AIRS Certification and Accreditation
VAIRS is offering two exam sites for certification as an I&R Specialist, I&R
Specialist in Aging or Resource (database) Specialist. Study materials,
cost, application and recertification details available at
http://www.airs.org/aboutairs/about_certification.asp.
Application, supporting documentation and appropriate exam fees must be
mailed to the AIRS National Office in Fairfax, Va.
Application Mailing Address:
AIRS Certification
Director
11240 Wapels Mill
Road. Suite 200
Fairfax, VA 22030
June 6, 2008, 10 a.m. – noon, in Falls Church, VA - Register
with AIRS by May 5, 2008 for the exam
Training and Test Location
Address:
County of Fairfax
Falls Church Human Services Building
Department of Systems Management for Human
Services
6245 Leesburg Pike, Room 305
Falls Church, VA 22044
Link to Map
In addition to AIRS’ paper & online study resources, a free Basics of I&R
review workshop will be offered in Falls Church at the same location on Friday, May 30, 2008 10 a.m.
– 1 p.m. Registration required. Space is limited. The workshop is sponsored by
Fairfax County Coordinated Services Planning, the Northern Virginia Information
and Referral Network & VAIRS. To register for the workshop, email your
request to
tylee@novaregion.org
and
Dorothy.Groce@fairfaxcounty.gov.
June 11, 2008, 10:00 a.m. - noon, in Lynchburg, VA - Register with AIRS by
May 10, 2008 for the exam
Hosted by United Way of Central Virginia, 2-1-1 VIRGINIA - Central Region on
June 11, 2008 at 10:00 a.m. Anyone planning to sit for the test must have been
approved by the Alliance of Information and Referral Systems (AIRS) in advance.
Visit the AIRS website for the application.
www.airs.org
Application Mailing Address:
AIRS Certification
Director
11240 Wapels Mill
Road. Suite 200
Fairfax, VA 22030
Test Location
Address:
United Way of
Central Virginia
1010 Miller Park Square
Lynchburg, Virginia 24501
Link to Map
The AIRS
Certification Program awards professional credentials internationally to
individuals who successfully complete the selected AIRS Certification Program
exam for information and referral practitioners in the following specialties:
The AIRS
Certification Program is based on established standards for the field of
information and referral. The program identifies specific competencies and
related performance criteria, which describe the knowledge, skills, attitudes
and work-related behaviors needed by I&R practitioners to successfully execute
their duties.
The AIRS
Certification Program recognizes the candidate’s work experience and
incorporates documentation of professional performance in the candidate’s work
setting and training the individual may have received. Certification does not
depend exclusively on academic accomplishment.
The AIRS
Certification Program utilizes an examination process that provides clear,
objective guidelines for measuring the knowledge, skills, attitudes and
work-related behaviors of I&R practitioners. A candidate is first confirmed as
eligible to take the examination according to an assessment of the various
criteria within their application. The examination itself is administered on a
Pass/Fail basis.
A candidate
for Certification does not have to be an individual member of AIRS, an employee
of an organizational member of AIRS or a member of an AIRS affiliate. However,
AIRS members and members of paid affiliates can apply for Certification and
Recertification at a reduced rate as a membership benefit.
Need to Know
Exam Dates? Go to:
http://www.airs.org/aboutairs/about_testdates.asp
CRS/CIRS/CIRS-A
Applications:
http://www.airs.org/aboutairs/about_certification.asp
Application to Offer an Examination (PDF Format):
http://www.airs.org/downloads/checklist.pdf
Need to View or Order Study Materials?
http://www.airs.org/aboutairs/about_studymaterials.asp
The National
Association of State Units on Aging has developed an on-line study guide for I&A
Specialists taking the CIRS-A.
http://www.nasua.org/informationandreferral/onlineguide.htm
Other AIRS publications.
http://www.airs.org/pub/pub_publications.asp
Accreditation determines whether an
organization meets The AIRS Standards for Professional Information and
Referral through a three phase process:
Phase 1) Application,
Documentation and Consultation —
The agency works with the AIRS staff liaison to review
accreditation criteria, documentation requirements and answer questions
regarding the process.
Phase 2) Onsite Review
— Once the applicable documents have been supplied, reviewed and approved, an
onsite review is conducted to ensure the agency is operating in accordance
with the accreditation criteria.
Phase 3) Award
— Following the site visit, a report with a recommendation from the review
team is completed and submitted to the chair of
the AIRS Accreditation Program for approval and a letter is sent to notify the
agency of the results.
The following agency 2-1-1 VIRGINIA centers have received
accreditation:
Council of Community Services
Family
Resource and Referral Center
The
Planning Council
United Way of Central Virginia
United Way of Greater Richmond & Petersburg
For more information about accreditation go to:
http://www.airs.org/aboutairs/about_accreditation.asp
