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REVISED NATIONAL ADVOCATE CREDENTIALING PROGRAM
Revised and Approved by the NACP Advisory Group
Effective October 1, 2005

History of the NACP

Discussion around the idea of a national credentialing program for victim assistance professionals began back in the 1980’s, when the National Organization for Victim Assistance started receiving inquiries from the field. The questions posed to NOVA, primarily from its membership, focused on whether any credentialing programs existed for victim assistance professionals and whether one would be implemented at the national level. Individual states, such as California, Massachusetts and Ohio, had begun their own discussions about the possible implementation of credentialing programs and their benefits to the field. By the early 90’s, several states had instituted successful credentialing programs for victim assistance professionals within those states.

In April of 2000, NOVA invited representatives from state, federal and national victim assistance organizations to gather in Washington, D.C., to discuss the development and implementation of a national credentialing program. Forty-eight representatives joined in the discussion. Subsequently, a working group outlined and distributed a sample credentialing program for review by the national organizations and their members.

A second meeting was held in April of 2001. Although many of the participating organizations did not reach consensus about co-sponsorship of such a program, NOVA’s membership overwhelmingly supported the concept. After extending a final invitation to other victim assistance organizations, the NOVA Board of Directors, at its April 2002 meeting, voted unanimously to finalize the development of a national credentialing program. Several national and state organizations joined NOVA in support of the national credentialing program, introduced at NOVA’s 28th Annual Victim Assistance Conference in Nashville, TN in August of 2002, and officially launched in the spring of 2003.

Who Oversees the Program?
Although NOVA serves as the secretariat for the National Advocate Credentialing Program, representatives from national and state victim assistance organizations participate in the National Advocate Credentialing Review Committee. Those that have chosen to participate may appoint a representative who will serve on a staggered, rotating basis. This committee, comprised of individuals with experience in the field serving domestic violence, child abuse, homicide, sexual assault, drunk driving and other types of crime victims, will review the applications and identify any revisions necessary in the credentialing program to best meet the needs of the field.

The national and state victim assistance organizations that participate on the Review Committee are:

MADD National

National Association of Attorneys General- VAWA Project

National Association of Crime Victims Compensation Boards

National Association of VOCA Assistance Administrators

National Center for Victims of Crime

National Organization for Parents of Murdered Children

National Organization for Victim Assistance

Ohio Advocate Network

PA Commission on Crime & Delinquency

Must All Advocates Be Credentialed?
The National Advocate Credentialing Program is voluntary and is open to any individual who provides services to those victimized by crime, whether as paid or volunteer staff or whether or not they have a formal education or degree. The program is designed to be inclusive rather than exclusive and voluntary rather than mandatory. The benefits of credentialing to those in the victim services field include but are not limited to:

• Recognition and credibility in the field
• Mobility in the field
• Inclusive of all victim service professionals regardless of educational degrees, paid or unpaid service
• Voluntary
• Field-generated and defined, rather than an outside profession or group defining, developing and implementing for the field
• Identification with a group whose common ground is victim services

More NACP Information

Program Main Page

The NACP Brochure (pdf)

NACP Application and Other Downloadable Forms

How Does the Program Work?

Application Process & Costs

Training Program Approval