Council for Standards in Human Service Education (CSHSE)
The Council for Standards in Human Service Education (CSHSE) is the National Certifying Organization for Accreditation of Human Services Education Programs. To get more insights, read the blog.
The Council for Standards in Human Service Education (CSHSE) was established in 1979 to provide focus and direction to education and training in mental health and human services throughout the country.
Let's read more about it
What is Council For Standards In Human Service Education (CSHSE)?
CSHSE is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). It is organized into regions with regional directors who work with schools to achieve accreditation and an understanding of the standards.
Schools can support national standards by becoming members of CSHSE without accreditation.
The Council received notification effective January 27, 2014, that the Council has been granted recognition from the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).
Eligibility and Steps to acquire Accreditation
An accredited program maintains an active membership with the Council. The following are the steps to seek accreditation.
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Submit the application and fees to ASCENT Management.
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The Vice President of Accreditation will review the application and send a notice to proceed letter.
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Follow the timeline found in the Member Handbook - Accreditation and Self Study Guide.
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The Program notifies the Vice President of Accreditation when the self-study is complete and ready for readers.
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The Vice President of Accreditation will assign readers and the program will submit an electronic copy of the self-study to each of the assigned 4 readers, the Board Member-at-Large representative, and the VP of Accreditation.
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For initial and ten-year review accreditations, a site visit will be scheduled when the Lead Reader determines that there is adequate evidence of standard compliance. The program will be invoiced the fees for site visitors and a site visit will be scheduled.
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The Lead Reader/Site Visitor will present findings to the Board.
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The CSHSE Board reviews the findings and determines the accreditation status.
CSHSE Mission
The Council aims to constantly work to improve the quality, consistency, and relevance of human service education and incorporating best practices in the area of Human Service Education.
The goal is achieved by adopting evidence-based standards and is the accreditation procedure is guided through extensive peer-review.
The Council must adhere to the requirements of the human service education sector and be true to its commitments.
Vision of CSHSE
To promote excellence in human service education, to provide quality assurance, and support standards of performance and practice.
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Purpose of CSHSE accredited programs
The accredited programs of the CSHSE demonstrate-
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Academic quality for Associate Degree, Baccalaureate Degree, or Master’s degree programs.
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Program stability through mission, organization, and appropriate and fair policies and procedures.
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The curriculum is embedded and enriched with knowledge, theory, and skills that develop and promote qualified human service professionals.
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Program accountability to the college, students, and community.
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Adequate resources to support a strong educational environment for students, faculty, and staff.
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Ability and willingness to change and to meet the dynamic needs in the field of human services through an external peer-review process.
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CSHSE Decision-Making Bodies
There are two components of decision-making bodies as below
The Board of Directors
It is the central body for making decisions. It shall manage the affairs and business of the Council and shall be vested with all the powers necessary to perform the business of the Council subject to applicable law, the Articles of Incorporation, and these Bylaws.
Board Composition
The Board of Directors shall consist of the current Executive Officers, the Members-at-Large, the Immediate Past President (who serves on the Board for one year immediately after leaving the office of President), and from one to three public members.
The board shall consist of not less than eight or more than twenty persons.
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Creeds and Principles of CSHSE
CSHSE has its principles and beliefs that are given below:
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CSHSE is focused on guaranteeing the quality, consistency, and pertinence of human administration training through research-based norms and an associate audit, accreditation process.
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To excel and tread human service education in every sphere.
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Advance brilliance in human administration training, give quality affirmation, and bolster benchmarks of performance and practice through the accreditation procedure.
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Cultural competence is a foundation of ethical human service practice.
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Therefore, the Council strives to ensure that diversity is demonstrated in the composition of the Board concerning but not limited to geographical perspectives, types of institutions, and program degree levels.
Standards for CSHSE accreditation
The CSHSE National Standards are based on national research of human service education programs that are grounded in relationships with service providers in their communities.
Also, the standards have been confirmed through external research of the Community Support Skill Standards and the continuing emergence of the human services field since the early 1970s.
Over the years, the language of the standards has been updated and clarified based on the self-studies and input from CSHSE Members.
Organization of Standards
The standards are organized into two sections, Part I - General Program Characteristics (Standards 1 -10) and Part II - Curriculum.
Each standard is organized in the following way.
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A general statement developing the context and rationale for the standard.
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The specifications and features stating criteria used for evaluating program compliance with the standards which reflect the minimum acceptable level of compliance.
Colleges and Universities under CSHSE
Some of the colleges and universities accreditated through CSHSE include the following.
| CSHSE Accredited Institutions | |
Conclusion
In light of the above discussions, we can conclude that CSHSE is the certifying agency for human service education and they strive to guarantee better human mental health by adhering to high standards thus giving rise to better trained high-quality professionals.
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Frequently Asked Questions
1.What is the meaning of accreditation?
Accreditation is a process of validation in which colleges, universities and other institutions of higher learning are evaluated. The standards for accreditation are set by a peer review board whose members include faculty from various accredited colleges and universities.
2.Why is the accredited status of an institution or program important to students?
Accredited status is a reliable indication of the value and quality of educational institutions and programs. Withoutaccredited status, it is hard to be sure about the quality of the education or to be confident that an institution or program can deliver on its promises. Remember that accreditation of an institution may not mean that a specific program is accredited.
3.How do students know that an accredited institution or program will keep its word in providing the education described in its public materials?
As part of the accreditation process, institutions and programs must demonstrate that they meet the accreditation standards requiring that they provide quality education. They have to demonstrate truth in advertising – that the information presented about the education they offer is accurate.
4.Which colleges are accreditated by CSHSE?
Some of the colleges and universities accreditated through CSHSE include - 1. Arkansas Tech University 2. Baker College 3. Brookdale Community College 4. Clarion University 5. East Tennessee University 6. Ivy Tech Community College
5.What does it mean when a Human Service program is accredited by CSHSE?
It means that the program is standardized with the industry standards. When a Human Service program seeks accreditation, it submits a detailed self-study demonstrating program compliance with the National Standards. The self-study is then reviewed by 3-4 CSHSE approved self-study readers who carefully review the narrative and evidence provided by the college to determine standard compliance. A site visit is required for the initial accreditation and then every ten years thereafter. A self-study is required as an interim report every five years. The site visit includes interviews with administration, faculty, students, advisory board members, alumni, fieldwork supervisors, and other institutional staff associated with the program.
6.What are some of the differences between accredited and unaccredited institutions and programs?
All accredited institutions and programs must provide resources to assist students toward successful completion of their courses of study. Althoughsimilar resources may be available in institutions or programs that are not accredited, accreditation provides external assurance that those resources are in place.
7.Can students initiate accreditation of human service programs at their institution?
No. Students can discuss the idea of accreditation with college faculty and administration. Program faculty and administrators can only initiate program accreditation.
