Association of Traumatic Stress Specialists
International recognition and certification for training, education and experience in traumatic stress services, response and treatment
Certified Trauma Specialist (CTS) Certification
Instructions and Application
Association of Traumatic Stress Specialists
5000 Old Buncombe Road, Suite 27-11, Greenville, South Carolina 29617 USA
email: ● website: www.atss.info ● phone: 864-294-4337
Revised 7.14.14
Certified Trauma Specialist Application Instructions
Who qualifies as a Certified Trauma Specialist?
The CTS designation is appropriate for counselors and treatment specialists, facilitators of trauma recovery groups, hypnotherapists, art or drama therapists, individuals who provide Thought Field Therapy, Traumatic Incident Reduction, EMDR, meridian based therapies, individual, group and/or family counseling to trauma survivors. The standards for education are detailed in the application. You should review the criteria with your sponsor to ensure you meet the minimum requirements.
ATSS membership. Applicants are required to obtain membership with the Association of Traumatic Stress Specialists (ATSS) before applying for certification. Your membership must be verified before your application for certification can be accepted. Your certification becomes void if membership lapses.
Application form
You must fully complete the application form. Please type or print neatly. You must include your sponsor’s name on the form. Your sponsor must be a Certified Trauma Specialist (CTS) in good standing with the ATSS.
Sponsor assignment and sponsor letter. When you begin the certification application process, contact ATSS headquarters and our administrator will assign you a sponsor who will help guide you through the application process. Sponsors are certified members who have volunteered to help applicants prepare their documentation for a successful review. They will review the application prior to submission and write letter of support recommending your application be approved. Since our members are located all over the world, sponsors do not need to be in the same location of the applicant and can meet and review electronically via email and phone.
Your sponsor must be a Certified Trauma Specialist (CTS) in good standing with ATSS. Contact Jayne Crisp at or call 864-294-4337 for assignment of a sponsor.
Sponsors will provide the following:
· __Consultation regarding application process
· __Confirmation that experience and training meets CTS criteria for certification
· __Initial review of application
· __Final review of application with sponsor letter recommending you be approved as CTS
Documentation of experience
A minimum of 2000 hours experience in counseling specific to trauma. Please complete the Experience Form in the application. You may also use a separate sheet of paper with “Experience” as the title and your (the applicant’s) name. Only 2000 hours specific to trauma need to be documented.
Example:
Employer / Dates / Trauma Populations / HoursVA, Lyons, NJ / 1987-89 / Vietnam Veterans / 1,200
Shelter Our Sisters,
(DV shelter), PA / 1989-92 / Domestic Violence
/ 950
TOTAL / 2,150
Experience form. Fill out the experience section on the first page of the CTS application. Be sure the information matches your resume.
Resume. A current resume/vitae must be included which documents the above mentioned information and emphasizes your traumatic stress experience.
Documentation of education and training.
A minimum of 240 hours of trauma specific education and training must be listed on the application in the Education and Training section. ATSS will recognize the training and education you have already completed in your lifetime as a student or as a participant in continuing educational courses, if it meets the educational criteria for your specific certification recognition.
Details on the required courses are on the Minimum Standards Training and Education Form. If more room is needed, attach a separate sheet of paper that includes “Education and Training” as the title with the applicant’s name at the top of each page.
The 240 hours must be supported with unofficial transcripts, certificates of attendance, CEUs and letters from supervisors or workshop providers. Thirty (30 hours) may be from online courses. See our atss.info website for a list of approved courses on the Training and Education link or pages 30 and 31 of this application. You are not limited to these courses, however, you must provide attendance verification from whatever online course or courses you select. Each document must include your name, date of workshop, contact hours and verification of attendance. Brochures and registration forms are NOT acceptable forms of documentation.
Note: A college degree is not a requirement for CTS. Final transcripts from a mental health field at the Masters or Doctoral level, or a current state mental health license and a copy of malpractice insurance will satisfy ninety (90) hours of required documentation for the following areas of educational focus:
# 2. Intake/Initial Assessment/Psychosocial
# 3. Differential Diagnosis/Dual Diagnosis
# 4. Treatment Planning/Case Management
# 5. Counseling: Individual, Family and Group
# 7. Community Resources/Referral
Additional hours from transcripts may satisfy other education hours. Be specific in the description of course work to satisfy the Education and Training hours. Please put the documentation and evidence of coursework in the same order as they are listed. The following is an example of how to compile the documentation in the Education and Training section of the application.
If the education/training hours are satisfied while attending college, the professor’s name is not necessary provided the college’s name is listed as the educational provider.
Title of Class/Workshop / Date(s) of Training / Educational Provider/Trainer / Number of HoursCommunity & Social
6. “Special Populations”
SC 5203 / Spring, 1991 / University of Texas at Austin / 15
Electives
Death & Dying
Working with Families of Homicide Victims: Complicated Bereavement / October, 2007 / National Organization for Victim Assistance (NOVA) Cheryl Tyiska, (trainer) / 6
Applicant’s Own Counseling
Fifty (50) hours of counselor’s own counseling must be completed. This includes individual, family and group counseling. Check the 8th box on page 28 and sign. You do not need to provide documentation of your own counseling. The counselor’s own personal counseling should provide an opportunity for the trauma specialist to recognize and address those areas, which may compromise or enhance the counselor’s ability to provide assistance to trauma victims.
Letters of Recommendation
Three (3) letters of recommendation must be submitted with the application to the attention of the ATSS Certification Board. (They should not be generic letters of support).The letters of recommendation should be submitted on official stationery or letterhead and:
1. Specifically address the skills of the applicant as a trauma treatment provider;
2. Specifically address the ethical conduct and standards of the applicant in the provision of trauma services, etc.
3. Address the applicant’s professionalism in the provision of traumatic stress services (support, treatment, response, etc.).
4. How long and in what capacity the writer of the letter of recommendation knows the applicant, and
5. Specifically recommend the applicant for certification as a CTS.
Certification Fees
The certification fee must accompany the application or may be paid on line.
a. Current ATSS member - $250.00
b. Current ATSS member who is a full-time student or senior citizen
(65+ years) - $200.00
To be considered for student and senior discounted rates:
· Please send a copy of valid student identification
· For seniors, a copy of an official government issued document with your date of birth.
Attach a United States check or money order made payable to Association of Traumatic Stress Specialists or ATSS for the non-refundable fee stated above.
You may pay by credit card on our ATSS.info website. Complete the credit card information on the Certification page on the www.atss.info web page and submit payment. Certification fees are non-refundable.
Deadlines
The ATSS Certification Board meets throughout the year. Your application will be reviewed when it is received. Allow 30-45 days after the review for notice of certification status. All supporting certification documents and the certification fee must accompany your application. Incomplete applications will be held by the certification board and not reviewed until all documentation is received.
Questions about appropriate experience and education or about your qualifications for certification should first be directed to your sponsor. If your sponsor is not available, contact Jayne Crisp at . To receive additional forms, please check out the ATSS website: www.atss.info for additional ATSS forms and applications.
Re-certification
Your certification is valid for three (3) years. If you have not received a re-certification application when your certification is due to expire, please contact our headquarters and one will be sent to you. The requirements for re-certification are as follows:
a) Verification of 30 hours of education or training in a trauma specific field.
b) $175 regular re-certification fee.
$100.00 discounted re-certification fee for full-time students and seniors (65+). To be considered for student and senior discounted rates, please send a copy of valid student identification and for seniors, a copy of an official government issued document with your date of birth.
c) Proof of current ATSS membership (membership renewal letter, member number, copy payment).
d) Thirty (30) hours of re-certification must be accrued during the time you are certified and the time your certification expires.
e) Re-certification forms are available on the www.atss.info website Certification link.
Do not forget to prepare for re-certification prior to your expiration date!
If your certification has expired beyond the three year expiration date you will have to submit 30 hours of continuing education in trauma-related training plus an additional five (5) hours for every 6 months past your re-certification date. These hours can include the following:
A minimum of 15 hours must be in continuing education. A certificate of attendance or letter verifying participation must accompany your re-certification application for review. Remember, these hours must be specific to trauma topics or related to traumatic stress issues.
a) Ten (10) hours maximum of training presented by you may be applied toward the 30 hours. A letter or brochure regarding this training can verify ten hours of training
b) If you have sponsored a colleague’s certification from ATSS, 5 hours can be counted toward re-certification. Please include the name and address of those whom you have sponsored.
If your membership has also expired, you will have to pay the annual membership fees for each year past your membership expiration date to be considered a current member and eligible for recertification.
Certified Trauma Specialist Application
Please print or type.
Membership number:______Date: ______
First:______Last______
Address:______
City:______
State/Province______
Country:______
Postal/zip code:______
Phone (work):______
Mobile/cell: ______
Email:______
Sponsor’s signature.
By signing below, I attest that I have thoroughly reviewed the applicant’s certification packet and confirm that they meet educational and experiential criteria and all supporting documentation has been included.
Sponsor Name Signature CTS #
Course Numbers and Explanations
The following is an explanation of the eleven areas of required education. Please organize your education and training hours using this format. Use the certification application pages provided to list specific courses or training under each numbered area.
Certified Trauma Specialist (CTS) / Total Hours RequiredAssessment & Diagnosis / 48
1. Post-Traumatic Stress Reactions – The assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of all types of reactions that occur after a trauma, including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Only training that is specific to post trauma reactions and treatment can be included in the required 24 hours. Some courses of workshops on diagnosis and treatment of psychological problems do include trauma, but only the hours that are specifically about trauma can be counted toward the required 24 hours. Examples of courses that include but are not totally about diagnosis and treatment of trauma reactions are EMDR, TFT, TIR, hypnosis, crisis management, or psychiatric illness. / 24
*2. Intake/Initial Assessment/Psychological – Training in a number of areas: Simple-Complex PTSD; Cross-Cultural, Multicultural factors (sensitivity to cultural influences); Rural/Urban/Developing regions factors (sensitivity to cultural influences); Suicidality (risk assessment and theory); Vocational Assessment; Differences in Populations (availability of services); Grief; Research Literacy (basic understanding of research process); and Addictions / 12
*3. Differential Diagnosis/Dual Diagnosis – This covers issues of Simple-Complex PTSD; the role of the DMS-IV; Cross-Cultural or Multicultural factors; Rural/Urban/Developing regions factors; Psychopharmacology; Self Care (self-other); Research Literacy; Addiction; and Mental Illness. / 12
Treatment / 48
*4. Treatment Planning/Case Management – This covers Vocational Planning & Assessment; Grief; Psychopharmacology; Referrals; Managing Comprehensive Trauma Centers; Addictions; Development Issues; and Follow-ups & Completion; Mental Illness / 12
*5. Counseling – Individual (12); Family (12); Group (12) – Various topics include Systems Theory; Spirituality or Belief-Based Treatment Models (e.g. Christian, Native American, Metaphysical); Psychological Theory-based Models (e.g. Cognitive, Gestalt, Psychodynamic, Grief; Self Care and Skills / 36
Community & Social / 42
6. Special Populations – Various populations often require culturally-sensitive approaches. Contexts for assessment, treatment, management, etc., might be different for multicultural or cross-cultural populations, which could include Christians; Native Americans; Indigenous people; Western Industrialized populations; Children, Adolescents, Adults, Older Adults, Individuals with Disabilities, and other populations that require special sensitivity and/or knowledge. / 18
*7. Community Resources/Referral – Topics include Systems Theory; Addictions; Vocational resources; Spiritual Systems; Victim Services and Resources; Developing collaborative partnerships; Training/Supervision; Making appropriate referrals; Knowledge of victims’ compensation programs, knowledge of private and public programs and resources, advocacy; knowledge of community, state and federal programs supporting trauma victims and survivors. / 12
8. Legal Systems- Criminal Justice, Social Justice, Juvenile and or Family Court Systems; Civil justice systems; This covers Criminal Justice System; Referrals; Public Policy and Legislation; and Advocacy / 12
Crisis / 20
9. Crisis Intervention – Contents include: Models of Crisis Response (e.g. CISM, NOVA, Process Oriented, Red Cross); Suicide Risk of Clients; Supportive Listening; Crisis Communication; Communicating with People in Crisis; Group Crisis Intervention; knowledge of / 12
10. Community Crises and Major Disasters –Education/Prevention/Training; Comprehensive Trauma Centers; Command & Control Centers; Local, State and Federal (FEMA) Protocols. Knowledge of international agencies or organizations; Access by/to Internal/External Providers; Responding to Natural and/or Man-made disasters; Knowledge of protocols of trauma teams, first responders, crisis response teams; impact of natural and manmade disasters; knowledge of the impact on communities, families and individuals. / 8
Ethics / 6
*11. Ethics/Legal Issues – Topics include: Research Competency/Literacy (understanding implications as well as knowledge of good research practices); Psychopharmacology (Philosophy & Practice); Computer Literacy; Ongoing Supervision/Consults; Referrals; Decisions regarding level of intervention, care and referral. (When to let go or do less); Follow-up & Accountability; Self Care; Suicide/Homicide Risks of Clients; Advocacy / 6
Electives / 76
Special Populations – These topics are focused on special populations such as children, families or groups; homicide victims; family members of suicide; individuals with addictions, individuals with disabilities, crime victims and survivors, trauma victims and any individual or group that requires special knowledge, expertise or support.
Techniques and Therapies – Various techniques could include Pharmacology; Supervision/Consults; Hypnosis; Treatment Modalities; e.g. TRI, TFT, EMDR; Mobile or Comprehensive Trauma Center; Skills; Counseling; Advocacy
TOTAL * Covered by Degree/License/Malpractice Insurance / 240
Additional Documentation