About

In Montana, certification for Prevention Specialist is awarded by the Montana Prevention Certification Board, which works under IC&RC’s credentialing guidelines. There are many benefits to certification, including:

  • Improving the way prevention work is done in our communities.

  • Helping Montana respond to the growing demand for quality, accredited prevention programs.

  • Helping Montana nonprofits and other organizations secure funding.

  • Helping the public identify ethical and relevant prevention programs and practitioners.

  • Providing international recognition and new professional opportunities.

  • Supporting competitive wages and qualifies prevention specialists for upward mobility.

  • Recognizing that prevention specialists are key to the delivery of behavior health services.

  • Promoting prevention certification through opportunities for skill and career development.

  • Promoting ethical practice by adherence to the Code of Ethics.
  • Knowing the reciprocal Prevention Specialist credential is available in 48 U.S. states and territories, four Native American regions, all branches of the U.S. military and 11 international regions.
  • Promoting personal pride and satisfaction knowing you are making a difference in someone’s life.

Definition of Prevention 

We use the IC&RC definition of prevention: “A pro-active process of helping individuals, families, and communities to develop the resources needed to develop and maintain healthy lifestyles. Prevention focuses on the development of innovative programs and carefully planned interventions that are implemented before the onset of physical, psychological, emotional, or social problems. Prevention is broad-based in the sense that it is intended to alleviate a wide range of at-risk behaviors including, but not limited to, alcohol, tobacco, and other drug abuse (ATOD), crime and delinquency, violence, vandalism, mental health problems, family conflict, parenting problems, stress and burnout, child abuse, learning problems, school failure, school dropouts, teenage pregnancy, depression, and suicide.”