Website and ACBSP™…. ACA™ Sports Council …. FICS™
You may have noticed a new website for the ACBSP™. If not, you need to check it out. The website committee of Alicia Oswald, Kevin Bradley and Todd Narson worked with our Executive Director Cindy Hayter and webmaster Jay Ferguson at Xtomic to deliver your desires. This website is a lot easier because it has an actual search feature; it allows you to move through drop down screens without opening multiple tabs and most importantly it will allow you to update your practice information.
The website is a work in progress.
Jay is currently developing the function of allowing active certificants to update specific practice information such as practice name, practice address and website address. Once the functionality is in place, an email will be sent to all active certificants with login instructions. Certain items are set in stone and must be handled by the national office such as: CCSP® vs DACBSP®, certificate numbers, certificate dates and active/ inactive. More information will be coming on this feature, so remember to check your emails.
Thank you to everyone who completed the DACBSP® Job Analysis. This necessary tool enables the ACBSP™ to provide accurate testing to validate your credentials. What do we mean by this? Your credentials are important when working events in the United States. It ensures there is a minimal competency met when a CCSP® or DACBSP® comes to work an event.
The question comes up frequently as to why there are three sports groups covering sports chiropractic – the American Chiropractic Board of Sports Physicians™ (ACBSP™), ACA™ Sports Council™ (ACA™ Sports Council) and Fédération Internationale de Chiropratique du Sport™ (FICS™) To help you understand the purpose of each group and why each necessarily exists, here is an explanation:
The ACBSP™ is the only national certifying body for sports chiropractic in the United States. It is not an organization you join. You are either certified or you are not. You take the necessary coursework, meet the requirements by passing written examinations, complete on-field hours and take practical examinations depending on if you choose to become a CCSP® or a DACBSP®. You pay annual certification fees, maintain a current CPR and meet the annual CEU requirement of 12 for CCSP® or 24 for DACBSP®. If you choose to surrender your trademarked letters, you are no longer certified by the ACBSP™ and can no longer use or display the CCSP® or DACBSP® marks.
The ACA™ Sports Council is the sports chiropractic division of the American Chiropractic Association™. You are not required to have a CCSP® or DACBSP® to belong. There is a requirement that you must be an ACA™ member also when joining the ACA™ Sports Council. Several CCSPs® and DACBSPs® belong to the ACA™ Sports Council. The only sports certifications the American Chiropractic Association™ (ACA) recognizes in the United States are the CCSP® and the DACBSP®. The ACA™ Sports Council is a valuable organization providing many opportunities for those with interest in sports chiropractic to work in the field. There are student groups at each chiropractic college who enjoy the experience of working events with the doctors of the ACA™ Sports Council. A professional and educational trade/member organization for active chiropractors, the ACA™ Sports Council is committed to improving and promoting chiropractic treatment of athletes. By working with athletic organizations and allied health professionals there is a better understanding of the value of sports chiropractic care.
FICS™ is the sports chiropractic division who broadens the scope of sports chiropractic outside of the United States. With a worldwide membership, FICS™ strives to provide equitable access to sports chiropractic care, education, mentoring, and research to all athletes and sports chiropractors regionally, nationally, and internationally. FICS™ maintains relationships with international sporting federations, and educational institutions with chiropractic programs across the globe. Many international events are offered as experiences to share sports chiropractic with athletes of various nations. FICS™ promotes an international certificate in sports chiropractic (ICSC); they require this certification to work their international events. This is not related to the ACBSP™, CCSP® or DACBSP®. FICS™ does provide advanced placement for their international certification to those who hold a current CCSP® or DACBSP® certification.
Each year meetings are held between ACBSP™, ACA™ Sports Council and FICS™ to ensure we all work as a team promoting the best care given to athletes in the world.
Anyone with interest to work in the specialty field of sports chiropractic in the USA should be encouraged to take the ACBSP™ certification exams as it makes our specialty field of sports chiropractic stronger for everyone – doctors, athletes, parents, coaches, etc.
Anne