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.

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 Certified 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.

The ASAB/APBC Agreement

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

Summary (see below for details):

• Become a full APBC member before March 2011 – Can apply for CCAB before March 2014 without having to show supervised experience or provide case studies (academic mapping required). 

• Become a provisional APBC member before March 2011 – Can apply for CCAB before March 2014 without having to show supervised experience (case studies and academic mapping required).

Full member before March 2011:

Long standing full members of the APBC are recognised by ASAB as having extensive clinical experience and knowledge.

Until March 2014 a full APBC member who has taken the lead role in at least 20 cases a year for the three years before application may be considered for certification:

• without the requirement to submit formal case histories or evidence supervised experience, but
• with the requirement to fulfil the CCAB academic criteria, and provide evidence of having taken the lead role in at least twenty cases a year for the three years before application.

If you were a full member before March 2011 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.

Provisional member before March 2011:

APBC members who were provisional members before March 2011 (not having the time to complete 3 years as a full member before 2014) but became full members before March 2014 can apply for CCAB before March 2014:

• without the necessity to evidence supervised experience, but
• with the requirement to provide three long and five short case studies for each species, fulfil ASAB’s academic criteria, and provide evidence of having taken the lead role in at least twenty cases a year for the three years before application.

Important Dates:

1. Before March 2014 ASAB will accept applications for CCAB from APBC Full members who have taken the lead in 20 cases a year for the past three years and can map the academic requirements and show they have seen 20 cases a year (more than three years as a full member see point 2, less than three see point 3).

2. March 2011: The last date for which it is possible to become a full member and take advantage of the original ASAB APBC arrangement which dispenses with the requirement to evidence supervised experience or write case studies for CCAB applications submitted before March 2014.

3. March 2011: Members who upgrade to provisional before this date can take advantage of a supplementary ASAB APBC agreement which dispenses with the requirement to evidence supervised experience for CCAB applications submitted before March 2014.  You must be an APBC full member to apply for CCAB under this arrangement.
 

FAQS:

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

If you have a profession-specific higher degree (level 7 or above), or profession-specific postgraduate qualification (level 7) by March 2013, you have the opportunity to upgrade to provisional membership by March 2013. This will enable you to complete at the required one year of conducting behaviour consultations before applying for full membership under the old scheme by submitting case histories to the APBC selection committee.

If you have a specific degree level qualification (level 6) that includes companion animal behaviour by March 2012, you have the opportunity to upgrade to provisional membership by March 2012. This will enable you to complete the required two years of conducting behaviour consultations before applying for full membership under the old scheme by submitting case histories to the APBC selection committee.

In both cases your application for full membership must be received before March 2014. If you want to become ASAB CCAB in the future you will have to do this by completing their accreditation requirements.

If neither of these situations applies to you, full membership of the APBC will be obtained only through first becoming ASAB CCAB.

• I became a provisional member after March 2011, what does this mean for me?

If you have a profession-specific higher degree (level 7 or above), or profession-specific postgraduate qualification (level 7) 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 to the APBC selection committee.

If you have a specific degree level qualification (level 6) that includes companion animal behaviour 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 to the APBC selection committee.

If you do not submit your application for Full Membership of the APBC before March 2014, full membership of the APBC will only be obtained through first becoming ASAB CCAB.  If you want to become ASAB CCAB in the future you will have to do this by completing their accreditation requirements.

• I became a provisional member before March 2011, what does this mean for me?

If you have a profession-specific higher degree (level 7 or above), or profession-specific postgraduate qualification (level 7) 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 to the APBC selection committee.

If you have a specific degree level qualification (level 6) that includes companion animal behaviour 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 to the APBC selection committee.

Your application for full membership must be received before March 2014. 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 before March 2014, 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 March 2014, 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 profession-specific higher degree (level 7 or above), or profession-specific postgraduate qualification (level 7) you will need to become a provisional member of the APBC before March 2013, 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 to the APBC selection committee.

If you have a specific degree level qualification (level 6) that includes companion animal behaviour you will need to become a provisional member of the APBC before March 2012, 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 to the APBC selection committee.

Your application for full membership must be received before March 2014.

If you want to become ASAB CCAB in the future you will have to do this by completing their accreditation requirements.

If you do not submit your application for Full Membership of the APBC before March 2014, 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.”  The degree must include companion animal behaviour.

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