Learning centers are searching for ways to differentiate their services, attract and engage new clients, and provide additional third-party training and certification for their staff.
With cognitive disorders on the rise, it is essential that staff receive proper training to support these students in addition to the proprietary interventions offered by learning centers and cognitive achievement centers.
Many organizations also struggle with maintaining staff professional development over time and filling knowledge gaps to ensure a comprehensive onboarding program. In addition, training and certification in specific areas from third party boards can help demonstrate credibility and staff depth of knowledge, which can impact customer confidence.
How Can Cognitive Centers and Learning Centers Distinguish Themselves?
Customer confidence in the various methodologies of centers can be supported and boosted by third-party, evidence-based training and certification. Often, when parents of children with autism and other disorders such as ADHD, dyslexia and anxiety, are looking for trusted professionals, they want to see specialized training and feel secure that staff will understand their individual child’s needs.
Board Certified Cognitive Center Certification – Center Feedback
Brain Balance Achievement Centers
The corporate team at Brain Balance worked with IBCCES to implement the BCCC program at dozens of centers nationwide in 2019 and 2020. Lisa Webber, Franchise Support Manager of Brain Balance, had her centers complete the BCCS and CCC certification and training programs with the goal to enhance their knowledge and work better with students with anxiety, autism, ADHD, and dyslexia.
The Importance of Good Training Across Learning Centers
Webber also shares how she has seen the certification improving student outcomes within their centers and says that her staff was able to learn new techniques to implement in their centers as well as different ways to approach and think about how to work with students.
After undergoing the training program, the Brain Balance team has noticed that it has helped their centers stand apart from competition because they can say that they have board certified centers and staff, which is something the majority of cognitive learning centers do not have.
Certifications Offer Standardized Verification and Knowledge
Many centers serve students and individuals who have diverse challenges and co-occurring disorders such as autism, dyslexia, ADHD and anxiety. This means that a practitioner will need to have background in all of these areas to be able to adapt accordingly.
IBCCES, along with its board of clinical experts, special education leaders and autism advocates, created the Board Certified Cognitive Specialist (BCCS) and Certified Cognitive Coach (CCC) programs to provide 14 hours of continuing education and professional certification to help professionals working with individuals with those specific disorders.
Once more than 80 percent of center staff become individually certified, the center itself is eligible to receive the Board Certified Cognitive Center designation.
The Board Certified Cognitive Center designation is meant for organizations who serve individuals with cognitive needs. Within both the BCCS and CCC training programs, health professionals can expect high-quality training content that covers best practices and useful strategies regarding serving individuals with autism, anxiety, ADHD, and dyslexia. The two programs also cover topics such as inclusion, early childhood identification, and avoiding litigation.
BCCS vs. CCC Certification
The BCCS and CCC certifications are similar, however the BCCS requires a Master’s degree and two years of experience in the field or a Bachelor’s degree plus 10 years of experience. Both require the passing of a competency exam and 14 CEs of training. These programs were both designed by experts of the IBCCES advisory board, including international leaders in the educational field, Tier 1 University researchers, master educators, and clinical professionals. Both were created based on feedback from leaders in education to address the most-needed training topics.
Benefits of Becoming Certified
Centers who become Board Certified Cognitive Centers (BCCC) receive benefits for the center itself and the staff members who get certified. Increased exposure through marketing and communication support and promotion along with tangible assets such as certificates, window clings, and digital badges and registry listings indicate to potential and current clients that the center has gone above and beyond to ensure professional development for its staff and the specialized skills gained through the certification process.
Stand Out Amongst Competition
Having the certification will put your center a step above others. The certification demonstrates your expertise and having third-party recognition of that expertise will play an important factor when parents are deciding which center to send their child to.
“It gives our families a lot of confidence in who is working with their child as that’s a common question we get from families before they decide to enroll in our program,” said Lisa Webber, Brain Balance Franchise Support Manager.
Improve Outcomes
When your staff completes unified training this ensures that the outcomes their services result in will be improved. Though your staff may have diverse backgrounds, the certification programs will allow everyone to receive the same information and develop useful skills that can be implemented immediately. Not only does this result in happier clients, but also an empowered staff.
Inspire Confidence
Confidence, trust, and credibility are all important factors that parents consider when deciding where to send their child. This certification and third-party endorsement from an internationally recognized leader in cognitive disorders will help to increase these factors.
Specialized Learning
By becoming a Board Certified Cognitive Center, you not only provide specialized training for your staff through the certification, but you also give them the opportunity for continued learning and your team has access to ongoing resources and support within the IBCCES community.
Benefits for Individuals
- Enhance your professional reputation and credibility.
- Recognize your mastery of specialist level training in cognitive disorders.
- Increase your opportunity for career advancement and increased earnings.
- Recognize your voluntary effort to meet rigorous professional standards in ongoing professional development.
- Include your name on the online public registry of Certified Cognitive Coaches (for CCC) or Board Certified Cognitive Specialists (for BCCS)
Benefits for Learning Centers
- Better qualified and more confident staff
- Independently verifiable credentials for center and individual staff
- Local media exposure to raise awareness and increase client base
- Differentiate your center from your competitors.
- Demonstrate your commitment to ongoing training in cognitive disorders to parents and clients.
- Improve your grant qualifications.
- Reduce litigation in your district.
- Assist in demonstrating compliance with local and state professional development guidelines.
Getting Certified
Simple Process
The certification programs are offered conveniently online and can be completed at each individual’s own pace for an optimal learning experience. To become certified there are six simple steps to follow. These include:
- Apply online
- Complete online training program
- Certification exam
- IBCCES verification
- Board approval
- Certification issued
Leaders in the field of cognitive disorders are beginning to realize just how crucial it is to deepen their commitment to professional development and ongoing education in order to better serve their clients and communities. As cognitive disorders become alarmingly common in the United States, the demand for qualified, trained, and certified health professionals will only grow.
Will your team be prepared?
To learn more about becoming a Board Certified Cognitive Center click here.
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