New Mexico  Credentialing Board for Behavioral Health Professionals, Inc. 

SCPS - Senior Certified Prevention Specialist requirements

The SCPS credential has CPS reciprocity only with IC&RC member states and is eligible for the CPS International Certification.  This credential is only available through NMCBBHP and for the state of New Mexico.  

Applicant must live or work at least 51% of the time within the state of New Mexico

Minimum education required is a high school diploma or equivalent.  Verification must be submitted.

Prerequisite:  Applicant must hold and maintain in good standing the CPS credential at the IC&RC reciprocal level.  There is no exam required for this credential.  

Experience:  Five (5) years/10,000 hours of prevention experience across the prevention domains.

Five (5) years:  all prevention specific trainings/workshops/education must be completed within 5 years of application submission

Education:  120 contact hours of prevention specific education. 

• Fifty (50) hours of this education must be Alcohol Tobacco & Other Drugs (ATOD) specific 
  
• Six (6) hours must be in Prevention Ethics.  
  
• Remaining hours must be additional/other prevention trainings

College/University credits from an applicable ATOD prevention-related course may be applied for a maximum 45 hours​

• ​One semester hour of relevant college course - 15 contact hours
  
• Three semester credits are equivalent to 45 clock hours.  
  
• One quarter credit is equivalent to 10 clock hours.  
  
• An official transcript from the college/university is required. 
  
• It is the responsibility of the applicant to make sure their trainings align with the certification requirements and IC&RC Domains as well as which specific domains are applicable to their trainings.
  

Supervised Practical Experience:  Verification of 144 hours of supervision specific to the prevention domains (a minimum of 10 hours in each of the six IC&RC domains)  The 

domains are as follows:

• Planning and Evaluation
  
• Education and Skill Development
  
• Communications
  
• Community Organization
  
• Public Policy and Environmental Change
  
• Professional Growth and Responsibility
  

References:  Three (3) letters of recommendation from supervisors, peer and an outside agency.  These letters must be sent with the application.  The letter should document the character, professionalism and competency of the applicant.

Code of Ethics:  The applicant must read and sign the NMCBBHP Code of Ethical Conduct included in the application packet

Testing:  Applicants will demonstrate knowledge and skills based on the domains and core function of prevention by passing the IC&RC written exam.  Computer based testing is available in the state of New Mexico.  

Fees:  Certification fee for the SCPS credential is $140.00.  Fees are non-refundable

Recertification:  Forty (40) hours of continuing education earned every two year, including 6 hours of training in prevention ethics

You can download the CPS application for review before applying online using Certemy.  

Senior Certified Prevention Specialist

Prevention professionals proactively intervene to prevent, delay the onset of, of or reduce the severity of many common public health concerns and other societal issues.  Prevention professionals may focus their practice in a variety of specialty areas including substance abuse, behavioral health, violence, bullying, crime and illness.  Prevention professionals work in a variety of setting including schools, workplaces, hospitals, faith base organization, community-based organization, and institutions of higher education.  Prevention professional assess the needs of the individuals and communities they serve in order to select, implement and evaluation evidence-based intervention that are appropriate and relevant.  Prevention professionals must be culturally competent and aware of the developmental factors.

The CPS is a reciprocal level credential offered through the NMCBBHP and provides reciprocity with all other IC&RC member boards who offer the reciprocal level prevention certification.