Policies & procedures
Every rule ICPCAS applies to programs, reviewers, Commissioners and itself is written down, numbered, versioned and published here. If it is not in this library, it is not a rule.
Twenty documents, four groups
Each policy has a number, a version and an effective date. Changes are published 90 days before taking effect and never apply to a review already in progress. The web summary links to the authoritative PDF.
POL-01CurrentEligibility & Application
Threshold requirements, Candidate status, linked applications and tier assignment.
POL-02CurrentSelf-Study & Review Procedures
Self-study format, reviewer assignment, document review, site and virtual review, reviewer reports.
POL-03CurrentAccreditation Decisions
Decision types, conditions, deferral, denial, terms, decision letters and publication.
POL-04CurrentSubstantive Change
What must be reported, when, and when a focused review is triggered.
POL-05CurrentAnnual Reporting & Monitoring
Annual report contents, due dates, late and lapse consequences, reinstatement.
POL-06CurrentReaccreditation
Five-year cycle, abbreviated self-study for clean records, timelines.
POL-07CurrentComplaints
Complaints about accredited programs, reviewers, Commissioners or ICPCAS itself; intake, investigation, outcomes.
POL-08CurrentAppeals
Grounds, filing, Appeals Panel composition, hearing, decisions, fee refund.
POL-09CurrentConflict of Interest
Disclosure, recusal, cooling-off periods and enforcement for Commissioners, reviewers and staff.
POL-10CurrentConfidentiality & Records
What is confidential, what is published, retention periods, data protection.
POL-11CurrentNon-Discrimination & Accessibility
Commitments in ICPCAS's own operations and what is required of programs.
POL-12CurrentUse of the ICPCAS Accredited Mark
Who may use it, where, how, and what happens on misuse.
POL-13CurrentPublic Disclosure of Status
How programs must describe their status (Candidate, Accredited, Conditions, Withdrawn, Denied).
POL-14CurrentVoluntary Withdrawal & Teach-Out
Withdrawing from accreditation; protecting enrolled students on closure.
POL-15CurrentFee Schedule & Refunds
All fees, payment terms, refund rules, fee relief.
POL-16CurrentReviewer Selection, Training & Conduct
Eligibility, training, assignment, evaluation and honoraria.
POL-17CurrentStandards Development
Drafting, public comment, pilot, adoption and review cycle.
DOC-ACurrentSelf-Study Template (Perinatal)
Fillable template, one section per standard, with evidence checklist.
DOC-BCurrentReviewer Rubric (Perinatal)
The scoring rubric reviewers use; published so programs see exactly how they are judged.
DOC-CCurrentBylaws
Board composition, seats, terms, officers, committees, voting, amendment.
How a complaint moves
Anyone may file a complaint about an accredited program, a Candidate, a reviewer, a Commissioner or ICPCAS itself. The process is the same for all, with one rule: the subject of a complaint never handles it.
What a complaint can and cannot do
- Can trigger corrective action, a focused review or an adverse accreditation decision against a program.
- Can result in removal of a reviewer or Commissioner under the Conflict of Interest policy.
- Cannot award refunds, damages or any remedy to an individual student; those are matters between the student and the program, or for the courts.
- Cannot be used to re-litigate an accreditation decision; that is what appeals are for.
Appealing an adverse decision
Denial, withdrawal, or accreditation with conditions the program disputes may be appealed. Three grounds: procedural error, misapplication of a standard, or a decision unsupported by the record. New evidence is not a ground.
Do we need to tell ICPCAS?
Work down the tree. Report within 30 days of the change; the policy says which changes trigger a focused review and which are simply noted.
Using the ICPCAS Accredited mark
The mark is a licensed trademark. It tells the public that a specific program, not an organization, person or course, is accredited. Misuse is a finding under Standard 6 and, where deliberate, grounds for withdrawal.
Permitted
- ✓On the accredited program's web page, brochures and enrollment materials, adjacent to the program name
- ✓On certificates issued for the accredited program, with the accreditation term dates
- ✓The phrase "accredited by the International Commission on Professional Care Accreditation and Standards (ICPCAS)" with the discipline named
- ✓Candidate programs: the words "ICPCAS Candidate for Accreditation", never the mark
- ✓Linking to the program's verification page in the directory
Not permitted
- –On an organization's home page or logo in a way that implies every program it offers is accredited
- –On certificates or materials for non-accredited programs, workshops or CE events
- –By individual practitioners on business cards, profiles or websites; graduates may state that their program was accredited
- –Altered in color, proportion or wording; combined with other marks; or used after withdrawal, lapse or denial
- –Any phrasing implying ICPCAS certifies, licenses or endorses individuals
What we publish and what we keep
| Record | Treatment | Retained |
|---|---|---|
| Accreditation status and term dates | Published in the directory | Permanently |
| Decision type and findings summary | Published in the actions register | Permanently |
| Self-study and evidence | Confidential to reviewers, Committee and Panel | Term plus 2 years |
| Reviewer report and program response | Confidential; shared with the program in full | Term plus 2 years |
| Complaint files | Confidential; outcome shared with parties | 7 years |
| Student records sampled in review | Viewed on site or in portal; not copied or retained by ICPCAS | Not retained |
| Board minutes | Published after approval; confidential items in summary | Permanently |
About policies and procedures
Which version of a policy applies to us?
The version in force on the date your application was accepted, for the whole of that review. Policies that change during your accreditation term apply from their effective date for monitoring, annual reporting and reaccreditation, with the 90-day notice.
Can a student complain to ICPCAS about a refund?
Yes, and we will examine whether the program followed its published refund policy and criterion 7.2. We can require the program to correct its policy or its practice. We cannot order a refund to the individual; that remains between the student and the program.
Is there a fee to file a complaint?
No. Complaints are free. Appeals carry a $750 filing fee, refunded in full if the appeal is upheld, so that a program with a real grievance is never deterred and a program without one has a reason to think twice.
Can we see the rubric reviewers use?
Yes. DOC-B, the reviewer rubric, is published in full. ICPCAS does not use undisclosed criteria. If a reviewer applies something not in the standards or rubric, that is a ground for appeal.
What if we disagree with a policy?
Comment on it. Policies are revised through the same open process as the standards, and proposals are logged, acknowledged within 30 days and considered at the next relevant committee meeting.
How do we report a program misusing the mark?
Through the complaints form, selecting “use of mark”. Include a link or image. Misuse by a non-accredited program is handled as a trademark matter; misuse by an accredited program is a Standard 6 finding.
If a rule is unclear, ask before you rely on it
Staff answer policy questions in writing within 10 business days, and the answer is binding on ICPCAS for your review.