Another week, more exciting updates about the work your association is doing to raise the level of professionalism of PATH Intl. credentials and getting ready for application to the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) for accreditation of the PATH Intl. Registered Therapeutic Riding Instructor Certification.

Thank you for the positive feedback we received regarding last week's communication and for being such an engaged membership! We hope this newsletter will continue to inform and live up to your expectations. If you have questions or feedback about this accreditation process, we have opened this feedback link where you can leave your comments and if required, someone will get back to you.

Today's Topic: Credentialing Councils

What is a credentialing council?
A credentialing council is a group of individuals appointed or elected to govern one or more certification programs and is responsible for all certification decision making, including governance of testing processes and administration.

Why will PATH Intl. establish a credentialing council?
NCCA Standard 3 requires that a certification program be structured and governed in a manner that ensures autonomy in decision making and protects the certification program from undue influence that could compromise the integrity of the certification process. Autonomy, administrative independence and protection from undue influence apply to both the potential influence of outside organizations or internal influence (i.e. membership and education components of PATH Intl.).

How will a credentialing council serve the PATH Intl. Membership?
As equine-assisted activities and therapies become more scrutinized due to the increase in visibility, legitimizing the industry and profession has escalated in importance. The PATH Intl. Credentialing Council will ensure consistent, fair, transparent and valid testing practices for all candidates applying to PATH Intl. for certification. The creation of an independent, unbiased credentialing council will also distinguish PATH Intl. certifications as preeminent among EAAT credentials. This distinction will serve as a step in the direction of greater recognition by external organizations and potential partners such as medical professionals, higher education institutions and insurers. An accredited certification will be far more meaningful to families, caregivers and participants.

What will a credentialing council look like?

The credentialing council will function as a division within PATH Intl. The PATH Intl. Board of Trustees will retain general governance authority over the credentialing council; however, the credentialing council will function autonomously with respect to certification and accreditation. The council will be made up of a group of elected volunteers. NCCA Standard 3 requires that:

For a more detailed description of the council, click here to read the pending Credentialing Council Charter. It will be approved by the PATH Intl. Board of Trustees at the next board meeting on September 26, but we wanted to share it with you now. Please note this pending charter refers to an upcoming bylaw amendment that is also mentioned below. Look for details regarding the amendment in next week's communication and an official bylaw change and vote notification to follow on September 15.

How will a credentialing council be established?

1) Since it is a new independent body within the association structure, the creation of a credentialing council necessitates an addition to the PATH Intl. bylaws.

2) The PATH Intl. Credentialing Council Development Workgroup of PATH Intl. Certified Professionals with certification and/or accreditation experience outside of PATH Intl will be assembled.

This workgroup will help define test and certification prerequisites, exam blueprints, write reference-based test questions, develop new policies and procedures that meet NCCA standards, and establish a nominating committee for elected representatives of the aforementioned new PATH Intl. Credentialing Council (election scheduled for December 2016).

Sound interesting? PATH Intl. is specifically looking for experience in the following:

*   Assessment development (also known as test development)

*   Item writing

*   Standards organizations such as the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA), ANSI/ISO, Council on Licensure, Enforcement and Regulation (CLEAR)

This workgroup will be an eight month effort from September 19, 2016 - May 19, 2017 and will operate under the following credo:

*   I am a team player

*   I am putting the public first

*   I am open to change

*   I am invested in the strategic direction of the organization

*   I am an advocate for fair, unbiased certification examinations

If you are interested in joining this workgroup, please save this form to your computer, complete it and email it to as well as any questions you might have to Adrienne Segundo.

Credentialing Council Development Workgroup form

What's next?

Look for next week's communication about the bylaw change required to add a credentialing council to the PATH Intl. organizational structure. For those of you attending the PATH Intl. Conference and Annual Meeting in Williamsburg, VA in November, please read the bylaw addition language in advance as it will be voted on at the Annual Meeting Friday morning.

A webinar is scheduled for the third week of September for those interested in more detailed information about the forming of the credentialing council and the required addition to the bylaws. The webinar is free, open to all and will be presented by Adrienne Segundo, IOM, credentialing specialist from Limitless Association Solution Resource, LLC, and PATH Intl. CEO Kathy Alm. The live webinar will be offered for the first 50 registrants and it will be recorded making it available to everyone to watch at any time after. Watch for information on how to register for the webinar soon.