Palliative Care and Hospice Advanced Certification (PCHAC)

About Palliative Care and Hospice Advanced Certification (PCHAC)

The palliative care and hospice literature continues to demonstrate positive outcomes for patients and families who receive specialized care, and for this reason the various disciplines providing palliative care and hospice care have focused on the education, training, and certification of professionals providing this advanced level of care.

The National Association of Catholic Chaplains and BCCi are delighted to recognize the expertise, specialized skills, advanced education, and unique experience of professional palliative care and hospice chaplains with an advanced certification beyond the Board Certified Chaplain (BCC) designation. Board Certified Chaplains who successfully complete the advanced certification process are designated as BCC-PCHAC (Board Certified Chaplain – Palliative Care & Hospice Advanced Certification), signifying that they have mastered the spiritual care competencies necessary for palliative care/hospice, including end-of-life care and care of those with life-limiting conditions. Previous specialty certified BCC-ACHPC and BCC-HPCC chaplains will change their credentials to BCC-PCHAC.

Informational Webinar Recording

The NACC recently hosted an informational webinar on PCHAC advanced certification. Click HERE to access the recording. Click HERE to access the PowerPoint Slides.

Characteristics of PCHAC Chaplaincy

Overarching Characteristics are foundational for advanced chaplaincy care which will be demonstrated through the competencies.

• Understanding of and practice in all eight domains of the National Consensus Project on Palliative Care
• Exemplifies advanced transdisciplinary integrated practice
• Reflects educated compassion- integrating the total pain, including medical, psycho-social, spiritual and emotional compassionate response
• Demonstrates the ability to be an emotional broker while holding various emotions and facilitating communication.
• Offers ethical mediation, including but not limited too understanding of futile care
• Provide moral distress diffusion for staff, care recipients and families

Prerequisites (Qualifications)

• Full membership in the NACC (Qualification 601.QUA1).
• Board Certification as a NACC Chaplain or Educator for a minimum of one year. (Qualification 601.QUA2)
• Direct clinical palliative care and/or hospice work experience spanning over three (3) years at a minimum of 520 hours per year. (Qualification 601.QUA3)
• Completion of an intensive palliative care and/or hospice course equivalent to three (3) credit hours (45 hours). (Qualification 601.QUA4)
• Suggested reading: (Qualification 601.QUA5)
  • “Improving the Quality of Spiritual Care as a Dimension of Palliative Care: The Report of the Consensus Conference” by Christina Puchalski, Betty Ferrell, Rose Virani, Shirley Otis-Green, Pamela Baird, Janet Bull, Harvey Chochinov, George Handzo, Holly Nelson-Becker, Maryjo Prince-Paul, Karen Pugliese, and Daniel Sulmasy (Journal of Palliative Medicine, Vol. 12, No. 10 Special Report, Oct. 2009) Full text at doi.org/10.1089/jpm.2009.0142
    Clinical Practice Guidelines for Quality Palliative Care, 4th edition
    National Consensus Project S Clinical Practice Guidelines For Quality Palliative Care Fourth Edition: Why Is This Important To Chaplains
  • Gone From My Sight: The Dying Experience, Barbara Karnes, RN
    bkbooks.com/products/gone-from-my-sight-the-dying-experience
    www.amazon.com/Gone-My-Sight-Dying-Experience/dp/B00072HSCY
  • Hard Choices for Loving People: CPR, Artificial Feeding, Comfort Care, and the Patient with a Life-Threatening Illness, Hank Dunn
    hankdunn.com/purchase/hard-choices-for-loving-people
    www.amazon.com/Hard-Choices-Loving-People-Palliative/dp/099726120X

The NACC encourages Applicants for Advanced Certification to engage in a mentoring relationship with a NACC Palliative Care and Hospice Advanced Certified Chaplain or Certified Educator upon entering the certification process.

If you have any questions about the PCHAC application process, please contact Anita Houghton at certification@nacc.org.

Ways to Apply

Advanced Certification consists of written materials and an interview in which an Interview Team assesses the Applicant’s competency for Advanced Certification. At the completion of the interview, the Interview Team recommends or does not recommend the Applicant to the Certification Commission for Advanced Certification. It is the decision of the Certification Commission to certify or not certify.
Click here for  information

Application Fee for Advanced Certification: $425.00

PLEASE SUBMIT ALL APPLICATION DOCUMENTS VIA EMAIL TO certification@nacc.org USING MS WORD.

DEADLINE – July 15, 2023 for interview in Fall 2023 . 

DEADLINE –  December 15, 2023 for interview in Winter 2024.

Resources & Materials

Brochure
PCHAC Joint NACC APC Process Brochure Revised 4 2019

Qualifications and Competencies
Competencies for Palliative Care & Hospice Advanced Certification

Certification Procedures Manual
ACC Certification Procedures Manual Part Three, Palliative Care Hospice Advanced Certification (PCHAC)

Palliative Care and Hospice Application Form 
PCH Application Form

Clinical Practice Guidelines for Quality Palliative Care, 4th edition
Clinical Practice Guidelines for Quality Palliative Care, 4th edition, create a blueprint for excellence by establishing a comprehensive foundation for gold-standard palliative care for all people living with serious illness, regardless of their diagnosis, prognosis, age or setting.
Clinical Practice Guidelines for Quality Palliative Care, 4th edition