2-1-1 VIRGINIA
is available 24-hours a day,
everyday, throughout Virginia. Dial 2-1-1 or access on the web at
http://www.211virginia.org/
AIRS Certification and Accreditation
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:
CIRS — Certification for I&R
Specialists
CIRS-A — Certification for I&R
Specialists in Aging
CRS — Certification for Resource
Specialists
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.
For individual certification forms and details
click here.
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:
