Saskatchewan Life Skills Association (SLSA)

Accreditation Program Policy (Pilot Delivery 2010-11)

Introduction

The Saskatchewan Life Skills Association (SLSA) Accreditation Program is an exciting and challenging opportunity for Life Skills Coaches in Saskatchewan. By implementing this long-awaited program, we will ensure premium quality Life Skills within our province.

SLSA Coaches express heartfelt gratitude to the Association of Life Skills Coaches of Ontario (ALSCO) for their pioneering work and generously sharing their resources. We acknowledge and appreciate the dedication and persistence required to develop accreditation tools such as the Mentor’s Manual and Intern Portfolio. ALSCO has admirably modelled the principle of P.U.T. (Practise - Use - Teach) for the benefit of Life Skills Coaches every where.

Thanks to ALSCO and the Alberta Society of Life Skills Coaches for their help, support, and encouragement. SLSA is honoured to be building on their Life Skills Coach Accreditation processes as “wheels that have already been invented” and we invite comments and feedback which will provide our universal Life Skills community with increasingly effective management and evaluative tools.

As part of the Canadian Alliance of Life Skills Coaches and Associations (CALSCA) network, SLSA is “committed to the belief that all individuals are entitled to learn the Life Skills necessary for personal and social development. We support and promote professional excellence in Life Skills Coaching - personally, regionally, and nationally.”

Accreditation Overview

1. Accreditation Interns

Accreditation Interns are Life Skills Coaches who are working through the accreditation process by developing portfolios which document their ability to perform 78 competencies which are identified in the SLSA Life Skills Coach Competencies Checklist.

2. Accreditation Advisors

Accreditation Advisors assist Interns to document competencies in their accreditation portfolios and support them while they work at fully demonstrating all 78 coaching competencies.

3. Registration and Time Lines

Life Skills Coaches can apply to become Interns by submitting a complete Accreditation Registration package to SLSA. Upon acceptance, each Intern is assigned to an Accreditation Advisor. The Advisor facilitates an initial assessment interview and assists the Intern to develop an accreditation plan. Both the Intern and Advisor keep records of activities until the Intern completes the portfolio and is awarded the SLSA Certificate of Accreditation or withdraws from the process.

SLSA’s pilot program will run from October 1, 2010 to September 30, 2011. Interns who participate in the pilot will be required to complete the accreditation process by Sept. 30/11. SLSA’s regular accreditation program will begin on October 1, 2011, and Interns will be required to complete the accreditation process within two years.

4. SLSA Certificate of Accreditation

Upon completion, Interns’ portfolios are evaluated and verified by SLSA’s Executive and Trainers’ Committee. Successful Interns will be awarded the SLSA Certificate of Accreditation.

5. Conflict of Interest

SLSA recommends that Advisors avoid supervising Interns who are: relatives or intimates; working with them; taking or have taken formal training with them in the past two years; or in any other conflict of interest situations. When conflict of interest does exist and no other options are available, SLSA may agree to proceed if the Advisor and Intern are able to ensure academic rigour and professional integrity.

6. Advisor's Activities

Initial Assessment: The initial assessment will include: a) reviewing the registration package; b) checking the resume and letters of reference; and c) facilitating an initial face-to-face or phone interview to determine suitability and draft an accreditation plan.

Accreditation Plan: Within a week of the initial interview, the Intern will email an accreditation plan to the Advisor confirming specific activities and target dates. If the Intern falls behind in the plan, the Intern will email the Advisor to confirm how the plan has been adjusted. The Intern is responsible for emailing the Advisor on a biweekly basis to provide updates on his or her progress.

Portfolio Development: Within a month of the initial interview, the Intern will complete the SLSA LSC Competencies Checklist and compile a portfolio which documents competencies he or she can demonstrate fully. The Intern and Advisor will meet to verify that documentation has been completed accurately and to prioritize which competencies to develop next. The Intern will form a plan to learn, practise and fully demonstrate competencies in the agreed-upon order. When an Intern is ready to be observed for full demonstration of one or more competencies, the demonstration may occur on-site, by webcam, by a Field Observer, or by submitting work samples. The Advisor is responsible for signing off on competencies as Interns complete them.

7. Evidence of Competencies

All 78 coaching competencies are concrete behaviours which must be fully demonstrated. To fully demonstrate a competency, an Intern’s evidence must be of high quality and could be shown to new Coaches as, “This is an example of how an experienced Coach does this competency well.”

Interns can arrange for demonstrations to be observed by an Advisor or a Field Observer who is knowledgeable about Life Skills principles and practices. A Field Observer can be a co-worker, a supervisor, a teacher or a trainer.

The Intern can use the following tools to document competencies:

þ Observation by Advisor in-person or by web-cam

þ Videotaped demonstration

þ Field Observer documentation

þ Evaluations from participants, supervisors, trainers, instructors or Coach Trainers

þ Role play competency situations

þ Case studies – real or fictional

þ Written testaments

þ Perform a written or oral exam/test/quiz

þ Samples of work used and/or created – lesson plans, program outlines, evaluation reports

þ Write a journal

þ Write a research paper

The Advisor’s role is mainly to provide guidance, feedback, and support; SLSA’s Executive and Trainers’ Committee will evaluate and verify each Intern’s portfolio for evidence of competencies before awarding the SLSA Certificate of Accreditation.

8. Completing the Process

When the Intern and Advisor agree that the Intern has fully demonstrated all 78 competencies, the Advisor will email SLSA’s Executive and Trainers’ Committee to recommend that the Intern be awarded with the SLSA Certificate of Accreditation.

9. Appeal Procedure

In the event of a disagreement between Interns and Advisors regarding the evaluation of one or more competencies, SLSA’s Executive and Trainers’ Committee will assist with mediation and problem solving.

10. Compensation

Advisors will be paid for their time at a rate set by SLSA. If Interns request that their Advisors meet with them to work on their portfolios, Interns are responsible for paying for the Advisors’ travel costs. When SLSA’s Executive and Trainers’ Committee meet to evaluate and verify accreditation portfolios, the Interns’ fees will be used to offset their costs for meals, mileage, and accommodation.

11. Accreditation Monitoring

During the pilot project, SLSA’s Executive and Trainers’ Committee will oversee and monitor the accreditation process. After the pilot, newly Accredited Life Skills Coaches will be invited to form an Accreditation Committee and become Advisors who will meet periodically for training, information sharing and problem solving.

12. Accreditation Evolution

During the pilot, SLSA’s Executive and Trainers’ Committee are responsible for:

· setting and revising guidelines based on feedback from stakeholders;

· hearing cases of appeal; and

· marketing the accreditation process.

After the pilot, SLSA will establish an Accreditation Committee made up of Advisors who will be Accredited Life Skills Coaches.

Criteria for Interns

To qualify for SLSA’s Accreditation Program, candidates must satisfy ALL of the following requirements:

þ Must be a current member of SLSA

þ Must have a minimum of 500 hours of facilitating groups in experiential learning activities

þ Must have completed a Life Skills Coach Training course with two or more Coach Trainers

þ Must demonstrate effective skills in time management, organization and documentation

þ Must demonstrate self-direction and self-motivation in adhering to an accreditation plan

þ Must maintain a progress log and email it to SLSA Advisor on a biweekly basis

þ Must be willing to complete SLSA’s pilot accreditation process in 1 year

Registration Information

For SLSA’s pilot Accreditation Program which runs from October 1, 2010 to September 30, 2011, SLSA Coach Trainers will select and invite six Life Skills Coaches to participate as Interns.

Candidates must enclose ALL of the following items in their registration package:

þ SLSA Accreditation Program Registration Form

þ $200 registration fee* (must be paid on Oct. 1/10)

þ $750 program fee* (or commitment to pay in full on or before January 31, 2011)

þ 3 – 4 page autobiography (describing Coaching history to date)

þ Current resume with 3 references who will be contacted by SLSA’s Accreditation Advisor

þ Life Skills Coach Training certificate and assessment reports

þ Coaching log (including dates, locations, type of group, description of training, supervisor, number of hours)

* make all cheques payable to “Saskatchewan Life Skills Association”

Mail registration packages to:

Tia Shynkaruk, SLSA Accreditation Advisor

Box 439

Shell Lake, SK

S0J 2G0

If you have any questions, please contact Tia at 306-427-4636 or email at invisioning@sasktel.net.

Saskatchewan Life Skills Association (SLSA)

ACCREDITATION PROGRAM REGISTRATION FORM

REGISTRATION INFORMATION (PLEASE PRINT CLEARLY USING BLUE OR BLACK INK)

Name: ______________________ ________________________ ______________________________

First Middle Last

Name to appear on Certificate of Accreditation: ________________________________________________

CONTACT INFORMATION

Street and/or Box: ___________________________________________________________

Town/City: _________________________________________________________________

Province & Postal Code: ______________________________________________________

Telephone: _____________________________ Alternate #: ___________________________________

Fax: ___________________________________ Email: _______________________________________

COACHING HISTORY AND DOCUMENTATION

Coach Trainers: _____________________________________________________________

Location & Year Completed: ___________________________________________________

Certification Documents (must be attached): __________________________________________________

ACCREDITATION PROGRAM FEE PAYMENT

The fee for SLSA’s Accreditation Program’s pilot delivery between October 1, 2010 and September 30, 2011 is $950. In October 2011, all newly Accredited Life Skills Coaches will receive a $250 bursary from SLSA.

Enclosed is a cheque payable to the Saskatchewan Life Skills Association in the amount of _____________.

If I am paying only the registration fee of $200, I will pay the remaining $750 on the following date(s):

______________________________________________________________________________________

DECLARATION

I hereby certify that my attached resume, 3-4 page autobiography, Coach certification documents, and Coaching Log are all true and accurate reflections of my work as a Life Skills Coach. Further, I agree that by registering with SLSA, it is my responsibility to abide by the terms and conditions of the program as outlined by my Advisor, and that I will abide by SLSA’s Accreditation Policy.

Coach’s Signature: _____________________________________ Date: _________________________