A NACC member who holds Board Certification in one of the Strategic Partners in Spiritual Care (Strategic Partners) may apply to have his/her certification recognized by NACC. Strategic Partners approved for recognition of certification by the NACC are indicated in CP411-413.
Chaplain Certification:
- Association of Professional Chaplains (APC)
- Canadian Association for Spiritual Care (CASC/ACSS)
- National Conference of Veterans’ Affairs Catholic Chaplains (NCVACC)
- National Association of Veterans’ Affairs Chaplains (NAVAC)
Certified Associate Chaplain (CAC):
- Association of Professional Chaplains (APC)
Educator Certification:
- ACPE
- Canadian Association for Spiritual Care (CASC)
Palliative Care and Hospice Advanced Certification (PCHAC):
- Association of Professional Chaplains (APC)
- National Association of Veterans’ Affairs Chaplains (NAVAC)
Prerequisites
- Full membership in the NACC (Qualification 301.QUA2).
- Documented proof of membership and valid certification by one of the accepted
strategic partners (CP411-CP414). - If the Applicant is a lay person, the Applicant requests that a current letter of
recommendation from his/her pastor or from a priest in active ministry be
submitted by the pastor/priest directly to the NACC National Office (Qualification
301.QUA1). Letter is to be a signed original on letterhead. Current is defined as
within one year of application for certification recognition. This letter accompanies
the request for ecclesiastical endorsement initiated by the NACC National Office. - The NACC National Office requests a current letter of ecclesiastical endorsement
(Qualification 301.QUA1). Current is defined as within one year of application for
certification recognition. The NACC will complete the endorsement request on the
Applicant’s behalf. - Adherence to the NACC Code of Ethics and knowledge of the requirements of that
Code (Code of Ethics 100). - Current completion of the NACC Ethics Accountability Statement (Code of Ethics
206.11.1). Current is defined as within one year of application for certification
recognition.
Ecclesiastical endorsement is formal approval for ministry by:
- The Bishop of the diocese of the Applicant’s ministry if the Applicant is a lay
person, or - The major superior if the Applicant is a member of a religious order, or
- The Ordinary (understood as the Bishop of the diocese where the priest or
deacon is incardinated) if the Applicant is a diocesan priest or deacon.
Documents Required to Apply for Recognition of Certification
- Recognition application form available upon becoming a full member.
- Checklist For Supportive Materials Required For Recognition Of Certification By Cognate Group (Updated Feb 2019)
- Certification Procedures Manual for Recognition
- Code of Ethics for Spiritual Care Professionals
- NACC Ethics and Accountability Statement
- NACC Required eLearning Module and Post-Test – ERDs
- Narrative Statement I Template – NACC Specific Competencies
- Narrative Statement I Writing Guide – NACC Specific Competencies
- Integrative Theological Essay Instructions-ITP2.1
Qualifications and Competencies
Qualifications and Competencies for Certification of Chaplains (2015-2021) – updated October 2016
Qualifications and Competencies – Advanced Certification Hospice Palliative Care (2015-2021) – updated October 2016
Qualifications for Renewal of Certification of Board Certified Educators (2015-2012)– updated December 2017
Code of Ethics
Code of Ethics for Spiritual Care Professionals (2015-2012)
Ethics Procedures Manual – Updated September 2018
Certification Procedures
Recognition of Strategic Partner Certification Procedures – Part Four of the Procedures Manual, updated December 2018
Certification Appeals Part Nine of the Procedures Manual, updated Dec. 2020
