How to become a certified correctional nurse

Click to view the type and levels of certification.
Adult Corrections Juvenile Justice Health Care Provisional

Click to view important program documents.

Adult Corrections: There are four certification categories for Adult Corrections.

• Certified Corrections Officers (CCO): Individuals who work directly with offenders.
• Certified Corrections Supervisor (CCS): Individuals at the “mid-management” level who work with both staff and offenders in a corrections setting. CCS includes those responsible for implementing agency policies and procedures and supervising/evaluating personnel.
• Certified Corrections Manager (CCM): Individuals who manage major units or programs within a corrections setting. They are management staff who may contribute to the development of policy and procedures, are responsible for their implementation, and have authority over supervisory personnel.
• Certified Corrections Executive (CCE): Individuals at the highest executive level who oversee the development of policy and procedures in agencies dealing with adult offenders.

Juvenile Justice: There are four certification categories for Juvenile Justice.

• Certified Corrections Officers/Juvenile (CCO/JUV): Individuals who work directly with juvenile offenders.
• Certified Corrections Supervisor/Juvenile (CCS/JUV): Individuals at the “mid-management” level who work with both staff and offenders in a juvenile justice setting. CCS/JUV includes those responsible for implementing agency policies and procedures and supervising/evaluating personnel.
• Certified Corrections Manager/Juvenile (CCM/JUV): Individuals who manage major units or programs within a juvenile justice setting. They are management staff who may contribute to the development of policy and procedures, are responsible for their implementation, and have authority over supervisory personnel.
• Certified Corrections Executive/Juvenile (CCE/JUV): Individuals at the highest executive level who oversee the development of policy and procedures in agencies dealing with juvenile offenders.

Health Care: There are four certification categories for Health Care. Certified Corrections Nurse (CCN): This category includes staff nurses, who work in a correctional environment and who work with both staff and offenders. It includes those responsible for implementing agency policies and procedures. Certified Corrections Nurse/Manager (CCN/M): This category includes individuals who work as nurse managers in a correctional environment. They are management staff who may contribute to the development of policy and procedures, are responsible for their implementation, and have authority over staff members. Certified Health Service Administrator (CHSA): This category is for Health Service Administrators. They are management staff who contribute to the development of policy and procedures, are responsible for their implementation, and have authority over staff members. They plan, direct, coordinate and supervise the health care system. Correctional Behavioral Health Certification (CBHC): This category includes Correctional Officers, Community Corrections Officers and Allied Behavioral Health Staff, who, because of their education, credentials and experience, are associated with the provision of behavioral health services for mentally ill offenders. A minimum of 40 hours of behavioral- and mental health-related training is required for the examination.

Provisional Certification: There is one certification category for Provisional Certification

• Certified Corrections Officer/Provisional (CCO/P): Graduating students who have studied for a career in a correctional setting and/or Department of Corrections Training Academy graduating cadets. Individuals in this category will work directly with offenders. For certification status to become permanent, those who pass the CCO/P exam must secure a full-time position in a corrections-related agency (within two-years from their exam date) and receive a satisfactory performance rating from their immediate supervisor after one year on the job.

Questions?

Contact Sam Sprinthall, Professional Development Specialist, at [email protected] or 703-224-0067
For health care certifications, contact Rania Holail, Correctional Health Coordinator at [email protected] or 703-224-0192

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