ABSTRACT
The certification movement in life care planning service delivery was officially established in the spring of 1996, with the first group test administration of the certified life care planner (CLCP) examination delivered in Atlanta, GA, and San Francisco. However, the movement actually began several years earlier with the incorporation of the Commission on Disability Examiner Certification (CDEC) and the establishment of the Board of Commissioners. The Commission on Health Care Certification (CHCC) evolved from the CDEC as the premier certifying agency in life care planning service delivery, after much organizational changes and restructuring. Input from professionals certified in any one of the agency’s two certifications and the Board of Commissioners has contributed to the growth and success of the CHCC in its certification specialty areas, especially in life care planning service delivery. This chapter traces the development of the Commission on Health Care Certification, from its days as a monolithic certifying agency trading as the Commission on Disability Examiner Certification, to its current status in health care service delivery as a multicertification agency. Furthermore, it reviews the credentialing process that includes licensure, registration, and accreditation, in addition to certification. Each of these credentialing processes is reviewed with definitions and applications to their respective fields. The development of the certification examination and the qualifications required of a rehabilitation professional to be approved as a certification candidate are detailed and discussed. The examination has undergone numerous reviews with ongoing item reliability and validation research, thus resulting in an ever-changing examination in terms of content. The reader will find that the qualifications to sit for the CLCP examination are extremely restricted, with a more recent application of policy
in related health care professions. Finally, an overview of the CHCC ethics review process is offered with an accompanying case study synopsis. The commission has reviewed specific complaints from certified and noncertified practitioners alike and five case reviews are detailed with the commission’s ruling for each ethical complaint.
