CCHP-A - Certified Correctional Health Professional - Advanced

Certified Correctional Health Professional - Advanced (CCHP-A) certification validates the knowledge and skills of health professionals who have experience and demonstrated a passion for working in a correctional facility. The National Commission on Correctional Health Care (NCCHC) offers the CCHP exam and certification.

Eligibility Requirements

• Health professionals who have maintained CCHP certification for a minimum of 3 years, including administrative, mental health and support staff, are eligible to apply for CCHP-A certification.

Completion Time: Candidates have 4 hours to complete the CCHP-A exam

Cost:

• Application fee: $420

  • $15 surcharge for mailing or faxing paper applications

• Testing fee

  • NCCHC site or affiliate: Free

  • Prometric Center: $72

  • Remote: $72

Exam Format

The CCHP-A certification exam consists of 8 essay questions. Candidates have 4 hours to complete the exam and must score 70% or higher to pass. They receive their Pass/Fail results by mail within 2 weeks of completing the exam. CCHP-A exam topics include: 

• Governance and Administration

• Health Promotion, Safety, and Disease Prevention

• Personnel and Training

• Ancillary Health Care Services

• Patient Care and Treatment

• Special Needs and Services

• Medical-Legal Issues

Steps to certification:

• Go to the CCHC Application

• Click “Apply Now”

• Create an account

• Complete application including:

  • Education and Training

    • Formal education

    • Licensure and certificate information

    • Skills certifications

    • Continuing education

  • Employment

    • Health care employment

    • Correctional health employment

    • Job responsibilities

    • Accomplishments and achievements

    • Awards and recognitions

  • Professional Contributions

    • Professional organization membership

    • Service to the profession

    • Scholarship and teaching

  • Job Performance

    • Tenure and performance as a CCHP

    • Completeness and quality of application

    • Letters of support

• Pay application fee

• Submit documentation to the NCCHC within three month of initial application

  • Completed application in 3-ring binder with appropriately labeled tabs

  • Three letters of recommendation sent directly to the CCHP Board of Trustees 

  • $420 application fee

CCHP-A credentials are valid for 1 years. To be eligible for renewal, applicants must:

• Renew their CCHP or specialty certification (CCHP-MH, CCHP-RN, CCHP-P)

• Complete 18 contact hours of mental health continuing education

  • 6 contact hours specific to correctional health care

  • 12 additional hours of continuing education relevant to their profession

• Complete a Renewal Application

Cost: There isn’t any cost to recertify as a CCHP-A, but there’s a $15 surcharge for mailed or faxed applications.

Part of the renewal process requires 18 continuing education (CE) contact hours. All CE contact hours must be related to the CCHP-A’s profession and at least 6 must be related to correctional health.

Approved correctional health continuing education can be found at:

• NCCHC Events

• NCCHC Recorded Webinars

• NCCHC On Demand Courses

Additionally, every three years the CCHP-A must:

• Participate in at least one correctional health care conference

• Complete an advanced project, such as publishing an article or book, teaching or presenting at a correctional health care conference

• Receive national recognition or develop a project with a significant impact on the field of correctional healthcare

  • Send this information to [email protected]

Review courses and other CE offerings can be found at NCCHC Courses

The NCCHC has resources available to help candidates prepare for the CCHP-A exam, including:  

• Standards for Health Services in Jails

• Standards for Health Services in Prisons

• Standards for Health Services in Juvenile Detention and Confinement Facilities

• Correctional Health Care: Guidelines for the Management of an Adequate Delivery System 

• On Demand Live Review Course

• Events and Conferences

• Recorded Webinars

• Certified Correctional Health Professional - Registered Nurse (CCHP-RN) credentials are ideal for registered nurses working in correctional health

• Certified Correctional Health Professional (CCHP) credentials are ideal for healthcare professional working in correctional health

• Certified Correctional Health Professional Mental Health (CCHP-MH) credentials are ideal for mental health professionals working in correctional health