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.
