ADHD COACHING CERTIFICATION
Alan R Graham is the Dean of the ADHD Coach Training Program at MentorCoach. The MentorCoach® ADHD coach training program has been approved and awarded accreditation by the Professional Association of ADHD Coaches (PAAC). In fact, MentorCoach® is one of the first coach training schools in the world to be designated as a PAAC Accredited ADHD Coach Training Program.
PAAC is the international organization responsible for establishing and maintaining global standards of excellence for credentialing ADHD coaches and accrediting qualified ADHD coach training schools and programs.
ADHD Coaching requires a unique set of skills that are not taught in traditional coach training programs. An ADHD Coach works with individuals who feel or think they may have (or know they have) ADHD or ADHD-like qualities. ADHD Coaches may also work with persons who do not have ADHD but are related, connected or living with someone who has ADHD. As a result, an ADHD Coach needs to be sufficiently knowledgeable about the disorder and how ADHD impacts upon the client and the coach-client relationship.
It is because of this unique skill set that ADHD Coaches around the world have felt that an ICF credential alone cannot identify who is a competent ADHD coach. By becoming a credentialed ADHD coach, you become part of a growing community of ADHD Coaches who have been assessed and are determined to meet the highest standards of skill, experience and training. It also signals to clients and to the wider community that the ADHD Coach has made the commitment to delivering the highest level of ADHD coaching.
There is currently only one active global ADHD Coaching credentialing organization: The Professional Association of ADHD Coaches (PAAC). PAAC was created with the mission "to establish high standards of excellence in our ADHD certification and accreditation programs. (PAAC) advocate for coaches and the profession of ADHD coaching…" The MentorCoach® ADHD coaching master classes are designed to address the core competencies of PAAC.
How to Become a PAAC Certified ADHD Coach Practitioner (CACP) or Professional Certified ADHD Coach (PCAC) through MentorCoach®.
There are three routes toward becoming a PAAC Certified ADHD Coach Practitioner (CACP) through MentorCoach®.
(1) If You Are Already Certified by the International Coach Federation (ICF):
If you have already received the designation of a Certified MentorCoach (CMC) from MentorCoach® or if you are an ICF Associate Certified Coach (ACC), an ICF Professional Certified Coach (PCC) or an ICF Master Certified Coach (MCC), you have already demonstrated that you have coaching skills at or above the level of an ICF Certified Coach.
To become a PAAC Certified ADHD Coach Practitioner (CACP) through MentorCoach®, you must:
• Complete the three Positive Psychology and ADHD coaching classes**
• Pass an oral exam by submitting a 30 minute recording of one of your coaching sessions. The ADHD oral exam fee is $150.
• Demonstrate that you have completed, at least, 150 hours of coaching ADHD clients and/or clients whose lives has been impacted by someone with ADHD. Of these 150 hours, at least 105 of those hours must be paid coaching hours. As many as 45 of the coaching hours may be pro bono. Additionally, you have to have accrued those 150 coaching hours by coaching at least 10 different clients.
If you will be applying for the PCAC, you will need to demonstrate that you have completed, at least, 600 hours of coaching ADHD clients and/or clients whose lives has been impacted by someone with ADHD. Of these 600 hours, at least 540 of those hours must be paid coaching ours. As many as 60 of the coaching hours may be pro bono. Additionally, you have to have accrued those 600 coaching hours by coaching at least 25 different clients.
• Submit your application to PAAC.
(2) If You Are Not ICF Certified--The MentorCoach Route:
You can also become a PAAC Certified ADHD Coach Practitioner (CACP) through MentorCoach by becoming a MentorCoach® CMC (Certified MentorCoach) while completing both the three ADHD coaching courses and the four required coaching skills classes. This is the route most of our students take.
For this route, you need to:
• Complete the three Positive Psychology and ADHD coaching classes**.
• Complete the four required coaching skills classes through MentorCoach: Foundations; Individual Coaching Skills; Individual Coaching Skills Supervision; Ethics and Risk Management. Many of these courses may be taken simultaneously. Most students begin by taking, often simultaneously, the Foundations Coach Training Program and the next currently offered ADHD course.
• Pass an oral exam by submitting a 30 minute recording of one of your coaching sessions. (The oral ADHD exam fee is $150.)
• Demonstrate that you have completed, at least, 150 hours of coaching ADHD clients or a client whose life has been impacted by someone with ADHD. Of these 150 hours, at least 105 of those hours much be paid coaching hours. Additionally, you have to have coached at least 10 different clients.
If you will be applying for the PCAC through PAAC, you will need to demonstrate that you have completed, at least, 600 hours of coaching ADHD clients and/or clients whose lives has been impacted by someone with ADHD. Of these 600 hours, at least 540 of those hours must be paid coaching ours. As many as 60 of the coaching hours may be pro bono. Additionally, you have to have accrued those 600 coaching hours by coaching at least 25 different clients.
• Please note that upon receiving your CMC (Certified MentorCoach) and meeting the requirements above, you then receive the PCAMC (Professional Certified ADHD MentorCoach). You are also immediately eligible to apply for and receive your PAAC Certified ADHD Coach Practitioner (CACP) or Professional Certified ADHD Coach (PCAC) once you have completed the required number of coaching hours as designated by PAAC for each coaching level. In addition, you can receive your ICF Certification as soon as you have taken and passed an ICF multiple choice test and submitted your application and fee to ICF.
3) If You Are Not ICF Certified—The External Certification Route
If you are not already certified as an ICF Certified Coach (ACC, PCC or MCC), you can also become a PAAC Certified ADHD Coach Practitioner (CACP) by achieving ICF Certification independently of MentorCoach®.
For this route, you need to:
• Complete MentorCoach’s three Positive Psychology and ADHD coaching classes**
• Become an ICF, ACC or PCC independently of MentorCoach® by successfully completing the requirements to be an ICF Associate Certified Coach or a Professional Certified Coach either through the ICF Portfolio Approach or through another ICF Accredited Coach Training Program;
• Successfully complete the requirements to be an ICF Professional Certified Coach
• Demonstrate that you have completed, at least, 150 hours of coaching ADHD clients or a client whose life has been impacted by someone with ADHD. Of these 150 hours, at least 105 of those hours much be paid coaching hours. Additionally, you have to have coached at least 10 different clients.
• Complete 20 hours of mentor coaching with an ADHD Mentor Coach
• Take the PAAC Oral Competency Exam
• Complete any other requirements set forth by PAAC.
**The three MentorCoach® ADHD Coaching Master Classes are briefly described below.
The Positive Psychology and ADHD Coaching Master Class (12 hours) curriculum offers much of the nuts and bolts ADHD information need to be an effective ADHD coach, such as symptoms/diagnostic methods/medications and, most importantly, viewing each client as an entire individual. An expected outcome of this class is for each participant to have their own personal toolbox of interventions that they can use with clients with ADHD.
The Positive Psychology and Advanced ADHD Coaching Master Class - Adults (13 hours) course curriculum is designed to put the coach's skill-set into action with clients. Each week is dedicated to a specific 'type' of client issue. The class focuses on adults with ADHD-type symptoms as well as issues that are unique to adults with ADHD. Situations related to working with spouses of individuals with ADHD are also addressed. Each participant has an opportunity to present a coaching conversation to the class, with a class debriefing afterwards.
The Positive Psychology and Advanced ADHD Coaching Master Class - College Students, Teens, Children and Parents (13 hours)course curriculum is designed to put the coach's skill-set into action with clients. Each week is dedicated to a specific 'type' of client. The class focuses on children, teens and young adults with ADHD-type symptoms Situations related to working with parents of individuals with ADHD are also addressed. Each participant has an opportunity to present a coaching conversation to the class, with a class debriefing afterwards.
Coaches who have completed these three classes report that their knowledge and comfort level in working with this population increases significantly.
___________________________
Note: MentorCoach reserves the right to modify the requirements for certification at any time.
PAAC is the international organization responsible for establishing and maintaining global standards of excellence for credentialing ADHD coaches and accrediting qualified ADHD coach training schools and programs.
ADHD Coaching requires a unique set of skills that are not taught in traditional coach training programs. An ADHD Coach works with individuals who feel or think they may have (or know they have) ADHD or ADHD-like qualities. ADHD Coaches may also work with persons who do not have ADHD but are related, connected or living with someone who has ADHD. As a result, an ADHD Coach needs to be sufficiently knowledgeable about the disorder and how ADHD impacts upon the client and the coach-client relationship.
It is because of this unique skill set that ADHD Coaches around the world have felt that an ICF credential alone cannot identify who is a competent ADHD coach. By becoming a credentialed ADHD coach, you become part of a growing community of ADHD Coaches who have been assessed and are determined to meet the highest standards of skill, experience and training. It also signals to clients and to the wider community that the ADHD Coach has made the commitment to delivering the highest level of ADHD coaching.
There is currently only one active global ADHD Coaching credentialing organization: The Professional Association of ADHD Coaches (PAAC). PAAC was created with the mission "to establish high standards of excellence in our ADHD certification and accreditation programs. (PAAC) advocate for coaches and the profession of ADHD coaching…" The MentorCoach® ADHD coaching master classes are designed to address the core competencies of PAAC.
How to Become a PAAC Certified ADHD Coach Practitioner (CACP) or Professional Certified ADHD Coach (PCAC) through MentorCoach®.
There are three routes toward becoming a PAAC Certified ADHD Coach Practitioner (CACP) through MentorCoach®.
(1) If You Are Already Certified by the International Coach Federation (ICF):
If you have already received the designation of a Certified MentorCoach (CMC) from MentorCoach® or if you are an ICF Associate Certified Coach (ACC), an ICF Professional Certified Coach (PCC) or an ICF Master Certified Coach (MCC), you have already demonstrated that you have coaching skills at or above the level of an ICF Certified Coach.
To become a PAAC Certified ADHD Coach Practitioner (CACP) through MentorCoach®, you must:
• Complete the three Positive Psychology and ADHD coaching classes**
• Pass an oral exam by submitting a 30 minute recording of one of your coaching sessions. The ADHD oral exam fee is $150.
• Demonstrate that you have completed, at least, 150 hours of coaching ADHD clients and/or clients whose lives has been impacted by someone with ADHD. Of these 150 hours, at least 105 of those hours must be paid coaching hours. As many as 45 of the coaching hours may be pro bono. Additionally, you have to have accrued those 150 coaching hours by coaching at least 10 different clients.
If you will be applying for the PCAC, you will need to demonstrate that you have completed, at least, 600 hours of coaching ADHD clients and/or clients whose lives has been impacted by someone with ADHD. Of these 600 hours, at least 540 of those hours must be paid coaching ours. As many as 60 of the coaching hours may be pro bono. Additionally, you have to have accrued those 600 coaching hours by coaching at least 25 different clients.
• Submit your application to PAAC.
(2) If You Are Not ICF Certified--The MentorCoach Route:
You can also become a PAAC Certified ADHD Coach Practitioner (CACP) through MentorCoach by becoming a MentorCoach® CMC (Certified MentorCoach) while completing both the three ADHD coaching courses and the four required coaching skills classes. This is the route most of our students take.
For this route, you need to:
• Complete the three Positive Psychology and ADHD coaching classes**.
• Complete the four required coaching skills classes through MentorCoach: Foundations; Individual Coaching Skills; Individual Coaching Skills Supervision; Ethics and Risk Management. Many of these courses may be taken simultaneously. Most students begin by taking, often simultaneously, the Foundations Coach Training Program and the next currently offered ADHD course.
• Pass an oral exam by submitting a 30 minute recording of one of your coaching sessions. (The oral ADHD exam fee is $150.)
• Demonstrate that you have completed, at least, 150 hours of coaching ADHD clients or a client whose life has been impacted by someone with ADHD. Of these 150 hours, at least 105 of those hours much be paid coaching hours. Additionally, you have to have coached at least 10 different clients.
If you will be applying for the PCAC through PAAC, you will need to demonstrate that you have completed, at least, 600 hours of coaching ADHD clients and/or clients whose lives has been impacted by someone with ADHD. Of these 600 hours, at least 540 of those hours must be paid coaching ours. As many as 60 of the coaching hours may be pro bono. Additionally, you have to have accrued those 600 coaching hours by coaching at least 25 different clients.
• Please note that upon receiving your CMC (Certified MentorCoach) and meeting the requirements above, you then receive the PCAMC (Professional Certified ADHD MentorCoach). You are also immediately eligible to apply for and receive your PAAC Certified ADHD Coach Practitioner (CACP) or Professional Certified ADHD Coach (PCAC) once you have completed the required number of coaching hours as designated by PAAC for each coaching level. In addition, you can receive your ICF Certification as soon as you have taken and passed an ICF multiple choice test and submitted your application and fee to ICF.
3) If You Are Not ICF Certified—The External Certification Route
If you are not already certified as an ICF Certified Coach (ACC, PCC or MCC), you can also become a PAAC Certified ADHD Coach Practitioner (CACP) by achieving ICF Certification independently of MentorCoach®.
For this route, you need to:
• Complete MentorCoach’s three Positive Psychology and ADHD coaching classes**
• Become an ICF, ACC or PCC independently of MentorCoach® by successfully completing the requirements to be an ICF Associate Certified Coach or a Professional Certified Coach either through the ICF Portfolio Approach or through another ICF Accredited Coach Training Program;
• Successfully complete the requirements to be an ICF Professional Certified Coach
• Demonstrate that you have completed, at least, 150 hours of coaching ADHD clients or a client whose life has been impacted by someone with ADHD. Of these 150 hours, at least 105 of those hours much be paid coaching hours. Additionally, you have to have coached at least 10 different clients.
• Complete 20 hours of mentor coaching with an ADHD Mentor Coach
• Take the PAAC Oral Competency Exam
• Complete any other requirements set forth by PAAC.
**The three MentorCoach® ADHD Coaching Master Classes are briefly described below.
The Positive Psychology and ADHD Coaching Master Class (12 hours) curriculum offers much of the nuts and bolts ADHD information need to be an effective ADHD coach, such as symptoms/diagnostic methods/medications and, most importantly, viewing each client as an entire individual. An expected outcome of this class is for each participant to have their own personal toolbox of interventions that they can use with clients with ADHD.
The Positive Psychology and Advanced ADHD Coaching Master Class - Adults (13 hours) course curriculum is designed to put the coach's skill-set into action with clients. Each week is dedicated to a specific 'type' of client issue. The class focuses on adults with ADHD-type symptoms as well as issues that are unique to adults with ADHD. Situations related to working with spouses of individuals with ADHD are also addressed. Each participant has an opportunity to present a coaching conversation to the class, with a class debriefing afterwards.
The Positive Psychology and Advanced ADHD Coaching Master Class - College Students, Teens, Children and Parents (13 hours)course curriculum is designed to put the coach's skill-set into action with clients. Each week is dedicated to a specific 'type' of client. The class focuses on children, teens and young adults with ADHD-type symptoms Situations related to working with parents of individuals with ADHD are also addressed. Each participant has an opportunity to present a coaching conversation to the class, with a class debriefing afterwards.
Coaches who have completed these three classes report that their knowledge and comfort level in working with this population increases significantly.
___________________________
Note: MentorCoach reserves the right to modify the requirements for certification at any time.
