Evergreen Certifications
Certification in just a few, easy steps!

Who is Eligible:

[+] Registered Psychologist
[+] Registered Counsellor
[+] Social Worker
[+] Psychiatrist
[+] Doctor of Medicine (MD)
• Credentialed Mental Health Nurse
• Registered Nurse Practitioner (NP)
• Advanced Practice Nurse (APN)
[+] Learn more about who can become a certified CAGCS professional

Training Requirements:

A minimum of 18 CPD hours of training in specific grief topics.

[+] Learn more about CAGCS certification training requirements

Pre-approved, 3rd party trainings that meet the training requirements for CAGCS certification include:

Already Hold CGP Certification? Obtain the Additional Hours Needed for your CAGCS Certification

Wondering if a course meets the requirements for CAGCS certification? Submit a copy of or link to the course title, speaker, outline and learning objectives to info@evergreencertifications.com for review.

Please note that Evergreen Certifications does not offer CPD, all training must be purchased directly through the accredited training organization. Training is not included in the certification fee.

Complete Clinical Hours:

Applicants must attest that, over the course of their career, they have conducted a minimum of 200 therapy hours with grief clients.

Letter of Recommendation:

Applicants must submit one letter of recommendation from a licensed professional peer who is familiar with and can attest to applicants’ clinical grief counseling work.

Application Process:

For your initial 2-year certification, please complete the following steps:

  1. Complete a qualifying training
  2. Remit your initial application payment of 249.99 USD online
  3. Upload the following documents to your account:
    • A copy of the candidate’s professional registration, credential, or membership
    • Evidence of completion of qualifying training, in the form of a CPD or completion certificate
    • A letter of recommendation from a peer who can attest to the candidate’s grief work
    • A completed CAGCS application form

Evergreen Certifications will certify applicants who meet the above requirements.

Please note: Certification does not imply endorsement of clinical competency. As a registered/credentialed professional, you are responsible for reviewing the scope of practice, including activities that are defined in law as beyond the boundaries of practice in accordance with and in compliance with your profession’s standards.

Renewal Process:

To maintain CAGCS certification, a renewal is required after your initial 2-year certification. A 2-year renewal requires 12 CPD hours of grief-focused training.

Sample CAGCS renewal trainings include:

Renewal CPD content cannot be the same content used for prior renewal or initial certification

Renewal Process

  1. Complete a qualifying training
  2. Upload the following documents to your account:
    • A copy of the candidate’s professional registration, credential, or membership
    • Evidence of completion of qualifying training, in the form of a CPD or completion certificate
  3. Remit your CAGCS renewal fee of 149.99 USD online

Renewal training hours need to have been taken in the time since you were certified or last recertified.

Renewals are calculated from the date that your certification was issued. If you allow your certification to lapse for more than 2 years, you are no longer eligible to renew your certification and instead can reapply for certification

Advisors
Alissa Drescher - LPC, FT, GC-C, MA

Alissa Drescher, LPC, FT, GC-C, MA, is a highly sought after speaker addressing topics related to grief and mourning, and is known for her creative, interactive, and story-telling presentation style. She began working in the field of bereavement services in 2006, offering encouragement to grieving parents. Alissa’s passion for supporting people through the grief process led to counseling both grieving children and adults in individual and group settings.

At the Tristesse Grief Center in Tulsa, OK, she served as senior program director, overseeing a variety of programming including the Healing Hearts Camp, Oklahoma’s first overnight camp for grieving children and teens (now Camp Erin Tulsa). Alissa was an adjunct professor at Southern Nazarene University teaching several undergraduate counseling courses including Death, Grief and Loss. After relocating to Tennessee, Alissa became the founder/executive director of the Grief Center of Middle Tennessee, whose mission is to help children, teens, and adults cope with loss and change.

Alissa is a Fellow in Thanatology: Death, Dying & Bereavement and holds a Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy with a focus in Play Therapy. She is also a member of the Association of Death Education and Counseling and the National Alliance for Grieving Children.

Joy Samuels - D.MIN, LPC-MHSP, NCC

Joy R. Samuels, D.MIN., LPC-MHSP, NCC, has over 25 years experience as a licensed professional counselor, Fellow in Thanatology, chaplain, and ordained minister. She teaches in the graduate clinical mental health psychology department at Lipscomb University and at Candler School of Theology at Emory University in the United Methodist Church Course of Studies. She maintains a private counseling practice and supervises those seeking licensure as a LPC-MHSP. Dr. Samuels holds D.MIN. and MDIV. degrees from Wesley Theological Seminary, Washington, DC. Additionally, she holds an MS degree in counseling psychology from California State University, Northridge, CA, and a counseling certificate in substance abuse from the Northern Virginia Community College, Annadale, VA. Among her areas of expertise are individual, couples and family counseling, trauma and bereavement, and post-masters supervision.

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