CCPA’s Canadian Certified Counsellor (CCC) designation grants members certification for a period of three years and is renewable through an application process which includes the requirement of 36 continuing education credits (CECs) per period.
CCPA evaluates continuing education via the two following pathways:
Indigenous CEC Program
Activities Approved for CEC’s
The CEC program reviews a wide variety of professional events, including workshops, conferences, webinars, institutes and courses, and grants credit to those events that provide quality information for continued education.
We are pleased to announce that starting January 1st the CCPA Board of Directors has approved the implementation of a Continuing Education Trust System, based on recommendations from the Quality Assurance Committee and extensive feedback from our membership and staff.
What This Means for our CCCs
- CCCs will no longer be required to submit Continuing Education Credits (CECs).
- We are transitioning to an auditing system.
Members will be able to renew their membership and certification without submitting CECs, unless selected for an audit. - If selected for an audit, CCCs will receive three months’ notice to gather and submit continuing education documents.
- CCCs must keep records of CE activities in the event of an audit.
- CEC applications will only be accepted if they are linked to an audit, or an administrative fee is paid if the request is outside of an audit.
Why This Change?
In January 2024, the CCPA Quality Assurance (QA) Committee conducted a survey of members regarding the Continuing Education Credits program. We received hundreds of responses, providing valuable insights and suggestions.
Members voiced a strong desire for a trust-based reporting system, expressing that it would improve efficiency, reduce administrative burden, and simplify the CE reporting process. The QA Committee subsequently recommended exploring this trust system, and the Board fully supported moving forward.
This initiative aims to:
1. Streamline reporting requirements,
2. Simplify forms and processes,
3. Reduce manual administrative workloads, and
4. Enhance overall member satisfaction.
Research into comparable regulatory bodies and professional associations confirmed that a trust system offers a more effective and member-friendly approach. By empowering members to self-report and only requiring documentation during audits, we expect to significantly reduce processing delays and improve operational efficiency.
What Hasn’t Changed
- CCCs are still required to complete a minimum of 36 hours of continuing education per certification period, even though they are no longer required to submit them.
- Pre-accreditations will continue to be processed and approvals posted on our website.
- The topics/categories of activities accepted for CECs (as outlined in the CEC chart) remain the same.
Key Dates
- January 2026
We will no longer process CEC applications outside of an audit, with the following exceptions:- Pre-accreditations
- CCPA Chapter events
- CCPA events (e.g., webinars, workshops, conferences)
- Upon CCPA member request (for a fee)
- February 1, 2026
We will begin contacting members selected for audit.