SELECT A BOARD-CERTIFIED EDUCATION ADVOCATE
• Board-Certification guarantees that an Education Advocate has completed a rigorous course of advocacy training, has peer-reviewed practical experience, and is bound by a professional practice act which establishes standards of ethical practice. They must complete 6 hours of exams and complete 198 hours of NSEAI Board approved curriculum (or equivalent curriculum) (16.50 hours for 12 classes (Lecture 5.50 + Out of Class Assignments 11.00 =avg.)
• There is no other guarantee that an advocate has the training and experience required to advocate effectively for your child. Education advocacy is an unlicensed, unregulated profession, and NSEAI is the only professional association offering voluntary board certification of Education Advocates. Training programs offer certificates of attendance but do not Board Certify. Anyone can print a business card and say that he or she is an education advocate. There are unqualified and unethical practitioners providing services to, those with special education needs, our most vulnerable population of children. This leaves the public without recourse, except for the NSEAI BCEA complaint process. .
• Board Certified Education Advocates are experts in education advocacy. The NSEAI, Board Certified Education Advocacy Training (BCEAT) program is the most comprehensive and broad in the nation. It educates, education advocates in the cross training and broad scope of knowledge required to practice education advocacy today. This includes cross training in the areas of IEP development, education, law, research based programs, behavior management, clinical related services (occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, physical therapy, audiology, psychology, orientation and mobility…), ethics and business practice. NSEAI focuses on solutions using the IEP Team process outlined in IDEA vs just taking a legalistic process.
• Board Certified Education Advocates are trained to get clients a free and appropriate education, at the IEP level, and to prevent due process, when possible. They often handle complex cases and appropriately refer to other professionals, creating a qualified team. A comprehensive education, including a sound foundation in research based methodologies and programs, provides education advocates with an understanding of what is vitally important to protecting parental rights.
• NSEAI training develops technical and judgment skills. Practicum experience gained with other professional education advocates helps them address complex cases at the IEP level and develop outstanding technical skills. Additionally, the continuous education requirement finely tunes skills and provides for unique qualifications that are critical to the success of an education advocate, where conflict resolution skills are called upon continuously.
• Board Certified Education Advocates have knowledge of a wide range of potential solutions. Their recommendations are not limited by lack of training or inability to obtain appropriate information to make the complex recommendations when necessary.
THE BCEA CREDENTIAL IS A MARK OF QUALITY
The BCEA Credential is a mark of quality and defines competency. Board certification shows the rest of the industry that BCEAs are committed to their profession. It demonstrates to the public that a professional education advocate has:
• completed an intensive, prescribed, customized and specific sequence of training, in
professional knowledge, skills, and experience
• obtained supervised experience in the field of education advocacy
• professional peer evaluation and references
• completed prerequisite continuing education requirements
• accountability to an active and enforceable code of ethics
• a commitment to continuing education, so to remain current within the profession
• been trained by highly qualified instructors
• a professional identity and credential as an Education Advocate
• advanced to a professional stature within the industry
• demonstrated a voluntary professional commitment, to the profession
• demonstrated a minimum level of proficiency, experience, knowledge, skills, abilities,
judgment and expertise in the field of education advocacy.
• independent verification that they have met the minimum professional competency standards
established by subject matter experts.
• successfully completed a rigorous process of testing of professional outcomes
• a time-limited credential that must have periodic recertification
• knowledge of evidence-based guidelines, national standards, best practices and the latest
advances in education advocacy, so to assist clients
• the commitment and expertise to consistently achieve superior client focused outcomes in a
responsive way
PARTIAL LIST OF BCEAs™ BOARD CERTIFIED EDUCATION ADVOCATES™
BCEAs are throughout the United States.
This is a partial list of BCEAs.
BCEA VERIFICATION IS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST.
Name Certification Designation* Email /Website Town, State
Maureen Anello Fellow manello62@gmail.com Devon, PA
Clare Algeo Fellow calgeo@arcofchestercounty.org West Chester, PA
Amy Betts, M.Ed. Fellow betts.advocate@gmail.com Phoenixville, PA
Alexandra Bricklin Fellow alexsolre@mac.com www.thelovingaction.com Media, PA
Kelly Connell Fellow kelly.l.connell@gmail.com Broomall, PA
Douglas F. Dresher Fellow dfddresher@gmail.com Freehold, NJ
Gertrude Fulmer Fellow rfulmer@comcast.net Sellersville, PA
Mary Jane Gore Fellow mjbdgore@gmail.com Pottstown, PA
Christine Athena Hesling Fellow chesling@mckinleyryan.com Lincoln University, PA
Joyceann Husted Fellow joyceann925@gmail.com Downingtown, PA
Devon L. Hyson Fellow devonhynson@aol.com www.educationvoicesinc.comWilmington, DE
Marie Lewis, RN, PhD Fellow marieclewis@verizon.net www.marieclewis.com Paoli, PA
Donna Lindley Fellow arc-dl@hotmail.com Downey, CA
Celia Litman Fellow celialitman@yahoo.com Harleysville, PA
Connie Mohn, M.Ed. Fellow
Maria Petsos Fellow Ionikos5@verizon.net Ivyland, PA
Denise L. Pleickhardt Fellow denise@myownstar.net West Creek ,NJ www.myownstar.net
Cindy Rackow, M.Ed. Fellow elderrack@aol.com www.cindyrackow@google.com Rosemont, PA
Sarabeth Ann Starr Fellow sara@starreducationaladvocacy.com Newtown Square, PA
Nan Stoudenmire Fellown stoudenmire@yahoo.com Downey, CA
Nsima Umoh-Camara Fellow umoh_camara@hotmail.com Coatesville, PA
Susan Magaziner Fellow slmag@comcast.net Essex, CT
Jane Thurston Fellow janeleet@aol.com West Grove, PA
Cris Flick Fellow pcflick@verizon.net West Chester, PA
Nadene Bickel Fellow www.advocacyeducation.com Hatboro, PA
Marylou Berk Diplomat gatsby29@verizon.net West Grove, PA
Denise Lorraine Eubanks Diplomat Philadelphia, PA
Maureen Hendrix Fox, M.Ed, J.D. Diplomat mfox@fairfieldcountyadvocacy.com Fairfield, CT
Sherry Diamond, MS CCC Diplomat sdiamond139@gmail.com Wayne, PA
Jennifer Pixley Diplomat jenpixley@hotmail.com Exton, PA
Amanda Ores Diplomat mandika918@yahoo.com Downingtown, PA
Barbara Siegal Diplomat blksiegel@live.com Unionville, PA
Megan Slack Diplomat advocateshelp@gmail.com Lansdale, PA
Kimberly Rolph Diplomat kimberlyrolph@gmail.com Radnor, PA
Christine Shelly Diplomat chrissyshelly@gmail.com Oxford, PA
Joan Allessandri Diplomat alessandri@live.com Raleigh, NC
Shari Cissel Diplomat cissel@comcast.net West Chester, PA
Jafar Abdulayev Consultant jabdulayev@arcpddc.org www.arcpddc.org Philadelphia, PA
Germaine Bambrick Consultant kittenleap1976@verizon.net Newtown, PA
Bart Benoff, Esq. Consultant staff@benofflaw.com Philadelphia, PA
Kari Burdeau Consultant kburdeau@arcofchestercounty.org Phoenixville, PA
Anita Cutrara Consultant acutrara@aol.com West Chester, PA
Haimanot Daba Consultant htdaba@gmail.com North Wales, PA
Colleen Fleck Consultant cmfsjf@verizon.net Malvern, PA
Lisa Penrod Frankel, M.Ed Consultant lpfrankel@gmail.com Wilmington, DE
Heather Guhl Consultant hmguhl@comcast.net Fredricksburg, VA
Phillip Harnish, PhD Consultant pph321@aol.com Downingtown, PA
Lynne Harrison Consultant lynnedharrison@gmail.com www.lynneharrison.com Collegeville, PA
Marcia Ho-Gatto, DVM Consultant mhgatto@yahoo.com Gilbertsville, PA
Karen Killian-Troilo Consultant killiantrk@comcast.net Cinnaminson, NJ
Conchita Lawson Consultant efectvwrtr@aol.com Elkins, PA
Jane Christine Miller Consultant janesews4u@aol.com Kingston, PA
Maureen O'Hara Consultant moh436@comcast.net West Chester, PA
Elizabeth Morin Consultant bethmorin@gmail.com Phoenixville, PA
Sandra Phillips Consultant educate.me@comcast.net Spring City, PA
JoEllen Riehl Consultant riehljem@msn.com Exton, PA
Nicole Simon Consultant nickymendezsimon@gmail.com Bryn Marw PA
Suzanne Smith-Colbert Consultant ssc005@msn.com Malvern, PA
Ronald Steen Consultant ron.steen.bcea@gmail.com www.steen-advocacy.com Harleysville, PA
Deborah A. Thomas Consultant dethom4@verizon.net Malvern, PA
Susan Walthall Consultant wizardwc@aol.com West Chester, PA
Nofre Vaguer Consultant nvaquer@arcpddc.org www.arcpddc.org Philadelphia, PA
3 LEVELS OF CERTIFICATION
NSEAI offers three levels of NSEAI Board Certification for Education Advocates:
LEVEL 1 - FELLOW
• A master’s or doctoral degree in education, degree in psychology, law, clinical studies OR
appropriate professional education advocacy experience of a minimum of three years and at
least one of those years in independent practice
• Continuing educational credit hours of at least 30 hours outside of NSEAI training
• Successful completion of the Board Certified Education Advocacy Training and exams
• Successful management of cases in a minimum of 5 different school districts
(waiver available for some geographic regions)
• Consultation on 20 cases with a minimum of 100 hours or 100 hours of mentoring by a BCEA
• Agreement to follow the NSEAI - Practice Act - Principles and Guidelines
that govern their actions as consultants, in private practice
• Submission of two professional or institutional references or one NSEAI BCEA reference
LEVEL 2 - DIPLOMAT
• A bachelors or master’s or doctoral degree in education, degree in psychology or law OR
appropriate professional education advocacy experience of a minimum of one year
• Continuing educational credit hours of at least 20 hours outside of NSEAI training
• Successful completion of the Board Certified Education Advocacy Training and exams
• Successful management of cases in a minimum of 2 different school districts (waiver available for some geographic regions)
• Consultation on 10 cases with a minimum of 50 hours or 50 hours of mentoring by a BCEA
• Agreement to follow NSEAI - Practice Act - Principles and Guidelines
that govern their actions as consultants, in private practice
• Submission of two professional or institutional references or one NSEAI BCEA reference
LEVEL 3 - CONSULTANT
• Graduate or undergraduate degree in education, psychology, law or clinical studies,
student in a college majoring in education, psychology or law, OR
parent of a child with special needs requiring services OR
up to 1 year of education advocacy experience
• Successful completion of the Board Certified Education Advocacy Training and exams
• Consultation on 1-9 cases with a minimum of 30 hours or 30 hours of mentoring by a BCEA
• Agreement to follow NSEAI - Practice Act - Principles and Guidelines
that govern their actions as consultants, in private practice
• Continuing educational credit hours of at least 10 hours outside of NSEAI training
• Submission of two professional or institutional references or one NSEAI BCEA reference
