Standards of Practice, Scope & Competencies
Standards of Practice
Certified Professionals respond to spiritual and psychosocial needs working holistically, namely as clinicians, advocates, educators. Certified Professionals accept responsibility and accountability for maintaining professional Certification, for continuing education and for active participation in the vision, direction and activities of the Association.
Scope of Practice
To ensure public safety, it is essential that Spiritual Care Practitioners and Psychospiritual Therapists have the appropriate degree of oversight and that they do not work beyond the limits of their competence. The level of proficiency in any particular area of competency will vary depending on the education, training, skill level and experience of the individual. To ensure safe and ethical practice, individuals should not provide care without the requisite competence unless they are under appropriate supervision.
CASC/ACSS recognizes three categories of practice, which coincide with the levels of formation of Foundational (Basic), Integrative and Contextual (Advanced) and Certified:
- Category 1 – Foundational (Basic)/Limited
- Category 2 – Integrative and Contextual (Advanced)/Specific
- Category 3 – Certified/Full
For more information on each category, please download the Scope of Practice document.
Competencies of Certified Professionals
CASC/ACSS Certified Professionals, including Spiritual Care Practitioners and Psychospiritual Therapists, demonstrate competence in four key domains:
- Professional Identity
- Knowledge
- Professional Ethical Conduct
- Professional Skills
Certified Professionals must demonstrate initiative, adaptability and leadership in various contexts. Certified Professionals are trained to perform activities with advanced integration of self-awareness, knowledge, and skills, whilst demonstrating maturity, autonomy, and confidence in their respective roles.
Competencies of Supervisor-Educators
A Certified Supervisor-Educator is a person who has demonstrated supervisory competence in the field of Supervised Psychospiritual Education (SPE) and is able to conduct SPE programs in keeping with the standards of CASC/ACSS. CASC/ACSS recognizes Supervisor-Educators in the areas of Spiritual Care (CPE) and Psychospiritual Therapy (PTE).
Supervisor-Educators demonstrate competency in four key areas:
- Conceptual knowledge of clinical supervision
- Aptitude in SPE program Design, implementation and administration
- Engagement in the supervision of individual SPE students
- Facilitation of SPE group seminars and related activities
