Get Certified as a Teen Educator
Overview
In order for candidates to be eligible for CAPPA certification they must sign and agree to the CAPPA philosophy, code of conduct, scope of practice, and grievance policy. We reserve the right to withhold certification to those candidates that do not meet the requirements set forth.
While 92% of candidates do obtain certification, CAPPA cannot guarantee certification will be obtained by entering our program. In the event a candidate fails to pass certification requirements, the candidate has up to one year to complete the failed portions of the certification requirements. There will be no further processing fees. The candidate who exceeds one year to complete the aforementioned portions of certification may be asked to re-enter the certification program and may incur additional fees.
Please allow approximately six weeks for CAPPA to grade and process your certification materials* once we receive them. CAPPA receives a high volume of certification requests, and each certification request is given individual attention. Upon successful completion of any of the CAPPA certification programs, you will receive a CAPPA name tag and a certificate. CAPPA certified teen educators may use the letters "CCTE" after their names.
You must be at least 18 years old to certify with CAPPA.
* When submitting your certification materials, please do not send originals. Please do not send your certification materials to CAPPA in a way that requires us to sign for them. CAPPA staff retrieves the CAPPA mail after Post Office hours. We cannot sign for mail!
About teen pregnancy and the CAPPA Teen Program
After experiencing a fifteen year decline, teen pregnancy is now on the rise. Though teen pregnancy is 100% preventable, CAPPA recognizes that it is an issue that will probably never fully disappear. Expectant teens should be afforded the same opportunities toward a healthy pregnancy that other women experience. These opportunities should include access to education regarding the realities of pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, and postpartum issues. The CAPPA Teen Program aims to prepare educators and support professionals to work with expectant and parenting teens.
Expectant teens can present special challenges for a childbirth educator. The CAPPA Teen Program teaches the different ways in which the teen population learns information, thus enabling childbirth educators to effectively cater to their special needs. This includes making modifications to current curricula both in content and method of delivery, in order to teach teens in a way in which they can understand. A CAPPA teen educator understands the conflicts of pregnancy during the adolescent stage of development, she establishes the unique needs of the expectant teen, and she identifies various resources available to assist educators who work with pregnant teens.
CAPPA trained and certified teen educators work in a variety of settings, including hospitals, clinics, and in private settings. The workshop curriculum has undergone a revision for 2010, and will be launched during the organization’s annual conference in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA, July 22-26, 2010. A Teen Program training workshop will take place at the conference host hotel, July 26-27, 2010, at the Hilton at Charlotte University Place.
Traditional Certification
- Must meet one of the following requirements to enter the program:
- Be an experienced childbirth educator with sixty (60) hours of documented perinatal teaching experience. Letter from supervisor or colleague or class evaluations accepted.
- Be a certified childbirth educator, labor doula, or antepartum doula.*
- Other credentials/experience accepted on a case-by-case basis, contact CAPPA for pre-approval.
- *Copies of certification required.
- You must be at least 18 years old.
- Be a member of CAPPA. All CAPPA certified professionals are required to maintain continuous membership. A lapse in your CAPPA membership will result in a $50.00 reinstatement fee and all overdue membership dues must be paid. CAPPA certified professionals who let their membership lapse more than 120 days must pay a $100.00 reinstatement fee plus all past due membership dues. In order for CAPPA to issue a certificate of certification or recertification you must have a minimum of 120 days remaining on your current CAPPA membership. If you have less than 120 days remaining on your membership you will need to renew prior to your certificate being issued.
- Enter certification program by purchasing the teen educator certification packet, available in our shop. You can also purchase your certification packet at the training.
- Read books from the required reading list as specified on the list.
- Attend a CAPPA Teen Educator Training Workshop.
- Pass a test on teen educator topics. The test is an open book test and the answer sheet must be submitted with your final certification. An 85% passing grade is required.
- Interview two pregnant teens using the teen questionnaire included in the certification packet.
Distance Certification
This program was designed for the many women who are unable to attend a teen educator training. Each participant will receive the teen educator training manual and the certification packet.
6 CEUs are awarded upon completion of the distance program.
- Must meet one of the following requirements to enter the program:
- Be an experienced childbirth educator with sixty (60) hours of documented perinatal teaching experience. Letter from supervisor or colleague or class evaluations accepted.
- Be a certified childbirth educator, labor doula, or antepartum doula.*
- *Copies of certification required.
- You must be at least 18 years old.
- Be a member of CAPPA. All CAPPA certified professionals are required to maintain continuous membership. A lapse in your CAPPA membership will result in a $50.00 reinstatement fee and all overdue membership dues must be paid. CAPPA certified professionals who let their membership lapse more than 120 days must pay a $100.00 reinstatement fee plus all past due membership dues. In order for CAPPA to issue a certificate of certification or recertification you must have a minimum of 120 days remaining on your current CAPPA membership. If you have less than 120 days remaining on your membership you will need to renew prior to your certificate being issued.
- Read books from the required reading list as specified on the list.
- Purchase and complete the CAPPA teen education program materials, available in our shop.
- Volunteer twenty (20) hours in a health department OB setting, STD clinic, or Teen clinic. Documentation of hours completed and activities observed required.
- Provide support at two teen births. Documentation required.
- Interview two pregnant teens with questionnaire included in certification packet
- Write an essay about the special needs of pregnant and parenting teens.
- Survey five teen pregnancy professionals with the survey included in certification packet.
- Write an essay about your experiences while going through this program.
- Pass the test on teen educator topics included in certification packet. The test is an open book test and the answer sheet must be submitted with your final certification. An 85% passing grade is required.
Recertification
Teen Educator
- Maintain continuous membership in CAPPA
- Document 15 hours of continuing education in teen issues approved by CAPPA.
- Submit good evaluations from three teen childbirth education class members.
- Submit two letters of recommendation from any of the following: certified childbirth educator, certified labor doula, certified nurse-midwife, obstetrician/gynecologist, or IBCLC.
- Submit $75 recertification fee.
