THE INTERNATIONAL REGISTRY OF COUNSELLOR EDUCATION PROGRAMS

(IRCEP)

History

The International Registry of Counsellor Education Programs (IRCEP) was developed by the Council for
Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) to respond to a growing request
for an international recognition review process for counsellor education programs around the world.
Recognizing that the CACREP accreditation standards were not easily applied to or even necessarily
appropriate for use by counselling programs external to the US higher education system, the CACREP
Board began examining ways it could foster quality assurance for the education and training of counsellors
regardless of culture, country, region, work setting, or educational system.

The result of this examination was CACREP’s decision, in 2008, to establish an international steering
committee to assist in the creation of an international registry of programs. This committee was charged
with developing registry standards that were culturally sensitive, rigorous, and flexible enough to be used
by a variety of educational systems. The committee was further charged with developing the review
processes that would be followed to determine a program’s eligibility to seek and become IRCEP approved.

The members of the initial steering committee were selected to represent various regions of the world and
included representation from Europe, Asia, Africa, the Americas, and Oceania. In September 2009, this
international group of counsellors met in Buenos Aires to finalize the standards and procedures to be
implemented as the IRCEP application and approval process.

What is IRCEP’s Purpose?

IRCEP’s purposes are defined by the vision and mission statements developed by the IRCEP Steering
Committee and approved by the CACREP Board of Directors. The core values define IRCEP’s approach
to accomplishing the mission.

Vision
IRCEP will promote the ongoing development and recognition of the counselling profession worldwide
through the creation of a registry of approved counsellor education programs that use common professional
requirements essential to the education and training of counsellors regardless of culture, country, region,
work setting, or educational system.

Mission
In order to promote the development and recognition of the counselling profession worldwide, IRCEP’s
mission is to 1) develop standards that focus on common professional requirements for counsellor
education and training programs, 2) approve programs that meet the IRCEP Standards, 3) maintain a
registry of approved programs, and 4) create networks of counsellor educators, students, and practitioners
to further develop and promote excellence in counsellor education and training.

Core Values
IRCEP values
- advancing quality assurance in counsellor education and training worldwide
through the creation of standards that reflect the needs of diverse societies and cultures
 - respecting the diversity of instructional approaches and strategies
- encouraging program improvement and best practices
- strengthening the public’s understanding of counselling worldwide
- creating networks of counsellor educators, students and practitioners
- serving as leaders and advocates for the profession of counselling
worldwide.

THE IRCEP STANDARDS

Listed below are the six (6) IRCEP Standards. Under each standard is a description of information that
should be included in the discussion of how a program meets the IRCEP Standards. In addition,
suggestions for possible documentation are also included in the guidelines.

Standard I
The program has a written mission statement, goals, curriculum, and criteria for student selection.

Guidelines for Meeting Standard I

Please describe the mission and goals of the program, the required curriculum, and how students are
selected for the program. In addition to the narrative description, please also provide links to an official
website and/or a set of documents demonstrating that student, faculty, and the public have access to this
information.

Standard II
The program has a designated individual responsible for the oversight of courses offered.

Guidelines for Meeting Standard II

Please provide the name, title, and contact information of the individual who is responsible for insuring that
the program’s curriculum is adequate and appropriately delivered to students. Please also provide links to
any documents that support this individual’s authority to coordinate the program (e.g., official position
description, letter of appointment).

Standard III
The program employs counsellor educators and trainers and has other resources of appropriate quality and
sufficiency to achieve its mission and goals.

Guidelines for Meeting Standard III

Please provide information on the number of individuals teaching in the program, along with information
regarding their qualifications to teach in the program. Provide links to teacher resumes. Also, describe any
other resources available to the program that assist in the education and training of counsellors (e.g.,
classrooms with recording facilities, partnerships with local schools, etc.).

Standard IV
The program has procedures for assessing students.

Guidelines for Meeting Standard IV

Describe how student learning and skill development is evaluated. Describe how the faculty and teachers
determine that a student has the appropriate attitudes, skills, and knowledge to be a counsellor. Indicate
what degrees and/or certificates are provided to students who successfully complete the counselling
program.

Standard V
The program offers curricular experiences that broaden the knowledge base and skill development of all
students in the program based on the following domains. These two domains are considered necessary to
the training of competent counsellors regardless of culture, country, region, work setting, or educational
system.

Domain A – Counselling Skills and Practice

• Communication/Counselling Skills
• Theories and Techniques
• Human Development
• Supervised Field Practice

Domain B – Understanding the Social Context and Norms of Working as a Counsellor

• Ethical Principles
• Societal Norms
• Diversity and Differences
• Professional Identity
• Research and Assessment

Guidelines for Meeting Standard V

Please describe where, how, and when students are provided with the knowledge and skills appropriate to
each domain. Provide links to any documents that describe the curricular requirements or show how
students progress through the program.

Standard VI
The program can provide documentation of legitimacy to operate.

Guidelines for Meeting Standard VI

Please provide information on requirements that must be met in your country, region and local area before
an educational program can be offered to students. Describe any special permission or licenses that are
required for operating the program. Please also provide a link to where these documents may be found.

Please contact IRCEP at www.ircep.org for additional information.