CCAB, ASAB, and the APBC explained

In 1998, ASAB (The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour) set up a working party to examine the need for a professional framework for people working in applications of animal behaviour, along the lines of the Board of Professional Certification run by the Animal Behavior Society for the USA and Canada. The ASAB working party, focusing specifically on those treating behavioural disorders of companion animals ("pet behaviour counsellors"), recommended that a certification scheme for the UK would be helpful to allow both pet-owners and professionals, such as veterinary surgeons, to select behaviourists with proper qualifications and skills.

Details of the conclusions of their report can be found here http://asab.nottingham.ac.uk/downloads/certificationreport.pdf

The resulting certification scheme constitutes recognition by ASAB that, to the best of its knowledge, the certificant meets the educational, experiential and ethical standards required by the Association for professional clinical animal behaviourists.

To become a Certificated Clinical Animal Behaviourist (CCAB), successful applicants will have to meet requirements of education, experience and endorsement. Education to Honours Degree standard or higher in a biological or behavioural science will be required, including appropriate elements of zoology, physiology, psychology, clinical techniques and research methods. Further details are available here.

Experiential requirements will be based on evidence of significant experience of working under the supervision of several CCABs in a clinical setting. Further details are available here. Endorsement requirements will include reports from the supervising CCABs and other professionals, such as referring veterinary surgeons.

ASAB/APBC agreement

At the time, practicing Full Members of the APBC were recognised by ASAB as having extensive clinical experience and knowledge. Those who were Full Members by Oct 2008 are able to apply for certification by demonstrating their knowledge and experience. They must evidence having taken the lead role in at least 20 cases a year for the three years before application for certification, whilst being Full Members of the APBC (bringing us to the date of October 2011). These applicants must map the academic criteria of the scheme but are not required to submit formal case histories or do supervised experience.

APPLICATION FOR CERTIFICATION AS A CLINICAL ANIMAL BEHAVIOURIST FOR FULL APBC MEMBERS

If you were a full member before October 2008 and now have three years as a Full Member, taking the lead role in at least 20 cases per year, this is the application form for you and this is a sample of how to complete Appendix 1 (you need to be logged in as a member to access these files). Please adhere to the guidance as stated on the form.
 

In Oct 2011 there will be a number of people who have become full members of the APBC under the existing system after Oct 2008 but were provisional members by that date; the following applies to those individuals:

They will not have had the time necessary to see cases as a full member of the APBC for three years prior to October 2011 and therefore will not be eligible to apply for CCAB under the original APBC/ASAB agreement.

They will be able to apply for CCAB after October 2011 under an APBC/ASAB agreement. However, this will be achievable by:

• Mapping the academic criteria required

• Providing 8 case histories (3 long and 5 short) for each species (see http://asab.nottingham.ac.uk/accred/application.php)

• Having taken the lead role in at least 20 cases a year for the three years before application for certification for each of the species for which competency is claimed.

• But there will be no requirement to do supervised experience.

Those to whom this applies are:

• Those who were a Provisional member before Oct 2008

• And were accepted as Full members before Oct 2011.

• Including those who completed but exceeded the allowed provisional period before becoming a full member of the APBC and allowed membership to lapse between the end of provisional and the beginning of the full membership (before Oct 2011).

FAQS:

• I am a current student member, what does this mean for me?

If you have a relevant degree level qualification by October 2009, you have the opportunity to upgrade to Provisional membership by October 2009. This will enable you to complete at least two years of conducting behaviour consultations and apply for Full Membership under the old scheme by submitting case histories. Your application for full membership must be received before Oct 2011. If you want to become ASAB CCAB in the future you will have to do this by mapping the academic requirements and completing supervised experience.

If you have a relevant higher than degree level qualification by October 2010, you have the opportunity to upgrade to Provisional membership by October 2010. This will enable you to complete at least one year of conducting behaviour consultations and apply for Full Membership under the old scheme by submitting case histories. Your application for full membership must be received before Oct 2011. If you want to become ASAB CCAB in the future you will have to do this by mapping the academic requirements and completing supervised experience.

If neither of these situations apply to you, Full Membership of the APBC will be obtained only through first becoming ASAB CCAB.

• I became a provisional member after October 2008, what does this mean for me?

If you have a relevant degree level qualification you need to complete at least two years of conducting behaviour consultations and apply for Full Membership under the old scheme by submitting case histories. Your application for full membership must be received before Oct 2011. If you want to become ASAB CCAB in the future you will have to do this by mapping the academic requirements and completing supervised experience.

If you have a relevant higher than degree level qualification you need to complete at least one year of conducting behaviour consultations and apply for Full Membership under the old scheme by submitting case histories. Your application for full membership must be received before Oct 2011. If you want to become ASAB CCAB in the future you will have to do this by mapping the academic requirements and completing supervised experience.

If you do not submit your application for Full Membership of the APBC before Oct 2011, Full Membership of the APBC will only be obtained through first becoming ASAB CCAB.

• I became a provisional member before October 2008, what does this mean for me?

If you have a relevant degree level qualification you need to complete at least two years of conducting behaviour consultations and apply for Full Membership under the old scheme by submitting case histories. Your application for full membership must be received before Oct 2011. If you want to become ASAB CCAB in the future you can do this by mapping the academic requirements and submitting long and short case histories, but there will be no requirement for completing supervised experience, due to the ASAB APBC agreement.

If you have a relevant higher than degree level qualification you need to complete at least one year of conducting behaviour consultations and apply for Full Membership under the old scheme by submitting case histories. Your application for full membership must be received before Oct 2011. If you want to become ASAB CCAB in the future you can do this by mapping the academic requirements and submitting long and short case histories, but there will be no requirement for completing supervised experience, due to the ASAB APBC agreement.

If you do not submit your application for Full Membership of the APBC before Oct 2011, Full Membership of the APBC will only be obtained through first becoming ASAB CCAB.

• I would like to apply for student membership of the APBC, what does this mean for me?

Student membership of the APBC will support you through your studies, and towards becoming ASAB CCAB, but if you would like to progress to Full Membership of the APBC in the future, this will be obtained through first becoming ASAB CCAB.

• I would like to apply for provisional membership of the APBC, what does this mean for me?

If you have a relevant degree level qualification you will need to become a Provisional Member of the APBC before October 2009 in order to complete at least two years of conducting behaviour consultations and apply for Full Membership under the old scheme by submitting case histories. Your application for full membership must be received before Oct 2011. If you want to become ASAB CCAB in the future you will have to do this by mapping the academic requirements and completing supervised experience.

If you have a relevant higher than degree level qualification you will need to become a Provisional Member of the APBC before October 2010, in order to complete at least one year of conducting behaviour consultations and apply for Full Membership under the old scheme by submitting case histories. Your application for full membership must be received before Oct 2011. If you want to become ASAB CCAB in the future you will have to do this by mapping the academic requirements and completing supervised experience.

If you do not submit your application for Full Membership of the APBC before Oct 2011, Full Membership of the APBC will only be obtained through first becoming ASAB CCAB.

I would like to apply for student or provisional membership of the APBC, while studying for a post graduate course?

The academic requirement for Provisional membership of the APBC is “Academic accreditation to degree level or higher” means 120 CATS points or equivalent at FHEQ Level 6 or above.”

This takes into account courses that are not named as ‘BSc” but that earn the equivalent 120 CATS points, even if the courses was taken in European or other countries.

It also means that individuals who are entered onto Postgraduate courses where the University has accepted APL (Accredited Prior Learning) without them gaining a first degree, also have the equivalent of 120 CATS and are therefore able to become Provisional members.

The advantage of being a Provisional member is that the APBC encourages provisional members to conduct behavioural consultants, while the APBC does not support student APBC members conduct behavioural consultants. www.apbc.org.uk/apbc/criteria