Confirmation letter from candidate’s administrator.
Or Work Experience Equivalency (See Section 1. Part 5) with supporting documents and fee.

B. If a PACC is unable to complete the 2,000 hour requirement after two (2) years, the candidate may contact the BCCI Certification Coordinator to submit a Work Experience Extension Request, which may be granted by the BCCI Commission on Certification for up to one (1) year at a time.

C. When Provisional Associate Certified Chaplain status or Subsequent Appearance has been recommended to a candidate who has not met all the 29 Competencies, the following must be submitted to the BCCI Certification Coordinator prior to the scheduling of a subsequent committee appearance:

Subsequent Appearance fee. Current fees can be found at: www.apchaplains.org/bcci-site/.
A Subsequent Appearance Application Form with current date and information.
A cover letter requesting another appearance and demonstrating that the requirements of spiritual/faith group endorsement, employment, etc., are still met and in effect. Any changes in the candidate’s endorsement, employment or other significant areas should be described in the letter.
Essay addressing any competencies marked as unmet by previous BCCI Certification Committee.
Updated autobiography.
Chaplain Clinical Contact with cover sheet demonstrating one or more of unmet competencies. Must be a new Clinical Contact written within 12 months of subsequent appearance notification.
Complete and signed Accountability for Ethical Conduct form.

D. After materials have been submitted by candidates needing a subsequent appearance, the process is the same as first appearance candidates (See Section 1. Part 2. II. H-K) with the exception that subsequent appearance candidates will be expected to address only the Competencies not previously met.
E. Certification Not Recommended must follow all policies and procedures for an Associate Certified applicant.

Section 1. Part 3 – Policies and Procedures for Organizational Partner Members Seeking BCCI Board Certification

(Revised 4/19)

I. Policies for ACPE Certified Educators/Associate Educators Seeking Board Certification with BCCI

A. The BCCI provides an alternative process toward certification for ACPE certified educators/associate educators whose applications are approved by the BCCI Commission on Certification.

B. Certified educator/associate educator applicants are not required to meet with a BCCI Certification Committee.

C. ACPE certified educators/associate educators are recognized as having already met the BCCI Policies & Procedures regarding clinical education eligibility requirements (See Section 1. Part 1. Point I. C.).

II. Procedures for ACPE Certified Educators/Associate Educators for ACPE

A. Application fees:

Current application fees must accompany the applicant’s application.

Checks or money orders must be made payable to the Board of Chaplaincy Certification, Inc.
All fees must be current before the applicant’s file is reviewed by the BCCI Commission on Certification.
Current application fees and equivalency fees can be found at: www.apchaplains.org/bcci-site/.
Discounted rates are available for APC members. To qualify for the APC member rate, applicants must be current with APC membership dues or apply for APC membership.

C. Materials to be mailed directly to the BCCI Certification Coordinator by the applicant:

Application Form – this document must have all sections complete.
Current application fee.
Copy of ACPE Certified Educator certificate.
Complete and signed Accountability for Ethical Conduct form.
Three (3) letters of recommendation:
1. Letter of recommendation from the institutional administrator to whom the applicant is responsible. The administrator must identify him/herself as the applicant’s current supervisor.
2. Letter of recommendation from Board Certified Chaplain of APC/BCCI, ACPE, CASC/ACSS, NACC, NAJC.
3. Letter of recommendation from a certified/licensed peer professional in a discipline other than chaplaincy (e.g., doctor, nurse, social worker) with whom the applicant has a working relationship.
Four (4) essays demonstrating Common Competencies for Professional Chaplains.
1. All competencies must be addressed in one of the four competency essays.
2. Page length for Sections 1(ITP), 2(PIC), and 4(OL) must be no less than four (4) and no more than six (6) pages in length. Section 3(PPS) must be no less than six (6) and no more than eight (8) pages in length.
3. Each essay must be double-spaced, twelve-point (12-point) font, and one-inch (1-inch) margins.
4. Essays are to be written at a graduate level.
5. It is recommended that the applicant is explicit about which competency they are addressing throughout the essays.

D. The BCCI Certification Coordinator will review for completeness all fees and materials. Once an application is complete the process is as follows:

The BCCI Certification Coordinator will e-mail notification to the candidate when the candidate’s materials have been reviewed and are complete.
The Chair of the BCCI Commission on Certification will assign a member of the Commission to review the file and make a recommendation.
The candidate will be given three interviews to meet all the competencies. If the competencies cannot be met after three interviews with the assigned Commission member, the candidate must start over with a new set of essays.
The BCCI Commission on Certification makes the final decision on each candidate, which must be ratified by the BCCI Board of Directors. The candidate will be notified by the BCCI Certification Coordinator of the final decision.
Certification will be effective after the above approvals have been made.
Certificates will be given at or mailed after the APC annual conference.

E. Any questions should be e-mailed to the BCCI Certification Coordinator at bcci@apchaplains.org.

III. Policies for CASC/ACSS, NACC, NAJC and NAVAC Certified Chaplains Seeking Board Certification with BCCI

A. Organizational Partnerships have been formed with the Canadian Association for Spiritual Care/Association Canadienne de Soins Spirituels (CASC/ACSS), The National Association of Catholic Chaplains (NACC), the Neshama: Association for Jewish Chaplains (NAJC), and the National Association of Veterans Affairs Chaplains (NAVAC).

B. Applicants previously certified by an Organizational Partner are not required to meet with a BCCI Certification Committee.

C. Applicants previously certified by an Organizational Partner are recognized as having met BCCI Certification Requirements. (See Section 1. Part 1)

IV. Procedures for CASC/ACSS, NACC, NAJC and NAVAC Certified Chaplains Seeking Board Certification with BCCI

A. Materials must be sent by mail to the BCCI office.

B. Application fees:

Fees must accompany the applicant’s application.
Checks or money orders must be made payable to the Board of Chaplaincy Certification, Inc.
All fees must be current before the applicant’s file is reviewed by the BCCI Commission on Certification.
Current application fees and equivalency fees can be found at: www.apchaplains.org/bcci-site/
Discounted rates are available for APC members. To qualify for the APC member rate, applicants must be current with APC membership dues or apply for APC membership.

C. Documentation of current endorsement (or acceptable language in accordance with the applicant’s spiritual/faith tradition) received or reaffirmed within last 12 months. Spiritual/faith groups must be recognized by the Department of Defense (Armed Forces Chaplains Board) or previously reviewed and approved by the BCCI. If not, the applicant must contact the BCCI office regarding a review of the spiritual/faith group. (See Section 1. Part 6) The letter must be mailed, emailed, or faxed by endorser directly to the BCCI Office.

D. Materials to be mailed directly to the BCCI Certification Coordinator by the applicant:

Application Form – this document must have all sections complete.
Current application fee.
Copy of CASC/ACSS, NACC, NAJC or NAVAC certificate (NAVAC certificates must be dated after 9/21/2000).
Complete and signed Accountability for Ethical Conduct form.
For NACC & NAJC applicants:
a. Official graduate degree transcript or equivalency materials. (See Section 1. Part 5)
b. A letter from employer to verify 2,000 hours of work experience as a chaplain or a complete Work Experience Equivalency worksheet. (See Section 1. Part 5)
For NAVAC applicants:
a. A letter from employer to verify 2,000 hours of work experience as a chaplain or a complete Work Experience Equivalency worksheet. (See Section 1. Part 5)

E. The BCCI Certification Coordinator will review for completeness all fees and materials. Once an application is complete the process is as follows:

The BCCI Certification Coordinator will email notification to the candidate when the candidate’s materials have been reviewed and are complete.
The BCCI Commission on Certification makes the final decision on each candidate, which must be ratified by the BCCI Board of Directors. The candidate will be notified by the BCCI Certification Coordinator of the final decision.
Certification will be effective after the above approvals have been made.
Certificates will be given at or mailed after the APC annual conference.

F. Any questions should be addressed to the BCCI Certification Coordinator at bcci@apchaplains.org.

Section 1. Part 4 – Policies and Procedures for Certification Mentoring Program

(Revised 4/19)

I. Policies for Certification Mentoring Program

A. The mentoring program provides support and guidance to individuals whose goal is to achieve certification through BCCI.

B. Participation in the program is encouraged but remains voluntary.

C. All mentors are BCCI Board Certified Chaplains, and serve on a voluntary basis.

D. All communications between a mentor and an applicant should be structured to achieve confidentiality.

E. The content of what is to be shared between a mentor and an applicant is left to the determination of both parties, but clearly relates to preparation for an interview with a BCCI Certification Committee.

F. It is the decision of the applicant whether or not to share written application materials (competency essays, autobiography, etc.) with the mentor.

G. It is entirely up to the applicant if they wish to share any of the mentoring process with the BCCI Certification Committee.

H. It is inappropriate for a mentor to have any conversation with a chair or any member of the BCCI Certification Committee about an candidate’s process of preparation, or their fitness for certification by BCCI.

I. A mentor may not serve on a candidate’s BCCI Certification Committee.

J. A mentor is not responsible for the success or failure of the candidate’s certification process.

K. If a candidate is turned down for Board Certified Chaplain, Provisional Board-Certified Chaplain, Associate Certified Chaplain, or Provisional Associate Certified Chaplain, and is recommended for a subsequent appearance, and if a candidate has not worked with a mentor before, they are strongly encouraged to do so before meeting with another BCCI Certification Committee.

II. Procedures for Certification Mentoring Program

A. An applicant interested in working with a mentor should contact the BCCI Office to be assigned a qualified mentor.

B. The BCCI Office or designee will recommend a mentor who is unfamiliar with the applicant.

C. A mentor and applicant are encouraged to set mutually agreed upon guidelines for their relationship, including frequency, length and place of meetings and are encouraged to keep a record of their meetings.

D. Meetings may take place remotely (email, phone, video chat, etc.) or in person.

E. The mentor and applicant should set appropriate boundaries for the expectations of each other.

F. The mentor should be willing and able to be open and honest with the applicant about their application materials.

G. The mentor is not to rewrite or edit the applicant’s materials.

H. The mentor should provide feedback on the application’s clarity, demonstration of competency, the balance of theory and practice, spiritual development, and professional growth.

I. The mentor should understand the current policies and procedures for certification (essay page length, competency essays, guidelines for Clinical Contact Narratives, etc.).

J. The mentor should look for any potential HIPAA violations. (See Section 1. Part 1. II. I. 10. g. i.-xviii.)

K. The mentor may help the applicant prepare for the candidate’s interview and review the Presenter’s Report with the candidate.

L. The mentor should be encouraging to the applicant, but should not and cannot guarantee a successful outcome in the candidate’s interview.

Section 1. Part 5 – Policies and Procedures for Certification Equivalencies

(Revised 4/19)

I. Definition of an Equivalency

A. The BCCI recognizes that there may be other avenues through which some applicants for certification may achieve equivalent outcomes. Hence, the BCCI Commission on Certification may consider certain activities or educational programs as equivalencies, to be substituted for the general qualifications for certification. When equivalencies are requested, they must be clearly and thoroughly documented by the applicant.

B. An equivalency indicates a form of education, training, or experience that varies from the usual route but complies with requirements established by APC. It enables an individual to qualify for certification through BCCI. Requirements regarding theological, religious, or spiritual education, clinical pastoral education training, and/or work experience as a chaplain are very specific. Competence in these areas is required.

II. Policies and Procedures for Equivalencies for Graduate Degree Requirements

A. Definition of Graduate Degree: Graduate education consisting of coursework that is generally religious, spiritual, theological or pastoral in nature, such as the following subjects: sacred literature and the original languages, theology, religious philosophy and ethics, rituals and liturgy, religious history, comparative religions, evangelism and missions, religious education of laypeople, organization and administration of religious institutions, pastoral care and counseling, and personal spiritual formation.

B. Policies for equivalency for Graduate Degree:

Degrees/courses from non-CHEA accredited institutions are given full credit hours when the applicant can document that the professors’ qualifications and course content are equivalent to CHEA standards.
A second undergraduate degree in theological, religious or spiritual studies will be assessed at a ratio of two (2) undergraduate semester credits equaling one (1) graduate semester credit (2:1) up to 15 semester credits.
Degrees in other fields based on their efficacy in the work of professional chaplaincy and/or ACPE certified education may be accepted to fulfill the academic qualification standards for certification.
Audited courses may be accepted as equivalent to continuing education.
Professional continuing education will be assessed at a ratio of 100 contact hours equaling one (1) semester credit (100:1) up to 15 semester credits.
Three (3) units of CPE beyond the four (4) required by BCC/PBCC applicants or the two (2) required for ACC/PACC applicants will be granted five (5) semester credits each up to 15 semester credits.
Mentored education from qualified mentors in subjects generally religious, spiritual, theological and pastoral in nature may be accepted. Instruction in meditation practices may be accepted and will be assessed. Mentored education will be assessed at a ratio of 100 hours of supervised instruction equaling one (1) semester credit (100:1) up to 15 semester credits.
Professional chaplaincy, religious, or spiritual care experience will be assessed at a ratio of 48 hours of experience (documented in such a way that it shows educational learning) equaling one (1) semester credit (48:1) up to 15 semester credits. Only hours accrued after the applicant has completed three (3) years of experience may be included.
If a minimum of 10 credits accrued under Professional Experience, then up to 5 credits can be granted for a Letter of Professional Attestation from a chaplaincy peer professional.
Professional publication and teaching of chaplaincy, religious, and spiritual care and education hours will be assessed at a ratio of 100 hours equaling one (1) semester credit (100:1) up to 15 semester credits.
The following will not be accepted for equivalencies:
1. Unsupervised life experience.
2. Private unsupervised study of books or recordings.
3. Teaching of undergraduates or laypersons.
4. Courses required to complete the bachelor’s degree requirement.
5. Personal therapy hours.

C. Procedures for equivalence for Graduate Degree:

All required materials must be sent to the BCCI Certification Coordinator. It is strongly recommended that an applicant submit their equivalency materials for review at least 180 days before desired deadline for application.
Current equivalency fees can be found at: www.apchaplains.org/bcci-site/ (non-refundable).
Applicants must submit an Education Equivalency Worksheet completing all sections that apply.
Provide an essay of no more than three (3) pages that describes their theological, religious, or spiritual education.
1. Discuss how their education influenced their functioning as a spiritual caregiver.
2. Clarify why they believe their education and training are equivalent to a graduate degree from an accredited institution.
Provide a list of all graduate education:
1. List all graduate education that is religious, spiritual, theological, or pastoral in nature taken at institutions that are CHEA accredited.
2. List all graduate education that is religious, spiritual, theological, or pastoral in nature taken at institutions that are not CHEA accredited.
  1. Provide a school catalog, detailed course descriptions and transcripts, underlining or circling the courses related to chaplaincy.
  2. Provide a complete list of faculty who taught courses (completed by the applicant) along with their credentials (degrees and schools from which they graduated).
Provide official transcripts for each institution.
Applicants with a graduate education from a foreign country must contact a professional educational credential evaluation agency that is a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (www.NACES.org), such as, Educational Credential Evaluators (www.ECE.org) or World Education Services (www.WES.org). These organizations will provide a report on the applicant’s foreign degree(s) that needs to be submitted with the Education Equivalency Worksheet and other required documents to BCCI for review and approval.
Applicants requesting an education equivalency for extra units of CPE must submit their transcripts or certificates for successfully completed units.
Applicants requesting an education equivalency for professional continuing education hours:
1. List and total contact hours and provide certificates of attendance of graduate-level, professional continuing education courses that are theological, religious, spiritual or pastoral in nature.
2. Continuing education in other subjects will not be accepted for this equivalency.
Education equivalency for mentored education:
1. List all supervised hours of education received from qualified mentors.
2. Document by a letter from each mentor describing:
  1. The mentor’s qualification.
  2. An accurate estimate of the number of hours of supervision.
  3. Subjects covered.
  4. Methods of instruction.
  5. Evaluation of learning.
Applicants requesting an educational equivalency for professional publication and teaching:
1. List professional-level theological, religious, or spiritual research published in books or conference papers, and/or list graduate and provisional-level courses and seminars taught.
2. Total the number of semester credits or contact hours granted for each.
Applicants requesting an education equivalency for other education (including excess credits in undergraduate courses):
1. List other training, supervised studies or internships that should be considered with a description of each.
2. Total all supervised hours involved.
Applicants may not use unsupervised life experience, private unsupervised study of books or recordings, teaching of undergraduates or laypersons, or courses required to complete the bachelor’s degree requirement.

III. Policies and Procedures for Equivalencies for Applicants Whose Faith Tradition Utilizes Mentoring Method of Training

See Buddhist White Paper for more information.

IV. Policies and Procedures for Equivalencies for Clinical Pastoral Education Requirements

A. Policies for equivalency for clinical pastoral education requirements.

Equivalencies for CPE may be accepted for alternative clinical programs that are conducted by an appropriately credentialed supervisor who has post-graduate training in adult education, group –dynamics, individual supervision, theology, and clinically- based pastoral care, equivalent to that of an ACPE, CASC/ACSS, or NACC certified educator and who adheres to a Common Code of Ethics as established by their certifying organization.
The clinical program must include:
1. A minimum of 400 hours (equivalent to one (1) unit of CPE), including supervision, group, classroom and clinical ministry.
2. Didactic sessions on professional functioning and theological reflection.
3. Interpersonal sharing in a peer group.
4. Attention to personal, pastoral, and professional identity issues.
Only one (1) unit of CPE may be requested for an equivalency.

B. Procedures for equivalency for clinical pastoral education requirements.

All required materials must be sent to the BCCI Certification Coordinator. It is strongly recommended, that an applicant submit their equivalency materials for review at least 180 days before desired deadline for application.
Current equivalency fees can be found at: www.apchaplains.org/bcci-site/ (non-refundable).
Applicants must submit a Clinical Pastoral Education Equivalency Worksheet, completing all sections that apply.
Submit a detailed evaluation from the applicant’s supervisors/instructors, addressing the goals of the learning experience.
Document all elements of the clinical program in the following areas. Each area must be addressed and are not optional. Each item must be listed and labeled appropriately:
1. State clearly the reason they are seeking an equivalency for clinical training.
2. How has the program enabled them to achieve the competencies identified in the APC competency standards?
3. How does the educational experience relate to their ministry and development as a chaplaincy care professional?
4. How has the equivalency provided opportunity for the integration of their personal and professional development, clinical and academic learning, theology and social sciences?
5. Provide documentation of the CPE supervisor’s credentials and the curriculum used.

V. Policies and Procedures for Equivalencies for Work Experience Requirements

A. Policies for equivalencies for work experience requirements.

Work experience begins after completion of four (4) units of clinical pastoral education for Board Certified Chaplain or two (2) units of clinical pastoral education for Associate Certified Chaplain.
Use of an unlimited number of additional units of CPE may be used as work experience equivalency at a rate of 250 hours of work experience per additional unit.
On-call hours may be accepted for the time spent providing direct patient care.
Volunteer chaplaincy hours may be accepted if the work is supervised, and if the number of hours and type of work performed can be documented.
Certified Education Students who do not have a previous year of experience before entering the CES program may submit clinical chaplaincy hours non-inclusive of their educational and supervisory hours.
Profession-related research may be counted as work experience.
Hours worked in a parish may not be counted as an equivalency for work experience.

B. Procedures for equivalencies for work experience requirements.

All required materials must be sent to the BCCI Certification Coordinator. It is strongly recommended, that an applicant submit their equivalency materials for review at least 180 days before desired deadline for application.
Current equivalency fees can be found at: www.apchaplains.org/bcci-site/ (non-refundable).
Applicants must submit a Work Experience Equivalency Worksheet completing all sections that apply.
Applicants submitting additional units of CPE for work experience equivalency must list all units taken and provide evidence that the unit(s) were successfully completed.
Applicants submitting on-call hours must provide an on-call log or obtain documentation for the Human Resource Department or Administrator which verifies the number of hours worked.
Applicants submitting volunteer chaplaincy hours must submit documentation of dates and hours worked, patients visited, type of work performed and a letter from the supervisor verifying the hours worked.
Chaplaincy Educator Students submitting clinical chaplaincy must provide a letter from their administrator documenting clinical hours.
Applicants submitting research hours must appropriately document hours.

Section 1. Part 6 – Policies and Procedures for Endorsement

(Revised 6/19)

Endorsement by a spiritual/faith group attests to the professional chaplain’s distinct grounding in their community of spirituality, discernment, and accountability.

I. Policies for Endorsement by a Recognized Spiritual/Faith Group

A. BCCI values the work of discernment and endorsement undertaken by the many spiritual and faith groups who prepare and support leaders for service within their organizations and as public representatives. We look to our endorsers for confirmation of certified chaplain’s spiritual/religious identities and practices.

B. BCCI certified chaplains and certification applicants must provide documentation of current endorsement or the equivalent in language acceptable to the applicant’s spiritual/faith tradition.

C. Documentation must be received or reaffirmed within the last 12 months.

D. Spiritual/faith groups recognized by the Department of Defense (Armed Forces Chaplains Board) or previously reviewed and approved by BCCI will be accepted as meeting requirements of a recognized spiritual/faith group.

E. If a spiritual/faith group is not recognized by one of the above organizations, documentation must be provided by the applicant in order to conduct a review of the spiritual/faith group as a potential endorser.

F. To be recognized as an endorser, a spiritual/faith group must:

Be part of a spiritual/faith tradition.
Be a legally incorporated entity.
Be composed of more than merely the official endorser and the endorsee(s).
Serve not only its leaders but also its broader membership and/or a wider public.
Have systems and resources to prepare and support its endorsees as chaplains.
Have specific and uniform standards for recognizing an applicant’s or a applicant’s suitability for endorsement.
Have specific and uniform procedures for endorsing its endorsees.
Affirm the APC’s Code of Ethics.
Notify the BCCI of the withdrawal of endorsement for any BCCI certified chaplain or applicant.

II. Procedures for Review of a Request for Recognition of a Spiritual/Faith Group

A. Applicants must contact the BCCI office for an Application for Recognition of Endorser form.

B. The completed Application for Recognition of Endorser form must be submitted to the BCCI office along with the group’s articles of incorporation, bylaws, and all similarly fundamental operating documents.

C. Once the application is complete, it will be forwarded to a member or volunteer reviewer of the BCCI Commission on Certification. The material will be reviewed within 60 days. If the reviewer has questions, they will reach out to the group for clarifications. Once the review is complete, a member of the BCCI Commission on Certification will make the final decision on whether to recognize to recognize the group as an endorser.

III. Policies for Spiritual/Faith Group Endorsement Equivalencies

A. BCCI recognizes that spiritual/faith groups, acting in good conscience and in accord with their precepts and tenets, are not always able to bestow recognition and authority upon members of their organizations because of the personal identities of these members.

Board certified chaplains may not be disqualified because of personal identities: gender, sexual orientation, race or ethnicity, and marital status.
In order to avoid a de facto violation of the APC code of ethics and policy by deferring to the separate and disparate practices of recognized spiritual/faith groups, BCCI offers certified chaplains and applicants for certification, who are ineligible for endorsement by their spiritual/faith group because of personal identities, the opportunity to demonstrate membership in and accountability to a spiritual/faith groups through an equivalent endorsement process.
This process will be available to applicants and certified chaplains whose personal identities render them ineligible for endorsement by the persons’ spiritual/faith group.

B. BCCI also recognizes that spiritually engaged persons are increasingly likely to not identify with well recognized spiritual/faith groups. By retaining the requirement for spiritual/faith group endorsement, BCCI continues to hold the connections with spiritual/faith groups as an important set of relationships within the professional chaplain’s experience and practice.

BCCI will also consider applicants who are part of groups who:
1. Are informally organized.
2. For reasons of tradition or context have organizational models that are not easily interpreted by this process or which do not possess some of the formal characteristics described in Sections I and II of this policy and procedure.
Where a spiritual/religious group is unable to meet the BCCI’s requirements for Spiritual/ Faith Group Recognition, the Endorsement Equivalency process provides an alternative means to document and evaluate evidence of an unconventional applicant’s primary spiritual/faith relationship.

IV. Procedures for Spiritual/Faith Group Endorsement Equivalencies

A. Applicants will contact the APC/BCCI office to enquire about spiritual/faith group endorsement equivalency.

B. Applicants will send the following to the APC/BCCI office.

A written essay addressing the following:
1. Name your faith/spiritual tradition (i.e., the basis you anticipate drawing on to demonstrate competency ITP1).
2. Identify how your faith/spiritual tradition fits with the following definition of spirituality: the way humans experience, express, and/or seek meaning, purpose, and transcendence, and the way they connect to the moment, to self, to others, to nature, to the significant and/or the sacred.
3. Describe the history/roots/genealogies of your spiritual/faith tradition, going back at least beyond just your own life/generation.
4. Articulate the minimal obligations that your spirituality requires of you and attest to your current accordance with those obligations.
5. Essays must be 2–4 pages in length, single-spaced, 1-inch margins, and 12-point font.
Two (2) letters of support:
1. Must be written by someone other than the applicant.
2. Describing how the writer’s relationship with the applicant supports their participation in their faith/spiritual tradition.

C. Once received by the APC/BCCI office, a member of the Spiritual/Faith Group Endorsement Committee will use the following criteria to review the materials and make a recommendation to the BCCI Commission on Certification to accept or not the application.

Does the first letter (of two) describe how the writer’s relationship with the applicant supports the applicant’s participation in the applicant’s faith/spiritual tradition?
Does the second letter (of two) describe how the writer’s relationship with the applicant’s supports the applicant’s participation in the applicant’s faith/spiritual tradition?
Does the essay conform to all formatting requirements? —2–4 pages total, single-spaced, 1-inch margins, and 12-point font.
Does the essay name the applicant’s faith/spiritual tradition?
Does the essay identify how the applicant’s faith/spiritual tradition relates to experiencing, expressing, and/or seeking meaning?
Does the essay identify how the applicant’s faith/spiritual tradition relates to experiencing, expressing, and/or seeking purpose?
Does the essay identify how the applicant’s faith/spiritual tradition relates to experiencing, expressing, and/or seeking transcendence?
Does the essay identify how the applicant’s faith/spiritual tradition relates to connection to the moment, to self, to others, to nature, to the significant, and/or to the sacred?
Does the essay describe the history, roots, and/or genealogies of the applicant’s faith tradition, going back at least one generation beyond the applicant’s own life?
Does the essay articulate at least two distinct obligations that the applicant’s spirituality requires of the applicant?
Does the essay attest to the applicant’s current accordance with each of those two distinct obligations?
Does the reviewer have any other concern about recognizing this endorsement equivalency?

D. To grant equivalency, both letters must meet the criteria (i.e., the answers to questions 1–2 above is yes), the essay formatting must be correct (i.e., the answer to question 3 above is yes), all of the eight essay content criteria—items 4–11—must be met (i.e., there are no “No” findings), and at least five of the eight essay content criteria must be met clearly and directly (i.e., no more than three “unclearly and/or indirectly” findings).

E. If at least half of the eight essay content criteria are not met (i.e., there are five or more “no” findings), the equivalency will be denied.

F. Any assessment between those two outcomes, the applicant will need to revise the essay before being reconsidered.

G. Applicants may revise and re-submit twice (for a total of three submissions).

H. If the equivalency is granted and the applicant becomes board or associate certified, they will resubmit two letters of support every five years.

Section 1. Part 7 – Policies and Procedures for Appeals to Meet a New Committee

(Revised 4/19)

I. Policies for Appeal of a Candidate to Meet a New BCCI Certification Committee

A. An appeal by a candidate puts into place a review of the process of a BCCI Certification Committee when a candidate assesses that the Policies and Procedures for a BCCI Certification Committee were not upheld and in so doing negatively impacted the outcome of the candidate’s interview and recommendation for certification.

B. The appeals process assures candidates for Board Certified Chaplain and Associate Certified Chaplain that the policies and procedures for their respective status will be maintained.

C. The BCCI Commission on Certification depends upon the professional judgment of BCCI Certification Committees in conducting interviews and making recommendations or decisions regarding certification; however, if candidates believe that Policies and Procedures were violated, thus resulting in a negative recommendation(s) or decision, the right to an orderly appeals procedure is ensured.

D. Disagreement with the BCCI Certification Committee’s recommendation alone is not grounds for an appeal.

E. An appeal must be based upon the grounds that the decision of the BCCI Certification Committee was in disregard or violation of BCCI’s Policies and Procedures and that the violation had an impact on the outcome of the committee. Examples of grounds for appeal may include:

Substantial inaccurate representation of the candidate’s application materials as presented to the BCCI Certification Committee by the candidate’s Presenter.
Failure of the BCCI Certification Committee to uphold the policies or follow the procedures of the certification process. (Example: Inappropriate composition of the BCCI Certification Committee or inappropriate conduct of BCCI Certification Committee).

F. Appeal of the BCCI Certification Committee’s recommendation(s) must be made in writing within 30 calendar days of the date of the letter accompanying the written copy of the BCCI Certification Committee’s completed Interview Form.

G. The BCCI will bear costs related to the operation of the BCCI Commission on Certification, including any cost related to the review of an appeal and the making of a decision.

H. Appeals that are upheld will not result in the overturn of a committee’s recommendation, rather, the candidate will be allowed to see a new committee with the original materials addressing all the competencies that the original committee reviewed.

I. If an appeal is upheld, the candidate will not pay an additional fee for meeting a new committee, but will be responsible for expenses for attending another interview.

II. Procedures for Initiating an Appeal of a BCCI Certification Committee’s Recommendation

A. A candidate desiring to appeal the process of a BCCI Certification Committee for reasons cited in the above policies, must send the following to the BCCI Certification Coordinator:

A letter of request for an appeal stating clearly the identified reasons for the appeal, referring to the policies and/or procedures that may have been violated.
A copy of the presenter’s report.
A copy of the BCCI Certification Committee Interview Form.

B. Upon receipt of the required materials, the BCCI Certification Coordinator shall send copies of the candidate’s letter requesting an appeal to the BCCI Commission on Certification Chair, the APC Chief Executive Officer, the Area Certification Chairperson, and the President of the APC.

C. The BCCI Certification Committee members shall respond individually in writing. Responses will be sent directly to the BCCI Certification Coordinator.

III. Procedures for Reviewing an Appeal of a BCCI Certification Committee’s Recommendation

A. The BCCI Certification Coordinator will acknowledge receipt of the materials within 30 days.

B. The BCCI Commission on Certification does not meet with the candidate, but makes its decision based on a review of the relevant materials.

C. The Chair of the BCCI Commission on Certification shall appoint a member of the BCCI Commission on Certification to provide a written report on the appeal that includes the following:

A summary of the ground(s) for appeal.
A summary of the application materials.
A summary of the Presenter’s Report and the BCCI Certification Committee’s Interview Form.
An evaluative summary, including a preliminary recommendation.

D. After the BCCI Commission on Certification reviews the materials, it shall render one of the following decisions:

Uphold the appeal, and grant a new BCCI Certification Committee interview at no expense to the candidate.
Deny the appeal and uphold the BCCI Certification Committee’s action.

E. The Chair of the BCCI Commission on Certification shall prepare a Summary Report that includes the findings, decisions, and reasons based on the policies and procedures.

F. The Chair of the BCCI Commission on Certification shall send a copy of the Summary Report within 45 days following the rendering of the decision to the following:

The candidate.
The Area Certification Chair.
The members of the candidate’s BCCI Certification Committee.
The President of the APC.
The APC CEO.

G. The decision of the BCCI Commission on Certification is final.

Section 2. Part 1 – Policies and Procedures for Maintenance of BCCI Certification

(Revised 1/2023)

I. Policies and Procedures for Maintenance of BCCI Certification

A. Annual Requirements

Payment of annual maintenance of certification fees. Current fees can be found at: www.apchaplains.org/bcci-site/
Submission of report documenting a minimum of 50 continuing education hours.
Practicing chaplaincy care in accordance with the APC Code of Ethics.
Maintaining endorsement (or acceptable language) by one’s spiritual/faith group.
Optional maintenance of APC membership requirements. BCCI certification fees are paid separately and are in addition to the APC annual membership dues.

B. Every Fifth Year Requirements

See items A. 1-4 above.
Attestation of current endorsement (or acceptable language) in accordance with the requirements of one’s own spiritual/faith group.
Complete the Maintenance of Certification/Peer Review process.

II. Maintenance of Certification Peer Review Process

A. Time Table for Peer Review

Based on the date of certification with BCCI, the reviewee will be notified in writing (email) by the BCCI office at the beginning of the year in which their peer review is due.
The reviewee, in consultation with the State Continuing Education Chair if needed, arranges the peer review to be completed no later than December of the same year and submits the Peer Review Report through the certification portal no later than December 31 of the same year.

B. Written Material

The reviewee should submit written materials to the Peer Review Committee at least one week prior to the meeting.
It is strongly recommended that reflection on the Standards of Practice for Professional Chaplains be considered to determine areas of discussion.
Suggested written materials may include but are not limited to the following areas:
1. Significant areas of strength over the last five years, including areas the reviewee is passionate about and aspects that make their work meaningful.
2. Significant challenges in the areas of strength, professional growth and development over the last five years and resources used for growth.
3. Significant growth, changes, and/or challenges in theology, professional care practice, and resources used for growth.
4. Contribution to meeting regulatory standards (state, CMS, JC, etc.) within the employing organization and/or the goals of the institution (staff satisfaction, patient-centered communication, cultural, ethnic and spiritual sensitivity, ethics, managing patient complaints and/or resolving difficult cases, disaster preparation, and integration of the inter-disciplinary team).
5. Contribution to the educational and administrative work of APC/BCCI.
6. Areas the reviewee envisions for the future that they would like to explore or make a contribution within the employing organization or with APC/BCCI in the state or national arena.

C. Composition of the Committee

The reviewee assembles a Peer Review Committee composed of a minimum of three members and a mutually agreeable time and place for the meeting.
Two of the members must be BCCI Board Certified Chaplains, or Associate Certified Chaplains for an ACC reviewee.
Other members of the committee may be Certified Chaplains of ACPE, CASC/ACSS, NACC, NAJC, NAVAC, and/or spiritual/faith group peers or professional colleagues of the chaplain being reviewed.
One of the BCCI Certified Chaplains is asked, by the reviewee, to facilitate the committee as chairperson.

D. Scope and Length of Peer Review Session

The peer review is intended to cover professional practice, and/or professional development areas of interest and concern to the reviewee.
The Peer Review meeting should be scheduled for a minimum of 90 minutes which includes summarizing the peer review in writing and completing the Peer Review Report Form.

E. Peer Review Committee Responsibilities

The designated Chairperson shall open and close the meeting appropriately.
The committee shall engage the reviewee in discussion of the identified issues and share assessment, impressions and recommendations.
The committee shall summarize the peer review in writing following the 90-minute meeting and provide a written summary report to the chaplain at that time.
The Chairperson will facilitate the completion of the Peer Review Report.
The reviewee will enter the completed Peer Review information into the certification portal within 10 days of the review date.
All conversations and activities, including writing the summary report and completing the Peer Review Report, are collegial in nature and include the reviewee actively engaged in the process.

F. Resolution of Not Completing the Peer Review Process

Late summer of each year the chaplain will receive an e-mail stating the maintenance of certification peer review is not yet completed.
Any chaplain not completing the review or not submitting the form within the specific time frame will be subject to BCCI’s policy on non-compliance as it applies to other requirements for maintenance of certification.

G. Request for Extension

An extension of the deadline for a peer review for maintenance of certification may be granted for one year for medical, military deployment or other extenuating circumstances.
The request for an extension is not a guarantee that the extension is granted.
An extension request for the current year must be received before November 1.

H. Continuing Education Credit

Peer review will go under Methodology 6 on the Continuing Education Report.
Under Methodology 6, the reviewee is eligible for a maximum of 5 continuing education hours.
Under Methodology 7, each reviewer is eligible for 1.5 continuing education hours per peer review attended.

Section 2. Part 2 – Policies and Procedures for Retired and Temporary Inactive Status

(Revised 4/19)

I. Policies and Procedures for Retired Status

A. Eligibility for Retired Status is a BCCI Board Certified or Associate Certified Chaplain in good standing.

B. Retired status applies to those who have substantially retired from the profession of chaplaincy and who work no more than 50% of the time within a year in professional compensated chaplaincy.

C. Rank status does not change, hence the use of the terms Retired Board Certified Chaplain and Retired Associate Certified Chaplain.

D. Certified Chaplains seeking Retired Status must submit a completed Retired Status Request form to the BCCI office.

E. Maintenance of Retired Status:

Pay annual Retired Status APC membership dues. Current dues can be found at: www.apchaplains.org.
Maintain conduct in accordance with the APC Code of Ethics.

F. A Retired Certified Chaplain may be reinstated to active BCC or ACC status by completing all applicable requirements of the reinstatement process. (See Section 2. Part 4)

II. Policies and Procedures for Temporary Inactive Status

A. Eligibility for Temporary Inactive Status is a BCCI Board Certified Chaplain or Associate Certified Chaplain in good standing.

B. Temporary Inactive Status is granted to those who request Temporary Inactive Status, based on one or more of the following reasons:

Member will not be employed or engaged in professional chaplaincy.
Member is in the process of changing their spiritual/faith group endorsement.
Member is on extended medical or family leave or disability.

C. Maintenance of Temporary Inactive Status:

Pay 50% of annual membership dues. Current dues can be found at: www.apchaplains.org.
Pay 50% of annual maintenance of certification fees. Current fees can be found at: www.apchaplains.org/bcci-site/.
Fulfill 50% of annual BCCI Continuing Education/Peer Review requirements, including 5 hours in research methodology.
Maintain conduct in accordance with the APC Code of Ethics.

D. Temporary Inactive Chaplains may stay in Temporary Inactive Status for one year (renewable for up to 4 years) or may be reinstated to Active.

Section 2. Part 3 – Policies and Procedures for Loss of BCCI Certification

(Revised 4/19)

I. Policies for Loss of Certification

A. Policies for Loss of Certification for Board Certified and Associate Certified Chaplains:

Being in arrears with maintenance of certification fees.
Failure to meet the requirements for continuing education.
Failure to practice as a professional chaplain in accordance with the APC Code of Ethics.
Loss of endorsement by one’s spiritual/faith group.
Failure to attest to current endorsement (or acceptable language) every fifth year.
Failure to submit Peer Review Report Form every fifth year.
Voluntary resignation.

B. Policies for Loss of Certification for Provisional Board Certified and Provisional Associate Certified Chaplains:

All policies for loss of certification for Board Certified and Associate Certified Chaplains. (See I. A. 1-7 above)
Failure to submit proof of completion of the 2,000 hours of work experience.
Failure to submit application for a subsequent appearance with another BCCI Certification Committee within two (2) years from their initial ratification date.
Failure to demonstrate competency in unmet Common Competencies for Professional Chaplaincy after two (2) subsequent appearances (for a total of three (3) interviews).

II. Procedures for Loss of Certification Due to Reasons Other Than APC Code of Ethics Violation

A. A formal letter from the APC CEO shall be sent to the chaplain informing them of loss of certification and the reasons thereof.

B. The letter shall request the Certificate of Certification not be displayed and credentials (BCC, ACC, PBCC, PACC) not be used.

C. The chaplain’s spiritual/faith group endorsing body will be notified of the chaplain’s loss of certification.
D. When certification is withdrawn, no fees will be returned.

III. Procedures for Loss of Certification Due to APC Code of Ethics Violation

A. By recommendation of the APC Professional Ethics Committee (subject to the procedures set forth with respect to ethics), the APC Chief Executive Officer, and with the approval of the APC Executive Committee of the Board of Directors, a formal letter from the APC CEO shall be sent to the certified chaplain informing them of loss of certification and the reasons thereof.

Section 2. Part 4 – Policies and Procedures for Reinstatement of BCCI Certification

(Revised 5/23)

I. Policies for Reinstatement of Active Certification

A. Chaplains who have previously been certified as a Board Certified and Associate Certified Chaplain with BCCI and who have lost their certification due to reasons other than a violation of the APC Code of Ethics may request that their certification be reinstated.

B. BCCI certified chaplains who have been granted Retired Status and wish to move to active status must:

Submit documentation of current endorsement (or acceptable language in accordance with the applicant’s spiritual/faith tradition) received or reaffirmed within last 12 months. Spiritual/faith groups must be recognized by the Department of Defense (Armed Forces Chaplains Board) or previously reviewed and approved by the BCCI. If not, the applicant must contact the BCCI office regarding a review of the spiritual/faith group. (See Section 1. Part 6)
Complete an Accountability for Ethical Conduct statement.
Submit a brief essay outlining the reasons they wish to be reinstated. The essay should include their understanding of the Common Qualifications and Competencies for Professional Chaplaincy and actions taken to remain current in the field of chaplaincy.
Remit annual maintenance of certification fees for the year of reinstatement. Current fees can be found at www.apchaplains.org/bcci-site/.

C. BCCI certified chaplains who have lost their certification due to being in arrears with dues, failure to meet the requirements for continuing education, loss of endorsement of their spiritual/faith group, failure to attest to current endorsement every fifth year, failure to submit Peer Review Report form every fifth year, or who have voluntarily resigned their certification must:

Submit documentation of current endorsement (or acceptable language in accordance with the applicant’s spiritual/faith tradition) received or reaffirmed within last 12 months. Spiritual/faith groups must be recognized by the Department of Defense (Armed Forces Chaplains Board) or previously reviewed and approved by the BCCI. If not, the applicant must contact the BCCI office regarding a review of the spiritual/faith group. (See Section 1. Part 6)
Complete an Accountability for Ethical Conduct Statement.
Submit a brief autobiography which includes a description of the applicant’s spiritual growth and development.
Submit an essay of four to eight double spaced pages describing:
1. What caused the applicant’s decision to surrender certification.
2. What employment the applicant has had in the intervening period.
3. CPE the applicant has engaged in during the interim and how it applies to function as a professional chaplain, if applicable.
4. How the applicant has maintained and even honed chaplaincy skills.
5. How the applicant has engaged the Common Competencies for Professional Chaplains during the interim.
6. Why the applicant is seeking reinstatement at this time.
7. How the applicant meets and is currently using the Common Competencies.
8. How the applicant is more professionally proficient in areas formerly not strengths.
9. Plan to use certification in the future.
10. Plan for continuing professional development.
Submit a description of no more than five double spaced pages of how the applicant has provided help to someone in need of chaplaincy care within the last twelve (12) months.
Remit annual maintenance of certification fees for the year of reinstatement. Current fees can be found at www.apchaplains.org/bcci-site/.

D. BCCI certified chaplains who have lost their certification due to a violation of the Code of Ethics of the Association of Professional Chaplains must address any violation to the satisfaction of the APC Professional Ethics Committee in order to be reinstated.

E. BCCI certified chaplains who have let their certification lapse for more than five years will need to completely reapply for certification and meet with a certification committee.

F. BCCI certified chaplains who wish to reinstate from retired status, or who have dropped or resigned have one year from the date of their reinstatement letter to complete the process.

II. Procedures for Reinstatement of Active Certification

A. The applicant must contact the BCCI Certification Coordinator to request reinstatement instructions.

B. Submit materials as indicated in Section I above and in the instructions to the BCCI Certification Coordinator.

C. Applicants who have been in Retired Status:

Once all materials have been received by the BCCI Certification Coordinator, they will be forwarded to the BCCI Commission on Certification for review.

D. Applicants who have lost their BCCI certification for reasons other than an APC Code of Ethics violation:

Once all materials have been received by the BCCI Certification Coordinator, the Area Certification Chair of the candidate’s state will be notified.
The Area Certification Chair will appoint a committee of a minimum of three members along with a Committee Chair.
The Area Certification Chair will notify the candidate and committee members of the date, time and location of the meeting.
The Reinstatement Committee meeting will be approximately 60 minutes and is intended to be a collegial meeting with peers to give a reflective view of the candidate’s spiritual care practice, ministry, service, professional development and understanding of the Common Qualifications and Competencies for Professional Chaplaincy.
The committee will deliberate and recommend one of the following:
1. Reinstatement recommended.
2. Further work and subsequent appearance only recommended.
The candidate will receive a verbal report of the committee’s decision and recommendation(s) after deliberations are complete and a written copy of the Interview Form (available on the Members Only website under Forms & Resources for Leaders) will be mailed by the BCCI office to the candidate within two (2) weeks of the candidate’s interview.
If a subsequent appearance is recommended, the candidate will consult with the BCCI office staff.

E. Certification will be effective after the BCCI Commission on Certification has approved and the BCCI Board of Directors has ratified the committee’s recommendation.

Section 3. Part 1 – Policies and Procedures for BCCI Certification Committees

(Revised 5/19)

I. Policies for BCCI Certification Committees

A. BCCI Certification Committees function on behalf of the BCCI Commission on Certification to interview candidates for certification as Board Certified Chaplains, Provisional Board Certified Chaplains, Associate Certified Chaplains, or Provisional Associate Certified Chaplains in accordance with the BCCI Policies and Procedures for Certification. (See Section 1. Part 1 and Part 2)

B. The date, time and location of a candidate’s interview will be determined by the Area Certification Chair.

C. Composition of a BCCI Certification Committee:

For Board Certified Chaplain candidates:
1. There must be a minimum of three (3), with a maximum of five (5) members serving on a BCCI Certification Committee.
  1. Three (3) BCCI Board Certified Chaplains are required.
    1. The Chair, who will chair the meeting and fill out required forms.
    2. The Presenter, who will summarize the candidate’s material in a presenter’s report.
    3. One additional BCCI Board Certified Chaplain.
  2. Two (2) additional members may include other BCCI Board Certified and Associate Certified Chaplains and chaplains certified by Organizational Partners, and retired Board Certified Chaplains in good standing.
For Associate Certified Chaplain candidates:
1. There must be a minimum of three (3), with a maximum of five (5) members serving on a BCCI Certification Committee.
  1. Three (3) BCCI Board Certified or Associate Certified Chaplains are required.
    1. The Chair, who will chair the meeting and fill out required forms.
    2. The Presenter, who will summarize the candidate’s material in a presenter’s report.
    3. One additional BCCI Board or Associate Certified Chaplain.
  2. Two (2) additional members may include other BCCI Board Certified and Associate Certified Chaplains and chaplains certified by Organizational Partners, and retired Board Certified Chaplains in good standing.
Members of the BCCI Certification Committee shall represent, in so far as possible, the candidate’s specialty group in chaplaincy (e.g., mental health, hospice, etc.), gender, spiritual/faith group, and cultural background.
Current or former clinical training or work-related supervisors and persons who have written letters of recommendation may not serve on the candidates BCCI Certification Committee.
A candidate may request an exception to committee composition with just cause excluding certain individuals due to past history or perceived bias (e.g., co-workers, former supervisors, etc.).

D. General responsibilities of BCCI Certification Committees:

Read and review a candidate’s certification materials prior to the candidate’s interview.
Meet the candidate on the scheduled date to focus on the ability to demonstrate how they meet the Common Competencies for Professional Chaplaincy.
Make appropriate official recommendations for certification to the BCCI Commission on Certification by completing required forms to be forwarded to the BCCI Certification Coordinator.
Make recommendations, when appropriate, to the BCCI Commission on Certification regarding possible changes in the BCCI Policies and Procedures Handbook.

E. When a BCCI Certification Committee is meeting with a candidate who is making a subsequent appearance, the committee may only address the Common Competencies for Professional Chaplaincy not met in the previous interview.

F. Only the designated candidate and committee members are allowed in the room during the committee meeting. The only exception to this rule may be for training purposes and requires advance notice and permission of the candidate.

G. No audio or video recording devices are allowed in the room during the committee meeting.

H. All candidate materials printed must be returned to the candidate after the conclusion of the meeting. Any notes taken prior to, and during the meeting by committee members should be written on separate sheets of paper and not returned to the candidate, but should be destroyed immediately following the candidate’s interview. Regardless if the candidate receives the notes or not, they should be absent of any comments that could be taken as disparaging or discriminatory. All committee members should delete any candidate materials they have kept electronically.

II. Procedures for BCCI Certification Committees

A. Once the candidate has submitted all the required materials for certification, the BCCI Certification Coordinator will email the candidate, verifying that all required materials have been received.

B. A Committee Chair, Presenter and committee members will be appointed by the Area Certification Chair. (See Section 3. Part 4)

C. The Area Certification Chair will send an Interview Confirmation Form to the candidate, the committee members and Presenter, and the BCCI Certification Coordinator providing the date, time and place of the interview and the composition of the committee.

D. The BCCI Certification Coordinator will email the Committee Chair all of the required forms to be completed. (See Section 3. Part 2)

E. The BCCI Certification Coordinator will email the Presenter all of the required forms to be completed. (See Section 3. Part 3)

F. The BCCI Certification Coordinator will email the entire committee the Certification Committee Responsibilities form and all of the appropriate materials submitted by the candidate:

Application form.
Three (3) letters of recommendation.
Autobiography.
Two (2) Chaplain Clinical Contact Narratives.
Four (4) Common Competencies for Professional Chaplaincy essays.

G. The members of the committee will review the essays and Clinical Contact Narratives for the candidate’s demonstration of competencies using the other written materials as examples of supportive and/or challenging material.

H. The candidate is to be evaluated only on the following:

Does the candidate articulate the theory and practice that they have developed through their education, formation, training and experience?
Does the candidate’s writing give a balance of theory and practice? What is their understanding of each of the competencies and how do they apply it to their provision of spiritual care? Are they clear in a working definition of each competency and are examples given to demonstrate them?

I. If there are concerns about the candidate’s readiness to meet a committee, based on their written materials:

The candidate’s material should be written on a graduate level and should reflect a clear understanding and demonstration of the competencies.
If there appears to be a distinct absence of these criteria and if any committee member has concerns about the candidate’s readiness to meet a committee, that member should contact the Presenter and Chair with these concerns.
The Presenter and Chair will then see if there is a consensus of this concern.
If there is a consensus, the Presenter will contact the Area Certification Chair about the concerns.
The Area Certification Chair will then contact the candidate and give them the option to go ahead with the scheduled interview or allow them to withdraw at this time. Inform the candidate that they can resubmit materials for a future deadline without additional fees.
If the candidate chooses to withdraw, the interview will be cancelled, and the committee will destroy and/or delete the materials they have received.
This process should be used with care and only on rare occasions.

J. Except to discuss a candidate’s readiness, committee members should not discuss the candidate’s materials until the scheduled date and time of the pre-interview meeting.

K. The Presenter will write a Presenter’s Report (See Section 3. Part 3) and send it to the candidate and each of the committee members, the Area Certification Chair and BCCI Certification Coordinator at least seven (7) calendar days prior to the scheduled interview date and time.

L. If Presenter’s Report is not received in the required time, the candidate will be given the opportunity to reschedule their candidate interview.

M. The Area Certification Chair and the BCCI Office staff are the only people that may have any direct contact with the candidate prior to the candidate’s interview to coordinate the scheduling of the candidate’s interview. If the Committee Chair, the Presenter or any of the committee members has other questions of the candidate prior to the committee meeting, they must contact the Area Certification Chair to consult on the appropriateness of the contact.

N. On the day of the scheduled interview, the committee members will meet 30 minutes prior to their meeting with the candidate to discuss which competencies need more clarification from the candidate in the course of their time together. If more time is needed, the Committee Chair will notify the candidate immediately to inform them of the delay. It is recommended that the committee review the BCCI Committee Interview Form during this time and mark which competencies they feel the candidate has met in writing and will not need to be discussed during the interview.

O. The committee members will meet with the candidate for 60 minutes, with 30 extra minutes allowed if needed, to discuss Common Competencies for Professional Chaplaincy that need more clarification.

P. After the candidate’s interview, they will be excused and the committee will review the competencies addressed in the interview to evaluate if the candidate meets all the required competencies. The committee will have up to 60 minutes to deliberate. If final notes have not been completed at the end of 60 minutes, the candidate must be asked back and given their results, after which the committee will complete the remaining paperwork.

Q. The Chair will complete the BCCI Committee Interview Form and record the committee’s final recommendation for Board and Associate certification.

Certification as a Board or Associate Certified Chaplain is recommended if the candidate meets all 29 Competencies.
Provisional Board or Associate Certified Chaplain status recommended.
1. Subsequent appearance before another BCCI Certification Committee – the candidate meets at least 24 of the 29 Competencies, including all eleven (11) of Section III: Professional Practice Skills Competencies (PPS:1-11). The candidate must appear before another BCCI Certification Committee to demonstrate the competencies not met. (See Section 1. Part 1. Points III. & IV.)
2. The candidate has not completed 2,000 hours of work experience as a chaplain. The candidate must submit proof to the BCCI Certification Coordinator of completion of 2,000 hours of work experience within two years of ratification date. (See Section 1. Part 1. Points III. & IV.)
3. Both 1 and 2 above.
Subsequent Appearance Only is recommended for candidates who have not demonstrated all competencies related to Section III: Professional Practice Skills Competencies (PPS: 1-11) and/or have demonstrated less than 24 Competencies. The candidate must appear before another BCCI Certification Committee to demonstrate competencies not met. (See Section 1. Part 1. Points III. & IV.)
Certification is not recommended if:
1. The committee determines that the candidate has not demonstrated knowledge, understanding and integration of 17 or more of the Competencies.
2. If the candidate states or demonstrates a professional spiritual care practice that violates the APC Code of Ethics.
3. The candidate must resubmit all materials to the BCCI Certification Coordinator and meet another BCCI Certification Committee to demonstrate all 29 Competencies.

R. If the candidate has not met all 29 of the Common Competencies for Professional Chaplaincy and full certification is not recommended, the Chair will clearly write comments in the comment section of the BCCI Committee Interview Form for all competencies not met. Comments should include the competency number and an explanation of why the committee determined the competency was not met and recommendations for the candidate concerning the competency.

S. Once the committee has reached its decision, the candidate will be invited back into the room and the committee will inform them of their recommendations.

T. The Chair will assure that each member of the committee returns any of the materials to the candidate and have the candidate and each member of the committee sign the Return of Materials form after they have been given back all materials from each of the committee members. Each committee member must sign this sheet, regardless if they have materials to return or not, so that their presence on the committee may be recorded.

U. The Chair will give the following forms to the Area Certification Chair who will forward them on to the BCCI Certification Coordinator.

The BCCI Committee Interview form.
The Return of Materials form.

V. The BCCI Certification Coordinator will send a copy of the BCCI Committee Interview Form to candidate, within two (2) weeks of the candidate’s interview.

W. All committee members will conduct themselves in a professional and ethical manner, respecting the boundaries and personhood of any Candidate, BCCI Staff, Commission Member, Area Certification Chair or Certification Committee Member. If at anytime a committee member acts in an unprofessional, unethical or threatening way, the conduct will be subject to a review by the APC Professional Ethics Committee in consultation with the BCCI Commission on Certification.

X. If an Appeal has been upheld or if any of the Policies and Procedures for BCCI Certification Committees have been discovered to have not been followed, a review of the committee members will be conducted by the BCCI Commission on Certification. Committee members may be subject to a review by the APC Professional Ethics Committee, as described in Section 3. Part 1.II.X.

III. Policies for BCCI Committee for Ethical Accountability of a Candidate

A. Based on decisions by the BCCI Commission on Certification in consultations with the APC Professional Ethics Committee and approved by the APC Board of Directors, the following procedures are to be used by BCCI Certification Committees with regard to past ethical complaints against candidates.

B. The purpose of the Accountability for Ethical Conduct Form is to protect those with whom the professional chaplain works from future harm. APC is not attempting to punish people for past mistakes.

C. Candidates are mandated to report past or pending complaints filed for unethical conduct. They have not been asked to report misconduct that did not result in a complaint being filed. (See Ethics Standard 130.34)

IV. Procedures for BCCI Committee for Ethical Accountability of a Candidate

A. A BCCI Certification Committee should assume that anyone appearing before it has fulfilled the ethics accountability review at the national level. The Accountability for Ethical Conduct Form is not included in the packet of materials sent to the BCCI Certification Committee members.

B. If, upon receiving a candidate’s name, the Area Certification Chair or BCCI Certification Committee member has reason to suspect there may have been a complaint filed against that person or that one is pending, notify the APC CEO immediately. The CEO will check the status of the Accountability for Ethical Conduct Form. If the candidate in question appears before the BCCI Certification Committee, assume that the Accountability for Ethical Conduct Form has been appropriately reviewed. Ask no questions about the situations.

C. The BCCI Certification Committee may ask no questions and initiate no discussion of past ethical complaints. Ethical issues which never became complaints filed or which arise hypothetically during the interview may be discussed by the committee as part of the normal review of professional competence.

D. If a candidate comments on or attempts to initiate discussion about a past complaint filed against them, ask immediately if they revealed the information on the Accountability for Ethical Conduct Form with their application.

If the candidate did reveal the information on the form, thank them for their honesty in sharing that information with the committee. Inform them that further discussion of the situation is neither necessary nor appropriate with the BCCI Certification Committee as it has been addressed to the satisfaction of BCCI. Proceed with the interview.
If the candidate did not report a filed complaint, terminate the interview. The application packet is incomplete. The Accountability for Ethical Conduct Form must be filed and reviewed. A new BCCI Certification Committee may be assembled, if appropriate, after the ethics review.

E. The BCCI Certification Committee is encouraged to report their experiences, observations, and suggestions to the APC Professional Ethics Committee Chair as this process is evolving to meet the needs of those served.

Section 3. Part 2 – Policies and Procedures for BCCI Certification Committee Chair

(Revised 4/19)

I. Policies for BCCI Certification Committee Chair

A. A Committee Chair is appointed for each candidate by either the Area Certification Chair for BCCI Certification Committees or the BCCI Commission on Certification designee when convening during the APC annual conference.

B. A Committee Chair must be a BCCI Board Certified Chaplain or may be a BCCI Associate Certified Chaplain for candidates seeking Associate Certification.

C. General responsibilities of the Committee Chair:

Chair the committee meeting, assuring that all the Policies and Procedures for Certification Committees are adhered to.
Complete and return all required forms.

II. Procedures for BCCI Certification Committee Chair

A. Accepts assignment to chair a BCCI Certification Committee.

B. Receive Committee Chair’s forms from BCCI Certification Coordinator:

Candidate certification materials. (See Section 3. P1. II. F.)
Certification Committee Responsibilities Form, which includes specific instructions for the Chair.
BCCI Committee Interview Form.
Return of Materials Form.

C. The Chair is not to have direct contact with the Candidate prior to the certification interview date and time. (See S3. P1. II. L.)

D. If there are concerns about the candidate’s readiness to meet a committee, based on their written materials:

The candidate’s material should be written on a graduate level and should reflect a clear understanding and demonstration of the competencies.
If there appears to be a distinct absence of these criteria and if any committee member has concerns about the candidate’s readiness to meet a committee, that member should contact the Presenter and Chair with these concerns.
The Presenter and Chair will then see if there is a consensus of this concern.
If there is a consensus, the Presenter will contact the Area Certification Chair about the concerns.
The Area Certification Chair will then contact the candidate and give them the option to go ahead with the scheduled interview or allow them to withdraw at this time. Inform the candidate that they can resubmit materials for a future deadline without additional fees.
If the candidate chooses to withdraw, the interview will be cancelled, and the committee will destroy and/or delete the materials they have received.
This process should be used with care and only on rare occasions.

E. Convene committee at least 30 minutes before the interview with candidate to review committee responsibilities and process:

Make sure all required forms are in the room prior to the committee convening.
Review Common Competencies for Professional Chaplaincy, the Presenter’s Report and select which competencies will be discussed during the meeting.
Review BCCI Committee Interview Form and options for recommendation to BCCI Commission on Certification.
Review policies and procedures for Ethical Accountability of a Candidate. (See Section 3. Part 1. III. and IV)
Review appropriate conduct to include:
1. Confidentiality.
2. Establish a positive, collegial atmosphere.
3. A tidy presentation of meeting room and table.
4. Greeting of candidate.
5. Water and tissues provided for candidate.
If the committee needs additional time to review the materials, notify the candidate of the delay.
Serve as timekeeper and remind committee that the interview will be 60 minutes, with an additional 30 minutes if needed. The committee and/or the candidate may request the extra time.

F. When the committee is ready to begin the interview, invite the candidate into the room.

Offer candidate water and make them aware of tissues.
Begin with introductions of committee members.
Inform candidate that the interview will last 60 minutes and an additional 30 minutes may be used if needed. Let the candidate know that the committee members may need the extra 30 minutes, and that the candidate also has the right to request the extra time.

G. Chair committee interview, ensuring support for the candidate and appropriate monitoring of the committee process (e.g., that no one member of the committee dominates the process, etc.)

H. After the completion of the interview inform the candidate that the committee will deliberate for approximately 60 minutes. When the candidate has been excused, chair committee discussion about recommendations for certification based on the candidate’s demonstration of their knowledge, understanding, and integration of the Common Competencies for Professional Chaplaincy. If final notes have not been completed at the end of 60 minutes, the candidate must be asked back and given their results, after which the committee will complete the remaining paperwork.

I. Complete the BCCI Committee Interview Form. If the candidate has not met all 29 of the Common Competencies for Professional Chaplaincy and full certification is not recommended, the Chair will clearly write comments in the comment section of the BCCI Committee Interview Form for all competencies not met. Comments should include the competency number and an explanation of why the committee determined the competency was not met and recommendations for the candidate concerning the competency.

J. Invite candidate back and inform them of the committee’s recommendations, making sure the candidate understands the recommendations and has time for clarification.

K. Have Candidate and each member of the committee sign the Return of Materials Form after they have been given back all materials from each of the committee members. All materials must be returned to the candidate after the conclusion of the meeting. Any notes taken prior to, and during the meeting by committee members should be written on separate sheets of paper and not returned to the candidate, but should be destroyed immediately following the committee appearance. Regardless if the candidate receives the notes or not, they should be absent of any comments that could be taken as disparaging or discriminatory.

L. Give the following forms to the Area Certification Chair who will forward them on to the BCCI Certification Coordinator.

The BCCI Committee Interview form.
The Return of Materials Form.

Section 3. Part 3 – Policies and Procedures for BCCI Certification Committee Presenter

(Revised 4/19)

I. Policies for BCCI Certification Committee Presenter

A. A Presenter is appointed for each candidate by the Area Certification Chair (or the BCCI Commission on Certification designee for committees convening during the APC annual conference).

B. A Presenter must be a BCCI Board Certified Chaplain or may be a BCCI Associate Certified Chaplain for candidates seeking Associate Certification.

C. General responsibilities of the Presenter:

Review the candidate’s materials.
Write a Presenter’s Report using the provided template and send to candidate, each committee member, the Area Certification Chair, and the BCCI Certification Coordinator.
Completes all required forms.

II. Procedures for BCCI Certification Committee Presenter

A. Accepts assignment to be the Presenter for the candidate interviewing before a BCCI Certification Committee.

B. Receive Presenter’s forms from BCCI Certification Coordinator:

Certification Committee Responsibilities form, which includes specific instructions for the Presenter.
Presenter’s Report Template.

C.The Presenter will review the essays and Clinical Contact Narratives for the candidate’s demonstration of competencies using the other written materials as examples of supportive and/or challenging material.

D. The candidate is to be evaluated only on the following:

Does the candidate articulate the theory and practice that they have developed through their education, formation, training and experience?
Does the candidate’s writing give a balance of theory and practice? What is their understanding of each of the competencies and how do they apply it to their provision of spiritual care? Are they clear in a working definition of each competency and are examples given to demonstrate them?

E. If there are concerns about the candidate’s readiness to meet a committee, based on their written materials:

The candidate’s material should be written on a graduate level and should reflect a clear understanding and demonstration of the competencies.
If there appears to be a distinct absence of these criteria and if any committee member has concerns about the candidate’s readiness to meet a committee, that member should contact the Presenter and Chair with these concerns.
The Presenter and Chair will then see if there is a consensus of this concern.
If there is a consensus, the Presenter will contact the Area Certification Chair about the concerns.
The Area Certification Chair will then contact the candidate and give them the option to go ahead with the scheduled interview or allow them to withdraw at this time. Inform the candidate that they can resubmit materials for a future deadline without additional fees.
If the candidate chooses to withdraw, the interview will be cancelled, and the committee will destroy and/or delete the materials they have received.
This process should be used with care and only on rare occasions.

F. The purpose of this Presenter’s Report is to help the Candidate prepare for the interview with the Committee by offering up areas where the Committee may need to hear more details of the candidate’s understanding of the competencies and how they demonstrate them in their work as a professional chaplain.

G. Guidelines for completing the Presenter’s Report Template:

In each section, check off only the competencies that the Presenter is seeking further clarification on.
The candidate is to be evaluated only on whether or not they have demonstrated a knowledge, understanding, and integration of the Common Competencies for Professional Chaplaincy.
Suggest concerns, which the Committee might include in its discussion with the candidate, by providing a balanced, competency-based report. Provide a preliminary recommendation of the specific competencies to be discussed in the committee meeting.
Make clear to the candidate in the report that the competencies addressed in the report are recommendations from the Presenter only; and that the rest of the Committee may or may not have additional areas needing clarification.
If the candidate has previously appeared before a BCCI committee, the discussion should be limited to competencies not met in previous committee.
All written reports must be prepared with care and respect in order to assure an accurate and meaningful description of the candidate’s performance as a professional chaplain.
Written statements must avoid the following:
1. Statements that say a competency has or has not been met. This is up to the determination of the entire committee, not just the Presenter.
2. Making any recommendations regarding approval or disapproval for certification.
3. Unqualified superlatives or phrases.
4. Comments that are too brief to be interpreted accurately.
5. Inappropriate, arbitrary, or belittling remarks of any kind, especially those related to ethnic background, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation or religion.
6. Subjective statements that reflect personal biases or prejudice and are not related to the qualifications for a professional chaplain.
7. Reference to the candidate’s choice of lifestyle or personal behavior that may be in conflict with the personal views and beliefs of those conducting the interview.

H. The Presenter must send the report at least seven (7) calendar days prior to the scheduled meeting.

I. If Presenter’s Report is not received in the required time, the candidate will be given the opportunity to reschedule their interview.

J. After the Presenter’s Report has been sent, ensure that the candidate, all committee members, the Area Certification Chair and the BCCI Certification Coordinator have all received the report.

K. The Presenter is not to have direct contact with the Candidate prior to the certification meeting date and time. (See S3. P1. II. L.)

L. On the day of the scheduled interview follow the Procedures for BCCI Certification Committees (See S3. P1. II. L.-W.)

Section 3. Part 4 – Policies and Procedures for BCCI Reinstatement Committees

(Revised 4/19)

I. Policies for BCCI Reinstatement Committees

A. BCCI Reinstatement Committees function on behalf of the BCCI Commission on Certification to interview candidates who have been previously certified with BCCI and who have lost their certification due to reasons other than a violation of the Code of Ethics of the Association of Professional Chaplains, and who are seeking to have their previous certification reinstated.

B. The date, time and location of a candidate’s interview will be determined by the Area Certification Chair.

C. Composition of a BCCI Reinstatement Committee:

For Board Certified Chaplain candidates:
1. There must be a minimum of three (3), with a maximum of five (5) members serving on a BCCI Reinstatement Committee.
  1. Three (3) BCCI Board Certified Chaplains are required.
    1. The Chair, who will chair the meeting and fill out required forms.
    2. Two additional BCCI Board Certified Chaplains.
  2. Two (2) additional members may include other BCCI Board Certified and Associate Certified Chaplains and chaplains certified by Organizational Partners.
2. Retired Board-Certified Chaplains in good standing may be members of a committee and may vote.
For Associate Certified Chaplain candidates:
1. There must be a minimum of three (3), with a maximum of five (5) members serving on a BCCI Reinstatement Committee.
  1. Three (3) BCCI Board Certified or Associate Certified Chaplains are required.
    1. The Chair, who will chair the meeting and fill out required forms.
    2. Two additional BCCI Board Certified Chaplains.
  2. Two (2) additional members may include other BCCI Board Certified and Associate Certified Chaplains and chaplains certified by Organizational Partners.
2. Retired Board Certified and Associate Certified Chaplains in good standing may be members of a committee and may vote.
A candidate may request an exception to committee composition with just cause excluding certain individuals due to past history or perceived bias (e.g., co-workers, former supervisors, etc.).

D. General responsibilities of BCCI Reinstatement Committees:

Prior to the committee meeting, read and review a candidate’s letter or materials outlining the reasons they wish to be reinstated. The letter/materials should include their understanding of the Common Competencies for Professional Chaplaincy and actions taken to remain current in the field of chaplaincy.
Meet the candidate on the scheduled date with the intent of having a collegial meeting with peers to give a reflective view of the candidate’s professional practice, ministry, service, professional development and understanding of the Common Competencies for Professional Chaplaincy.
Make appropriate official recommendations for reinstatement to the BCCI Commission on Certification by completing required form to be forwarded to the BCCI Certification Coordinator.
Make recommendations, when appropriate, to the BCCI Commission on Certification regarding possible changes in the BCCI Standards and Procedures Handbook.

E. General responsibilities of the Committee Chair

Chair the committee meeting, assuring that all the Standards and Procedures for Reinstatement Committees are adhered to.
Complete and return all required forms.

F. Only the designated candidate and committee members are allowed in the room during the candidate’s interview. The only exception to this rule involves the training of APC/BCCI staff, and requires advance notice and permission of the candidate.

G. No audio or video recording devices are allowed in the room during the interview.

H. All printed materials must be returned to the candidate after the conclusion of the meeting. Any notes taken prior to, and during the meeting by committee members should be written on separate sheets of paper and not returned to the candidate, but should be destroyed immediately following the candidate’s interview. Regardless if the candidate receives the notes or not, they should be absent of any comments that could be taken as disparaging or discriminatory. All electronic candidate materials should be deleted.

II. Procedures for BCCI Reinstatement Committees

A. Once the candidate has submitted all the required materials for reinstatement, the BCCI Certification Coordinator will email the candidate, verifying that all required materials have been received.

B. A Committee Chair, and committee members will be appointed by the Area Certification Chair. (See Section 3. Part 4)

C. The Area Certification Chair will send Interview Confirmation Form to the candidate, the committee members, and the BCCI Certification Coordinator providing the date, time and place of the meeting and the composition of the committee.

D. The BCCI Certification Coordinator will email the Committee Chair the following required forms to be completed:

E. The BCCI Certification Coordinator will email the entire committee the candidate’s letter/materials outlining the reasons they wish to be reinstated. This letter/materials should include their understanding of the Common Competencies for Professional Chaplaincy and actions taken to remain current in the field of chaplaincy. The letter/materials should be reviewed by the committee members prior to the interview.

F. The candidate is to be evaluated only on whether or not they have demonstrated a current knowledge, understanding, and integration of the Common Competencies for Professional Chaplaincy.

G. It is recommended that only the Area Certification Chair have any direct contact with the candidate prior to the candidate’s interview to coordinate the scheduling of the candidate’s interview. If the Committee Chair or any of the committee members has other questions of the candidate prior to the candidate’s interview, they must contact the Area Certification Chair to consult on the appropriateness of the contact.

H. On the day of the scheduled interview, the committee members will meet 30 minutes prior to their meeting with the candidate to discuss what areas they feel they would like to engage the candidate for further clarification concerning the letter that the candidate provided. If more time is needed, the Committee Chair will notify the candidate immediately to inform them of the delay.

I. The committee members will meet with the candidate for 60 minutes, to allow for a reflective view of the candidate’s materials and professional development.

J. After the candidate’s interview, they may be excused, and the committee will discuss for up to 60 minutes whether to recommend the candidate for reinstatement or not. In the event that the committee feels that there is no need to excuse the candidate, they may have them stay in the room to continue the discussion and welcome the candidate back into certified status.

K. The Chair will complete the Reinstatement Committee Interview Form and record the committee’s final recommendation for reinstatement and have each of the committee members sign the form.

L. Recommendations to the BCCI Commission on Certification will be one of the following:

Reinstatement Recommended, if the candidate has demonstrated a current understanding of their ministry and the Common Competencies for Professional Chaplaincy.
Further work and subsequent appearance only recommended if the Committee determines that the candidate needs to do additional work towards clarifying their professional development and current understanding of the Common Competencies for Professional Chaplaincy.

M. Once the Committee has reached its decision, the candidate will be invited back into the room and the Committee will inform them of their recommendations.

N. The Chair will ensure that all members return all the materials to the candidate that they have submitted, and have the candidate and each of the committee members sign the Return of Materials form.

O. The Chair will give an Expense Reimbursement Request Form (See Section 3. Part 5) to each of the committee members. Candidates do not receive this form.

P. The Chair will give the following forms to the Area Certification Chair who will forward them on to the BCCI Certification Coordinator.

Q. The BCCI Certification Coordinator will send a copy of the BCCI Reinstatement Committee Report Form to candidate, Committee Chair and the Area Certification Chair within two (2) weeks of the candidate’s interview.

III. Policies for BCCI Committee for Ethical Accountability of a Candidate

A. Based on decisions by the BCCI Commission on Certification in consultation with the APC Commission on Professional Ethics and approved by the APC Board of Directors, the following procedure is to be used by BCCI Reinstatement Committees with regard to past ethical complaints against candidates.

B. The purpose of the Accountability for Ethical Conduct Form is to protect those with whom the professional chaplain works from future harm. APC is not attempting to punish people for past mistakes.

IV. Procedures for BCCI Committee for Ethical Accountability of a Candidate

A. A BCCI Reinstatement Committee should assume that anyone appearing before it has fulfilled the ethics accountability review at the national level. The Accountability for Ethical Conduct Form is not included in the packet of materials sent to the BCCI Reinstatement Committee members.

B. If, upon receiving a candidate’s name, the Area Certification Chair or BCCI Reinstatement Committee member has reason to suspect there may have been a complaint filed against that person or that one is pending, notify the APC CEO immediately. The CEO will check the status of the Accountability for Ethical Conduct Form. If the candidate in question appears before the BCCI Reinstatement Committee, assume that the Accountability for Ethical Conduct Form has been appropriately reviewed. The information in this situation is confidential and therefore should not be questioned.

C. The BCCI Reinstatement Committee may ask no questions and initiate no discussion of past ethical complaints. Ethical issues which never became complaints filed or which arise hypothetically during the interview may be discussed by the committee as part of the normal review of personal, pastoral and professional competence.

If the candidate did reveal the information on the form, thank them for their honesty in sharing that information with the committee. Inform them that further discussion of the situation is neither necessary nor appropriate with the BCCI Reinstatement Committee as it has been addressed to the satisfaction of BCCI. Proceed with the interview.
If the candidate did not report a filed complaint, terminate the interview. The application packet is incomplete. The Accountability for Ethical Conduct Form must be filed and reviewed. A new BCCI Reinstatement Committee may be assembled, if appropriate, after the ethics review.

E. The BCCI Reinstatement Committee is encouraged to report their experiences, observations, and suggestions to the APC Commission on Professional Ethics Chair as this process is evolving to meet the needs of those served.

Section 3. Part 5 – Policies and Procedures for Additional BCCI Certification Committee Administrative Needs

(Revised 6/19)

I. Policies for Additional Administrative Needs

A. BCCI Certification Committee administrative needs are met primarily by the BCCI Certification Coordinator.

B. Additional administrative tasks are performed by the BCCI Commission on Certification as needed. (See Section 5)

II. Procedures for Additional Administrative Needs

A. Administrative needs prior to scheduled BCCI Certification Committees and BCCI Reinstatement Committees.

After a candidate submits an application for certification to the BCCI Certification Coordinator a file is created for the candidate that will contain all of the required materials.
An Application Checklist will be used to assure that the application file is complete.
The BCCI Certification Coordinator reviews the file materials and verifies that all the application materials meet the appropriate policies and are complete and correct.
If the file is determined incomplete for more than one year, the BCCI Certification Coordinator may email the candidate asking them to submit the missing items by a deadline to be determined by the BCCI Certification Coordinator, or may return the entire packet for resubmission.
If the file remains incomplete, an Incomplete/Resubmission Board Certified Chaplain or Associate Certified Chaplain file letter and all application materials are sent to the candidate for future re-submission.
The BCCI Certification Coordinator forwards any documentation of equivalencies and endorsement issues, to the BCCI Commission on Certification designee(s) for review and approval. The Certification Coordinator and/or the APC Chief Operating Officer may consult with the BCCI Commission on Certification Chair or designee(s).
The BCCI Certification Coordinator will review the file again when all pertinent materials have been received, including favorable decisions by the BCCI Commission on Certification designee(s) on any equivalency requests.
If the file is determined complete the BCCI Certification Coordinator will send a notification to the candidate and ask them to select an interview area.
The BCCI Certification Coordinator will send appropriate forms and materials to the BCCI Area Certification Chair, the appointed Certification Committee Chair and the appointed members of the Certification Committee or Reinstatement Committees. (See Section 3. Parts 1-5)

B. Administrative needs following a scheduled Certification Committees or Reinstatement Committees:

The BCCI Certification Coordinator receives all required forms that are to be returned. (See Section 3. Parts 1-4)
The BCCI Certification Coordinator will send the appropriate letter to the candidate, with regard to the recommendation of the Certification Committee.
The BCCI Certification Coordinator will send the completed BCCI Committee Interview Form and an Appeal Form to the candidate.
If the candidate has been recommended for Certified Chaplain, Provisional Certified Chaplain, the BCCI Certification Coordinator will inform the candidate of the necessary information needed prior to the APC annual conference.
If the candidate has been recommended for Provisional Certified or Subsequent Appearance Only, the BCCI Certification Coordinator will inform the candidate of the necessary procedures to meeting again with a Certification Committee and/or to document 2000 hours.
If the candidate has not been recommended for certification, they will receive a letter from the BCCI Commission on Certification Chair.
Upon approval by the BCCI Commission on Certification and the BCCI Board of Directors, approved candidates will receive their certificates at or after the APC annual conference.
The BCCI Certification Coordinator will change the approved candidate’s status in the database to the appropriate certification status, noting the date of certification

Section 3. Part 6 – Policies and Procedures for BCCI Certification Committees Expense Reimbursements

(Revised 4/19)

I. Policies for Certification Committees Expense Reimbursements

A. Expense reimbursement is available to BCCI Certification Committee members who participate in interviews with candidates for certification.

B. APC/BCCI acknowledges dependence upon good stewardship and professional judgment of committee members in requesting reimbursement for expenses.

C. Some expenses will require pre-approval before reservations for travel or accommodations are made.

D. All reimbursements are made for actual expenses and all require receipts to be attached to the request form.

E. Expenses for scheduled certification meetings will be processed according to the following guidelines:

Transportation
1. Mileage for personal car use will be paid at the current IRS approved rate, unless one of the following is true:
  1. Round trip coach airfare is less expensive and more conducive to management of time.
  2. The cost of a rental car and gas is projected to be less than the expense for personal car mileage.
2. If the reimbursement for personal car mileage will exceed $100 or 250 miles round trip, the expense must be pre-approved by the Area Certification Chair. The Committee Chair is responsible for being mindful of these guidelines when enlisting participants for a candidate’s interview.
3. Transportation to committee meetings held at the APC annual conference will not be reimbursed unless the committee member is driving in from the local area and not staying overnight.
4. Expenses for public transportation and parking will be reimbursed.
Lodging
1. Expenses for lodging during the APC annual conference will be reimbursed at a rate of half the cost of the nights spent during the convening of the committees. Expenses for lodging at area certification interviews will be reimbursed at full rate.
2. No reimbursement for overnight lodging will be made without prior approval of the Area Certification Chair when certification interviews are held on an individual basis.
  1. Considerations for requests should include such things as the distance to be traveled later in the day, weather conditions and the availability of more geographically proximate members to serve on the committee.
  2. As always, exceptions will be made to accommodate extenuating circumstances.
Meals
1. Expenses for meals will be reimbursed when the paid receipt is attached to the request form.
2. It is the committee member’s responsibility to be mindful of a reasonable expense based upon geographical location.
3. APC/BCCI will not reimburse for any alcoholic beverages.
4. It is acceptable, if the committee wishes to share a meal, that one receipt be submitted indicating names of all participants.
Personal expenses
1. Personal phone calls and personal items are the responsibility of the individual and are not reimbursable by BCCI.
2. Phone calls for official business are eligible for reimbursement, if not covered by the hosting institution.

F. Candidates are not eligible for any expenses incurred during the certification process.

II. Procedures for Certification Committees Expense Reimbursements

A. If a committee member is seeking reimbursement for expenses over $100, they must contact the Area Certification Chair for prior approval.

B. Committee members will complete, sign and have the Committee Chair sign an Expense Reimbursement Request Form and attach any applicable receipts.

C.The Committee member will submit the required form to the BCCI office for processing.

Section 4 – Policies and Procedures for BCCI Commission on Certification

(Revised 4/19)

I. Policies for BCCI Commission on Certification

A. The BCCI Commission on Certification is accountable to the BCCI Board of Directors while acting with autonomy as needed to carry out the assigned duties and responsibilities.

B. Membership on the Commission includes a Chair slated by the APC Nominating Committee, ratified by the APC membership, who also serves on the APC/BCCI Board of Directors and Executive Committee.

C. Additional members are appointed by the APC President in consultation with the BCCI Commission on Certification Chair and the APC CEO.

D. Occasional task forces may be appointed to assist in carrying out special tasks of the Commission.

II. Procedures for BCCI Commission on Certification

A. Review of recommendations made by BCCI Certification Committees regarding:

Board Certified Chaplain candidates
Provisional Board Certified Chaplain candidates
Associate Certified Chaplain candidates
Provisional Associate Certified Chaplain candidates

B. Review of application materials for BCC candidates who are certified with an Organizational Partner. (See Section 1. Part 3)

C. Review all equivalency materials. (See Section 1. Part 5)

D. Review all issues related to spiritual/faith group endorsement. (See Section 1. Part 6)

E. Review all appeals made from candidates. (See Section 1. Part 7)

F. Make recommendations to the BCCI Board of Directors regarding candidates for certification.

G. Forward approved candidate recommendations to the BCCI Board of Directors for ratification.

H. Review and adjudicate appeals of BCCI Certification Committee recommendations. (See Section 1. Part 7)

I. Monitor and adjust the certification process to best serve the applicants, candidates, Board of Chaplaincy Certification Inc. and the Association of Professional Chaplains.

J. Maintain general oversight of the certification process.

Section 5 – Policies and Procedures for the Administrative Functions of the BCCI National Office

(Revised 4/19)

I. Policies for Administrative Functions of the BCCI National Office

A. The BCCI National Office is headed by the APC Chief Executive Officer and staffed by the BCCI Certification Coordinator.

B. Various BCCI and APC members provide additional consultation and interaction as needed.

II. Procedures for Administrative Functions of the BCCI National Office

A. Materials processing: (See Section 1)

All applications following review by the BCCI Certification Coordinator, the BCCI Commission on Certification Chair, and/or the APC Chief Operating Officer, as appropriate.
Responsible for all communications with applicants and candidates.

B. Notification and coordination of certification activities. (See Section 1)

C. Considerations in the loss of certification:

The APC CEO determines the circumstances related to a pending loss of certification.
The APC CEO or designate will ensure that internal office policies and procedures regarding loss of certification standards are carried out consistently.
See Section 2.

BCCI Certification Manual

Section 1. Part 1 – Policies and Procedures for Board Certification

I. Policies for Certification as a Board-Certified Chaplain

II. Procedures for Certification as a Board-Certified Chaplain

III. Policies for Provisional Board-Certified Chaplains, Subsequent Appearance Only Candidates and Certification Not Recommended for BCC

IV. Procedure for Provisional Board-Certified Chaplain, Subsequent Appearance Only Candidates and Certification Not Recommended for BCC

Section 1. Part 2 – Policies and Procedures for Associate Certification

I. Policies for Certification as an Associate Certified Chaplain

II. Procedures for Certification as an Associate Certified Chaplain

III. Policies for Provisional Associate Certified Chaplains, Subsequent Appearance Only Candidates and Certification Not Recommended for ACC

IV. Procedure for Provisional Associate Certified Chaplain, Subsequent Appearance Only Candidates and Certification Not Recommended for ACC

Section 1. Part 3 – Policies and Procedures for Organizational Partner Members Seeking BCCI Board Certification

I. Policies for ACPE Certified Educators/Associate Educators Seeking Board Certification with BCCI

II. Procedures for ACPE Certified Educators/Associate Educators for ACPE

III. Policies for CASC/ACSS, NACC, NAJC and NAVAC Certified Chaplains Seeking Board Certification with BCCI

IV. Procedures for CASC/ACSS, NACC, NAJC and NAVAC Certified Chaplains Seeking Board Certification with BCCI

Section 1. Part 4 – Policies and Procedures for Certification Mentoring Program

I. Policies for Certification Mentoring Program

II. Procedures for Certification Mentoring Program

Section 1. Part 5 – Policies and Procedures for Certification Equivalencies

I. Definition of an Equivalency

II. Policies and Procedures for Equivalencies for Graduate Degree Requirements

III. Policies and Procedures for Equivalencies for Applicants Whose Faith Tradition Utilizes Mentoring Method of Training

IV. Policies and Procedures for Equivalencies for Clinical Pastoral Education Requirements

V. Policies and Procedures for Equivalencies for Work Experience Requirements

Section 1. Part 6 – Policies and Procedures for Endorsement

I. Policies for Endorsement by a Recognized Spiritual/Faith Group

II. Procedures for Review of a Request for Recognition of a Spiritual/Faith Group

III. Policies for Spiritual/Faith Group Endorsement Equivalencies

IV. Procedures for Spiritual/Faith Group Endorsement Equivalencies

Section 1. Part 7 – Policies and Procedures for Appeals to Meet a New Committee

I. Policies for Appeal of a Candidate to Meet a New BCCI Certification Committee

II. Procedures for Initiating an Appeal of a BCCI Certification Committee’s Recommendation

III. Procedures for Reviewing an Appeal of a BCCI Certification Committee’s Recommendation

Section 2. Part 1 – Policies and Procedures for Maintenance of BCCI Certification

I. Policies and Procedures for Maintenance of BCCI Certification

II. Maintenance of Certification Peer Review Process

Section 2. Part 2 – Policies and Procedures for Retired and Temporary Inactive Status

I. Policies and Procedures for Retired Status

II. Policies and Procedures for Temporary Inactive Status

Section 2. Part 3 – Policies and Procedures for Loss of BCCI Certification

I. Policies for Loss of Certification

II. Procedures for Loss of Certification Due to Reasons Other Than APC Code of Ethics Violation

III. Procedures for Loss of Certification Due to APC Code of Ethics Violation

Section 2. Part 4 – Policies and Procedures for Reinstatement of BCCI Certification

I. Policies for Reinstatement of Active Certification

II. Procedures for Reinstatement of Active Certification

Section 3. Part 1 – Policies and Procedures for BCCI Certification Committees

I. Policies for BCCI Certification Committees

II. Procedures for BCCI Certification Committees

III. Policies for BCCI Committee for Ethical Accountability of a Candidate

IV. Procedures for BCCI Committee for Ethical Accountability of a Candidate

Section 3. Part 2 – Policies and Procedures for BCCI Certification Committee Chair

I. Policies for BCCI Certification Committee Chair

II. Procedures for BCCI Certification Committee Chair

Section 3. Part 3 – Policies and Procedures for BCCI Certification Committee Presenter

I. Policies for BCCI Certification Committee Presenter

II. Procedures for BCCI Certification Committee Presenter

Section 3. Part 4 – Policies and Procedures for BCCI Reinstatement Committees

I. Policies for BCCI Reinstatement Committees

II. Procedures for BCCI Reinstatement Committees

III. Policies for BCCI Committee for Ethical Accountability of a Candidate

IV. Procedures for BCCI Committee for Ethical Accountability of a Candidate

Section 3. Part 5 – Policies and Procedures for Additional BCCI Certification Committee Administrative Needs

I. Policies for Additional Administrative Needs

II. Procedures for Additional Administrative Needs

Section 3. Part 6 – Policies and Procedures for BCCI Certification Committees Expense Reimbursements

I. Policies for Certification Committees Expense Reimbursements

II. Procedures for Certification Committees Expense Reimbursements

Section 4 – Policies and Procedures for BCCI Commission on Certification

II. Procedures for BCCI Commission on Certification

Section 5 – Policies and Procedures for the Administrative Functions of the BCCI National Office

I. Policies for Administrative Functions of the BCCI National Office

II. Procedures for Administrative Functions of the BCCI National Office

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