Certification – Manual and Applications
Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug (ATOD) Abuse Prevention Certification has been established in the State of New Hampshire to: provide for consumer protection, promote public confidence, promote professional growth and development and to provide an internationally recognized professional credential for prevention practitioners. Prevention is defined as a proactive process which empowers individuals and systems to meet the challenges of life events and transitions by creating and reinforcing healthy behavior and lifestyles and by reducing risks contributing to alcohol, tobacco and other drug misuse and other related issues.
The purpose of prevention certification is to recognize and ensure that substance abuse prevention practitioners meet competency standards established by the International Certification Reciprocity Consortium (IC&RC) and the New Hampshire Prevention Certification Board.
The CPS Manual with Appendices (application materials) contains the requirements, procedures and application forms for the Certified Prevention Specialist (CPS) designation. The manual & application only forms (requirements with a degree and without) for Certified Prevention Specialist are currently available for download in a PDF format for printing. A Quick Guide is also available for download as a summary of what is required to become a CPS.
CPS Bachelors Degree Application
The Certified Prevention Specialist certification is a beginning-level certification. Any advanced certifications adopted by the Certification Board in the future will require candidates to possess a CPS. Those seeking certification but who do not have extensive experience in the field of ATOD prevention should aspire to fulfill the requirements of the Certified Prevention Specialist.
Re-certification for the Prevention Specialist is every two years and requires an additional forty (40) hours of continuing education in the area of ATOD prevention. All information needed to apply for re-certification can be found in the application below.
CPS Re-certification Application
To pay for CPS re-certification via PayPal click on the appropriate payment below (re-cert fee or re-cert plus late fee):
$150 CPS Re-certification with late fee ($100 plus $50 late fee)
Applications may be scanned and sent to us electronically although the notarized Code of Ethics plus payment in full, must be mailed directly to the address indicated in Contact Us on the right hand side of this page.
Update regarding notarization: While the board does require an original signed and notarized Code of Ethics for new certifications and recertifications we realize that this may be more difficult due to COVID related closures. Local banks often provide notary service free of charge to their members and may even offer this service through a drive thru. This will vary depending on individual bank policies. We recommend checking with your bank. If you are still having difficulty accessing a notary, please reach out via email to our board administrator at: nhpreventcert@gmail.com
All experience and education is based on the six IC&RC Prevention Performance Domains. They are:
- Planning and Evaluation
- Prevention Education and Service Delivery
- Communication
- Community Organization
- Public Policy and Environmental Change
- Professional Growth and Responsibility
The job tasks for each Performance Domain are detailed in the IC&RC section of the manual.
Questions about the certification process should be directed to the New Hampshire Prevention Certification Board by calling the administrator at: 603-573-3302 or email: nhpreventcert@gmail.com.