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ACRE Certification

Obtain ACRE certification for customized employment

The ACRE Employment Services certificate helps to build a foundation of knowledge and skills, including those used in customized employment, to assist people with disabilities to achieve and maintain competitive employment.


DESCRIPTION

The Employment Services Certificate is being offered by Incompass Michigan and is based on a curriculum developed by TransCen, Inc.

This Employment Services Certificate is comprised of an initial 12 hours of either an in-person or synchronous online training Workshop and a 28-hour online Certificate Course that includes coursework, support from instructors, and field-based assignments.

The certificate curriculum is endorsed by Association for Community Rehabilitation Educators (ACRE). In order to promote best practices in the field of employment, ACRE encourages the use of competency-based training. The competencies on which this training is based are a melding of ACRE’s original Employment Services competencies with the Essential Elements of Customized Employment. Click to view a list of these competencies

The ACRE Employment Services certificate helps to build a foundation of knowledge and skills, including those used in customized employment, to assist people with disabilities to achieve and maintain competitive employment.  VR is currently developing additional training requirements for providers specializing in customized employment. This curriculum may not align with VR expectations for credentialed staff providing Customized Employment to MRS or BSBP – Incompass Michigan will continue to work with our VR partners to establish a sustainable credentialing process for customized employment practitioners.

Modules include:

  1. Application of Core Values and Principles of Practice
  2. Individualized Assessment and Employment/Career Planning
  3. Community Research and Job Development
  4. Workplace and Related Supports


Online Workshop:

  • April 10 – Module 1  
  • April 24 – Module 2  
  • May 1 – Module 2  
  • May 8 – Module 3  
  • May 15 – Module 3  
  • May 22 – Module 4 

 

In-Person Workshop:
Held at Incompass Michigan, 335 Seymour Ave, Lansing, MI 48933. This is a 2 day in-person workshop, pricing includes meals. 

  • July 14 – July 15 each day 9:00 am–4:00 pm


Certificate Course:
All Virtual, 9:00 am–11:00 am (must complete the Workshop first, space is limited and available on first come basis)

  • July 17 – Module 1
  • July 31 – Module 2
  • August 14 – Module 2
  • August 28 – Module 3 
  • September 11 – Module 3 
  • September 18 – Module 4
  • October 16 – Module 4 
  • October 30 – Make up Session (this is if an additional day is needed in case a session is cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances)

 


TUITION

Workshop Online only:
Incompass Michigan Members: $149.00
Non Members: $199.00

Workshop In-Person only, 335 Seymour Ave, Lansing, MI 48933:
Incompass Michigan Members: $199.00
Non Members: $249.00

Full Online Certificate Course (includes Online Workshop and Certificate Course) 40 hours:

*SEATS ARE LIMITED
Incompass Michigan Members $349.00
Nonmembers $399.00

Full Hybrid Certificate Course (includes In-Person Workshop and Certificate Course) 40 hours:

*SEATS ARE LIMITED
Incompass Michigan Members $399.00
Nonmembers $450.00

If a participant completes the Workshop and then decides to add the additional 28-hour Certificate Course, session fees for the Certificate Course are $249 for members and $299 for non-members.

REGISTER HERE


PARTICIPANT TIME COMMITMENT

Participants are required to attend all of the sessions in full.

  • Any makeup sessions requested will incur additional fees.
  • As part of the registration process, the supervisor of participants must click here to complete the Supervisor Form of Commitment by April 10, agreeing that the registered participant will be authorized to devote an average of four hours per week to attend trainings and complete quizzes, discussion boards, activities and field assignments. The supervisor of participants must sign and submit the form by April 10 or contact kkinde@incompassmi.org for more information.


PARTICIPANT ACCOUNTABILITY

To earn an Employment Services Certificate with an Emphasis on Customized Employment each participant will:

  1. Attend all sessions of the Workshop in full
  2. Attend all sessions of the Certificate Course with instructor-led trainings in full.
  3. Complete readings, assignments, and quizzes to the satisfaction of the instructor.
  4. Post discussion boards, activities, assignments and quizzes by date assigned.

Assignment due dates will be established by the instructor. It is the responsibility of the participant to communicate with instructor and facilitator if there are problems with meeting the requirements and due dates of the certificate program.

The quizzes can be taken multiple times until all the questions are answered correctly.

No activities/assignments will be accepted past the course end date.


LEAD INSTRUCTOR

Heather Barsy, Integrated Services of Kalamazoo


MATERIALS NEEDED

For virtual sessions, it is recommended you have access to a working computer, microphone, camera, and access to our Learning Management System.

For in-person sessions, please ensure you have transportation and any learning materials you may need.


ABOUT ACRE

https://www.acreducators.org/

A national membership organization and Community of Practice (CoP) for trainers in the field of employment services for people with disabilities.

  1. Advocacy: promoting national personnel standards and quality services for individuals with disabilities
  2. Public policy: promoting the employment and training of qualified personnel in community rehabilitation programs
  3. Education and training: based on a set of competencies to provide consistency and quality across the nation

What ACRE does

  • Primary focus is on training and education of community rehabilitation personnel
  • Seeks to improve outcomes and quality of life for persons with disabilities who receive community-based rehabilitation services by increasing the competence of personnel and quality of service they provide
  • Seeks to increase the effectiveness of community rehabilitation programs to work in partnership with persons with disabilities to achieve meaningful employment outcomes
  • Pursues collaborative relationships with national and state rehabilitation organizations and education and training programs to further develop needed service resources
  • Seeks to improve the outcomes from community rehabilitation services by working collaboratively to enhance public policy and funding

Employment Services Certificate
The Association of Community Rehabilitation Educators (ACRE) awards nationally recognized Certificates of Achievement to providers of employment services to people with disabilities. This Certificate documents that the provider has satisfactorily completed a minimum of 40 hours of training or professional development provided by an ACRE-approved training resource.