I was quite excited when I received a large manila envelope in the mail yesterday. It was from the NCCAP (National Certification Council for Activity Professionals) and I was going to hear whether my application for activity director provisional certification was accepted.
The envelope seemed to be somewhat thick, so I was optimistic. I opened it up and saw a nice certificate with a shiny seal and an official signature! I especially enjoy certificates with large, shiny seals on them. I guess it makes me feel important!
Anyway, I am now officially an ADPC, and upon completion of the MEPAP 2nd edition course I’m currently taking, I will be eligible for ADC (Activity Director Certified).
Why become certified? Well, I can’t tell you how many phone calls I’ve taken from families that ask about our staff and their background and training. Usually I try to hype up the years of experience I’ve put in, but I could tell with some families they wanted to hear something a little more official. I wasn’t about to go back to school to get a Bachelor’s degree in therapeutic recreation, I just graduated with a B.A.! Also, I wasn’t interested in becoming an Occupational Therapist, not that they’re not necessary, but I really enjoy enhancing people’s lives through what I can do in the activities department.
By becoming certified, I show my current employer that I really take what I do seriously. I also open many more doors as a certified activity director in case I need to look for a new position. Some nursing homes are very strict and won’t even look at your application if you’re not an ADC.
Becoming eligible for certification does require some effort and work. Hey, they can’t just be handing this thing out to anybody. But, if you’re in a situation like mine, having been working with the geriatric population and have a college degree or some college coursework done, it isn’t a step too large to take.
Find out all the details on becoming a certified activity director at www.nccap.org.
