Digital Badges

Digital “badges” are available for all Certified Correctional Health Professionals, including those with advanced and specialty certifications.

A digital badge is sometimes called an icon or micro-credentials. Digital badges can be shared electronically with others via email or social media networks, and can be displayed on resumes, personal websites, email signatures, job boards, or anywhere across the web.

Visually, the digital badge is simply the CCHP logo. When you click on it, it connects to metadata – detailed information about your specific certification, including your name, title, employer, the date of your most recent certification and its expiration date, the name of the issuing organization (in this case NCCHC), a description of the criteria for earning certification, and the skills and knowledge associated with it. In that way your badge is authenticated and verifiable, unlike a printed certificate. It also links to the NCCHC website and the CCHP page for further information about the organization and the program.

How to Use Your Digital Badge

• Add the badge to your LinkedIn profile so anyone looking at your page can learn what the CCHP credential means. It will even generate a LinkedIn post for you announcing your recertification.
• Put it on your Facebook page and let it generate a Facebook post for you.
• Share on Twitter and Instagram.
• Use the email sharing option to send it to an email address – a potential employer, colleagues, or your licensing board.
• Send it to prospective employers to confirm that your certification is up to date.

Digital badges are becoming more popular among training programs and organizations such as NCCHC, who are able to specify expiration dates to prevent sharing of expired badges. Recipients of shared badges can rest assured that credentials are current and verified.

Everyone will still get a printed certificate when they first earn certification as a CCHP, but during the annual recertification process, you will now be able to select whether you want a printed certificate or a digital badge.

Whichever option you select, you can still print a paper certificate through your myNCCHC account. Instructions are available on the website under Certification FAQs.

If you choose the digital option, you will receive an email from [email protected] with instructions for claiming your badge. It might land in your junk mail folder, so be sure to check. Once claimed, the badge is yours to use. Share it widely and spread the word about your accomplishment.