by Geof Tio, Certification Liaison
Board Certification is a review process intended for qualifying core competencies of practitioners in the field of pastoral and spiritual care. In a grassroots organization like CSCPF, support, accountability, and decisions concerning certification take place in a local practitioner community. Practitioner community members are provided training in certification review process, aiming to be equipped and competent in offering professional peer review and consult. A certified Review Liaison from the Center sits with the review panel in particular and with the practitioner community in general providing support, education, and lending a pair of eyes to observe the process and dynamics involved in certification. The main responsibility of the Certification Liaison is to provide training and education necessary for the whole community to bridge gaps in standards that may exist between the Center, practitioner communities, and learning centers.
