Human Services Credential

Becoming an HS-BCP
(Human Services-Board Certified Practitioner)

What is this credential?

Created by The Center for Credentialing & Education (CCE), with the assistance from the National Organization for Human Services (NOHS) and using the Council for Standards in Human Service Education (CSHSE), the credentialing process was made for human services practitioners, and students if applicable seeking to advance their careers by obtaining independent verification of their practical knowledge and educational background.

How does this help me?

With the human services field rapidly growing, the HS-BCP credential is a way for individuals to stand out above the rest when being considered for hire. It allows practitioners, and students if applicable, to stand out as part of a distinguished group known for their commitment to the field.

Experience and Education Needed to Apply

Applicants must have an associate degree or higher in the human services or related field, from a regionally accredited college or university, or state-approved community or junior college, as well as verify 350 hours of postgraduate human services work experiences.  The following applicants are exempt:

  1. Human services educators with qualifying degrees who are currently employed in human services education programs. In lieu of the form, please submit a statement on letterhead from the school that attests to your involvement with the human services education program.
  2. Graduates of CSHSE-accredited programs.
  3. Certain graduates of preapproved participating programs.

If your degree is in another field other than human services, counseling, social work, psychology, marriage and family therapy, or criminal justice, you must complete a minimum of 15 semester hours (22 quarter hours), or have coursework in three or more of the content areas listed below, including at minimum 2 semester hours (3 quarter hours) in ethics in the helping professions, 2 semester hours (3 quarter hours) in interviewing intervention skills, and 2 semester hours (3 quarter hours) in case management.

  1. Interviewing and Intervention Skills
  2. Group Work
  3. Case Management
  4. Human Development
  5. Ethics in the Helping Professions
  6. Social and Cultural Issues
  7. Social Problems
  8. Assessment/Treatment Planning
  9. Intervention Models/Theories
  10. Human Behavior
  11. Social Welfare/Public Policy

Exam Information

The exam covers information in the following areas:

  1. Assessment, treatment planning and outcome evaluation
  2. Theoretical orientations/interventions
  3. Case management, professional practice and ethics
  4. Administration, program development/evaluation and supervision

Practitioner Registration

After submitting your application and meeting the requirements for education and experience, you will be able to sit for the exam. You may submit your application at any time. Once the payment is processed, CCE will review the application within 10 business days. Upon approval, CCE will send exam registration information to you. Applications are held open for three years and you can take the test a maximum of three times with a three-month wait in between.

Student Registration

Students enrolled in participating programs can register and take the HS-BCP exam prior to graduation and apply for the credential at the time of the exam. The school will provide the necessary private access code (PAC) and voucher number prior to registering for the exam. Once you have submitted the application and meet the requirements for education and experience, you can sit for the exam.

Fees
Service Charge
Application $210
Exam Registration $100
Annual Renewal $40
Late Fee $15
Reinstatement $50
Replacement Certificate $20

You must renew your credential every year by the due on the statement that will be sent to you to maintain certification. If you fail to do so, the certification become inactive. Reactivation must be done by filling out a reinstatement application and paying the fee and paying any past due balance from the certification.

You must complete 60 clock hours of relevant continuing education every five years to recertify. If this documentation and payment by the expiration date is not submitted, then the certification will expire. To reinstate an expired certification, one must complete the reinstatement application, pay the fee, pay any past due balance, and submit the documentation of 60 continuing education clock hours.

*For more info on how to continue education once you have obtained the HS-BCP certification and for a list of schools who work with the CCE to take the exam with a voucher prior to graduation, go to http://www.cce-global.org/HSBCP. Also visit https://www.nationalhumanservices.org for information on the organization and how to become a member of the NOHS and the Tau Upsilon Alpha Honor Society.