Individual Certification

It is important to upgrade crisis worker skills to improve both their confidence and competence in working with people in crisis and, most of all, those at-risk of suicide.

Crisis center training programs are often strongest in their emphasis on building listening and communication skills. That said, recent research has shown that these skill-sets, trained to but not always fully incorporated, are too-often not maintained once staff and/or volunteers engage actual crisis work. Moreover, the very potential for suicidal behavior by a caller is an extremely anxiety-provoking and inhibiting threat to effective crisis work. Questions that should be asked and information that should be sought in order to adequately evaluate whether a caller may be suicidal simply are not in evidence.

The training program AAS offers is designed to provide a standardized set of understandings and opportunities to practice both basic crisis worker skills and more advanced skills that, we believe, will help crisis workers be the best they can be. With this training and reading the backup bibliographic resources, they should be well prepared to successfully pass the AAS’s individual crisis worker certification exam.

Fees for the Crisis Worker Training Preparation Course for the online exam are approximately $145/person. This includes all expenses. Fees will vary depending on the number of participants in the session and the costs of flights and accommodation.

For more information please contact
Joan Wright, Director of Accreditation and Certification

Resources

Crisis Worker Certification Training Webinar

Individual Certification Manual [PDF]

Application for Re-Certification as Crisis Worker [PDF]

Application for Crisis Worker Exam Proctors [PDF]