Who is Eligible:
To be eligible for certification, the applicant must have earned a minimum of a master’s degree in their profession and hold a state or national license, with all training hours and supervision requirements completed to be licensed for independent practice in the state they are licensed.
- Psychologists
- Counselors
- Social Workers
- Marriage and Family Therapists
- Licensed Creative Arts Therapists
- Addiction Counselors
- Psychiatrists
- Psychoanalysts
- Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners
By applying for certification, the applicant agrees to adhere to Evergreen Certifications’ Professional Code of Ethics
Training Requirements
A minimum of 12 hours of continuing education in specific child and adolescent grief topics.
Pre-approved, 3rd party trainings that meet the training requirements for CGCS-CA certification include:
- Grief Counseling for Childen & Adolescents: Developmentally-Appropriate Assessment and Treatment Strategies for Processing Grief Online Training by PESI
- Grief Counseling for Children and Adolescents: A Certification Training Course on Facilitating Healthy Grieving and Restoring Hope by PESI – Certification Included!
- Kids Grief Specialist Certification Course: Innovative Tools to Support Children & Families by PESI – Certification Included!
Wondering if a course meets the requirements for CGCS-CA 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 continuing education, all training must be purchased directly through the accredited training organization. Training is not included in the certification fee.
Application Process:
For your initial 1-year certification, please complete the following steps.
- Complete a qualifying training
- Remit your initial application payment of 149.99 USD online
- Upload the following documents to your account:
- A copy of the candidate’s professional license
- Evidence of completion of qualifying training, in the form of a CE or completion certificate
Evergreen Certifications will certify applicants who meet the above requirements.
Please note: Certification does not imply endorsement of clinical competency. As a licensed 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 CGCS-CA certification, a renewal is required. After your initial 1-year certification, you have the option to renew for 1, 2 or 3 years. A 1-year renewal requires 6 clock hours of grief-focused continuing education since you were last certified; a 2-year renewal requires 12 clock hours, and a 3-year renewal requires 18 hours.
Sample CGCS-CA renewal trainings include:
- The Ultimate Grief Treatment Toolbox: Over 60 Interventions to Promote Healing & Hope Among Grieving Children, Adolescents & Adults online training by PESI
- Grief Treatment: Current Evidence-Based Approaches to Care Across the Lifespan online training by PESI
Renewal CE content cannot be the same content used for prior renewal or initial certification
Renewal Process
- Complete a qualifying training
- Upload the following documents to your account:
- A copy of the candidate’s professional license
- Evidence of completion of qualifying training, in the form of a CE or completion certificate
- Remit your CGCS-CA renewal fee online
- $49.99 for a 1-year renewal
- $79.99 for a 2-year renewal
- $99.99 for a 3-year renewal
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 3 years, you are no longer eligible to renew your certification and instead can reapply for certification
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.
Erica H. Sirrine - PhD, LCSW, FT
Erica H. Sirrine, PhD, LCSW, FT, is a licensed clinical social worker, qualified clinical supervisor, and professor of social work at Southeastern University. She has over 18 years of counseling and practice experience in the field of death, dying, and bereavement and has been awarded the distinction of Fellow in Thanatology by the Association for Death Education and Counseling. Dr. Sirrine has conducted and published peer-reviewed research on the continuing bonds maintained by survivors following a death, and she is the author of Sammy’s Story, an anticipatory grief counseling book for young children experiencing the serious illness of a loved one.