Why Certification? A Case for Professional Excellence

By: Marie C. Shafe, EdD, LMHC, NCC, CEDS, CGP, DAPA
Certification Committee
Professor, Graduate Studies in Counseling, Rollins College, Winter Park, FL

Our ever-changing world requires constant learning-in our personal lives, our professional lives and the global world in which we live. We are confronted with complexities that demand greater depth of knowledge, training and experience. These can no longer be professed without documentation through impartial, measurable standards. Specializations are evident in every dimension of healthcare, education, business, government entities, and the list goes on. Consumers are increasingly more knowledgeable and sophisticated about specializations and constructs of areas of expertise. A more educated populace, the Internet, globalization, and real-time media investigations add to the information age.

The mental health field offers a wide array of specializations and professionals claiming proficiency in any number of these specialty areas. Consumers, employers and fellow professionals need a standard by which to measure credentials and claims of competency. Certification offers a rigorous set of criteria developed by experts in the eating disorders field to afford an independent evaluation of education, training, knowledge, and experience. Even so, mental health and nutrition professionals may ask the question: Why be certified? Some of the reasons are outlined below.

1. Certification provides a professional identity. Eating disorders professionals demonstrate a commitment to eating disorders treatment as a profession and not just a sideline. Certification validates knowledge, training, and experience. The certified eating disorders clinician or nutritionist is proclaiming one's chosen specialty and one's ability to perform to prescribed standards.

2. Certification promotes high quality, ethical standards of practice. Certified individuals demonstrate a commitment to high standards of treatment and continuing education by meeting the rigorous standards for certification and Recertification. Consistency of a tested level of competency is demonstrated.

3. Certification enhances credibility, prestige and respect by demonstrating a commitment to self-regulation by a national entity of peers. It is a mark of professional accomplishment and personal achievement as established by a third party measure of status and credibility among peers and general public consumers. A mastery within the eating disorders field is demonstrated.

4. Certification increases consumer confidence. Because there is recognition of the individual as having met a high level of professional standards in training, experience and knowledge through performance on a national examination and review process, consumers can be assured of a measured set of skills, knowledge, education, and experience. Consumers can also be assured that an informed third party of peers applied definitive standards.

5. Certification increases marketability of services and competence. Whether employers, consumers or fellow professionals, persons needing information on eating disorders treatment or treatment professionals can be more confident of the expertise possessed by the certified professional. Certification provides an "edge" in the competitive marketplace of consumers and employers.

6. Certification is a measure of professional excellence. It not only validates knowledge, education and experience, certification pushes the individual beyond satisfactory limits to criteria of excellence. It is the essence of professional growth and personal achievement because it significantly raises the bar on standards of competence, practice and continuing education. There is validation of professional growth and experience as documented by a knowledgeable supervisor.

7. Certification recognizes those who work to improve themselves professionally. Through certification renewal at two-year intervals, professionals demonstrate a commitment to keep updated with developments in the eating disorders field. Individuals attend seminars, classes and conferences to learn and share the latest developments in research and practice with like-minded colleagues. A requirement of Recertification is to attend at least one (1) IAEDP symposium within the two (2) year Recertification interval.

8. Certification reflects personal satisfaction that goes beyond job descriptions or title. It reflects one's accomplishment of meeting high standards and achieving membership among a select group of other persons who have met such rigorous criteria. It allows one the opportunity to acknowledge to oneself strengths, competencies, experiences and achievements.

9. Certification enhances the profession's image to promote excellence. As the professional of eating disorders addresses the enormous need for education and treatment, certification sets us apart in the competitive marketplace. It moves us all towards the recognition and respect deserved for the expertise we have and the work we do.

10. Certification denotes a dedication to a future-orientation. Certification is evidence that both the individual professional and IAEDP, as the granting organization, are diligent in seeking further training, education, research and competency in addressing the myriad complexities of eating disorders. It also signifies the commitment to enhanced mental health parity and advocacy for persons suffering from eating disorders.

Some people complain that those who work in the eating disorders field are not afforded the recognition and high regard deserved in proportion to the complexity and depth of expertise and clinical skills demanded when working with the eating disorders population. One way to improve these conditions, enhance the profession's image, and raise visibility and credibility is to participate in the certification program.

Credibility and strength of Certification and of certified professionals can only increase with greater participation. As the professionals with the expertise in eating disorders treatment, it is imperative that we set the Standards of Practice and enhance visibility of such standards through a certification program that is rigorous and demanding of a high level of competence. The current IAEDP Certification sets such standards. Any individual who becomes certified deserves the recognition and designation of professional excellence that accompanies such certification.

As a member of IAEDP, you are strongly encouraged to stretch yourself toward the impartial, measurable standards of excellence demonstrated through certification. What is holding you back from you own personal acceleration towards Standards of Excellence by applying for certification as a CEDS or CEDSN?