Membership types & Criteria

Membership Types

Human Services Professionals Association (HSPA) welcomes qualified human services professionals, organizations, and students to become members. 

There are three types of HSPA memberships: 

1.     Certified Human Services Professional Membership (CHSP)

2.     Student Membership

3.     Organizational Membership 

Membership Criteria

1.     Certified Human Services Professional (CHSP) Membership

CHSP membership is based on three criteria:

1. Professional preparation (see description below and send required documentation to HSPA).

2. Adherence to HSPA ethical standards (by signing in to be a member, you agree to this).

3. Paying annual fees (pay by signing in to be a member). 

   Professional preparation is based on two tracks: 

a.     Track A: Human services education.

OR

b.     Track B: A combination of non-human services education and at least two years of human services work experience and currently working in the human services field.

A.    Human services education:

Education completed within the past 6 years. The date of completion is the date indicated on the applicant’s transcripts or diploma/degree.

Human services education (diploma/degree credentials with the words: “human services”) and must be obtained from an accredited (provincial government approved) post-secondary school with English as a formal instructional language, and should be demonstrated by official transcripts sent to HSPA. If the education was obtained outside Canada, the education credential (diploma/degree) must be assessed by an accredited certification body of educational credentials, such as IQAS (International Qualifications Assessment Service) or WES  (World Education Service), and proof of this assessment must be also sent together with transcripts to the office of HSPA. 

• N.B. If you obtained this education more than 6 years ago, you must be actively working in the field of human services, and you will be required to provide evidence of that to HSPA, a letter from your human services employer.

• Letter from your employer must include the following:

(a)   Years of applicant’s work experience.

(b)   Human services position you hold.

(c)   Employer’s address, phone number, and email.

(d)   Signature by your employer/preferable from applicant’s supervisor or human resources (HR) department of the employer.

(e)   Email this letter to HSPA at membership@hspa.ca

B.    A combination of non-human services education and at least 2 years of human services work experience and actively/currently working in the human services field:

Education completed within the past 6 years. The date of completion is the date indicated on the applicant’s transcripts or diploma/degree. 

Non-human services education must come from an accredited (provincial government approved) post-secondary school with English as a formal instructional language, and this must be demonstrated by the applicant’s official transcripts sent to HSPA. If the education was obtained outside Canada, the education credential (diploma/degree) must be assessed by an accredited certification body of educational credentials, such as IQAS (International Qualifications Assessment Service) or WES  (World Education Service), and proof of this assessment must be also sent together with transcripts to the office of HSPA.

N.B. If you obtained this education more than 6 years ago, you must be actively working in the field of human services, and you will be required to provide evidence of that to HSPA, a letter from your human services employer. 

Two years of human services work experience and actively/currently working in the human services field demonstrated by a letter to HSPA from your employer.

Letter from your employer must include the following:

a.     Years of your work experience.

b.     Human services position you hold.

c.     Employer’s address, phone number, and email. 

d.     Signature by your employer/preferable from applicant’s supervisor or human resources (HR) department of the employer.

e.     Email this letter to HSPA at membership@hspa.ca

2. Student Membership 

Student membership is based on three criteria:

a. Enrolment in an accredited human services diploma/degree program.

b. Adherence to HSPA’s ethical standards. 

c. Paying annual (student rate) fees. 

3. Organizational membership 

Organizational membership is based on three criteria:

a. Be an accredited human services school or organization.

b. Adherence to HSPA ethical standards. 

c. Paying annual fees. 

Membership Renewal 

Membership renewal is based on four criteria:

a. Adherence to HSPA’s ethical standards. 

b. In good standing with preceding membership.

c. Paying membership fee. 

d. 20 hours of professional development, except for organization membership.

Professional development is education or training that enhances your skills, professionalism, abilities, and knowledge in the human services field. Professional development can be obtained in various forms through classroom, in-person, virtual/online, academic research, or proper work/school supervision received from a qualified human services professional. Some of the common and accepted professional development courses by HSPA include but not limited to CPR First Aid, CPI (Crisis Prevention Intervention), Indigenous Awareness course, undergraduate course in human services or related courses, Positive Behaviour, Suicide Intervention, Abuse Protocol, Medication Administration, Food and Safety courses.

Important Information for all Applicants and Members

• Be legally authorized to be in Canada according to the Canadian Immigration and Citizenship laws.

• Disclose any criminal or other relevant offenses or incompetence/incapacity to practice.

• Please note that HSPA has the right and privilege to determine whether or not you meet membership criteria, which is based on the information you provide us. HSPA does not determine competency to practice in the human services field. HSPA’s membership merely indicates meeting HSPA’s membership minimum requirements that are based on the information you provide, which include educational credentials, work experience, and an undertaking to adhere to HSPA’s ethical standards, as well as payment of annual fees. 

• Please be advised that HSPA is not a professional regulatory college under Alberta’s Health Professions Act. Therefore, HSPA’s members are not regulated under Alberta’s Health Professions Act. Health professions regulatory colleges that fall under the Act are responsible for protecting the public and enforcing professional regulations, standards of practice, and codes of ethics.

• The main focus of this professional association (HSPA) is to represent the interests of its members by providing a forum for networking, learning opportunities, tools of practice, such as ethical standards, standards of practice, as well as, being the support between human services agencies/educational programs and HSPA’s members.