Welcome to the revised CEC Competencies!
Welcome to the revised CEC Competencies! The Certification Commission spent many hours reviewing our existing CEC Competencies to make them clearer, more concise and internally consistent within and across Phases. We are grateful to the ACPE Antibias Workgroup who gave us their suggestions on how to better incorporate justice, equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility values. Our hope is that these revised Competencies will now flow better between the various Phases and will build upon one another.
There are now fewer total competencies.
- Admissions has been reduced from 51 to 26 competencies.
- Phase 1 has been reduced from 62 to 24 competencies.
- Phase 2 has been reduced from 61 to 26 competencies.
The revised Competencies keep the spirit of the original Competencies and are not a change to the CEC process.
Note that many of the previous competencies related to Organizational Leadership and Accreditation will be addressed in a new way in Phase 2, outlined below. Additionally, relevant Accreditation standards have been cross-referenced.
Here is a summary of the broad expectations for each Phase in the CEC process:
- Admissions: The Aspirant is expected to demonstrate excellent provision of spiritual care and show potential as a future ACPE Certified Educator.
- Phase 1: The CEC is expected to demonstrate basic competency in their educational practice.
- Phase 2: The CEC is expected to deepen and evaluate their competency as an educator and have a plan for continued growth.
Each Competency is accompanied by guiding questions to help clarify, spark exploration and give suggestions for evidence. The requirement to provide up to 3 pieces of evidence for each competency has not changed. Reflection essays addressing the guiding questions may be used as part of your evidence. However, please continue to use student vignettes, recordings, evaluations, required Portfolio items, etc. that speak to your competency. The evidence provided should be new and not from a previous phase. The required Portfolio materials have not changed. Click here for the requirements.
Phase 2 CECs are now required to:
- Complete an ACPE educational training in Organizational Leadership
- Participate as an observer in a 6-Year Accreditation Review and Site Visit (see Phase II Core Curriculum)
- Upload curriculum that addresses Level I/II Outcomes and Indicators (see P2.15)
There are no longer categories because of the reduction in the number of competencies. However, the previous categories can serve as CEC curriculum objectives for learning if that is helpful. These include:
- Professionalism (Values and Attributes; Ethics; Reflective Practice and Self-Care)
- Relationships and Identity (Relational Abilities; Identity Formation; Cultural Awareness/Humility)
- Education (Curriculum Development; Teaching Skills; Assessment of Learning; Intervention; Consultation)
- Conceptualization and Theories (Spiritual Care Theology/Philosophy and History; Supervision and Behavioral Sciences; Educational and Personality Theory; Systems Theory; Research Knowledge and Methodology; Implementation of Theories)
- Application and Integration (Pastoral/Spiritual Care Practice; Practice of Supervision; Integration of Theory and Practice)
- Leadership and Organizational Development (Organizational Systems; Management and Administration; Accreditation and ACPE Standards; Continuous Improvement)
Timeline for Implementation of the Revised Competencies
On January 1st, 2025 the revised Competencies are available for use in the ACPE Certification Manual. CECs may opt to immediately use the revised Competencies or continue to use the outgoing Competencies until they complete their current phase. CECs will be assessed in their next phase using the revised Competencies. January 1st, 2026, all will use the revised Competencies.