National Council of Certified Dementia Practitioners

What National Council of Certified Dementia Practitioners does

The National Council of Certified Dementia Practitioners (NCCDP) is a privately held LLC headquartered in Sparta, New Jersey that operates as a national certification and training body for dementia and Alzheimer's disease care. Founded in 2003 by Lynn Biot Gordon and Sandra Stimson, the organization issues the Certified Dementia Practitioner (CDP) credential and a portfolio of related credentials (CADDCT for trainers, CDCM for managers, CFRDT for first responders, and ICCDP-issued CMDCP/CMDCPT internationally), built on the required Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia Care (ADDC) one-day seminar as the foundational training product. NCCDP serves healthcare professionals in nursing homes, assisted living, memory care units, and home care, as well as corporate senior living operators, university programs, and first responders. NCCDP holds CMS MLN Association Partner status, SAM federal vendor approval, ANCC/NAB/NCCAP CEU accreditation, and is recognized or named by health departments in at least 15 states including Texas, Georgia, Illinois, Florida, Connecticut, and Ohio.

NCCDP's technology stack centers on a MemberSuite-powered certification portal for individual and corporate applications, NetCE for continuing education delivery, and a partnership with AlzBetter that supplies a 16-course ANCC-accredited Dementia CEU Series. Distribution is multi-channel: individual self-serve applications, corporate group accounts (10+ employees at $68/person), association partner seminars at conferences, university partnerships (20+ named institutions including Rutgers, Michigan, Florida State, Indiana, and Cincinnati), and private on-site seminars delivered by certified trainers. A DementiaStore marketplace sells assessments, manuals, and branded merchandise such as CDP pins. The international arm ICCDP, formed in 2015 under shared CEO Patrick Smith, extends the credentialing model outside the US.

NCCDP's revenue mechanics combine one-time certification application fees ($185 standard, $85 association, $68 corporate), recurring biennial renewal revenue tied to 10 CEUs per cycle, recurring online CEU subscriptions ($60-$199/year bundles), live ADDC seminar fees ($195-$210), and ancillary merchandise. Enterprise corporate partners include Artis Senior Living, Discovery Senior Living, Home Instead, Watermark Communities, Senior Lifestyle, Benchmark Senior Living, Phoenix Senior Living, Anthem Memory Care, and Senior Living Residences. Leadership includes CEO Patrick Smith and President Brandon Kuchta, with founder Lynn Biot-Gordon serving on the Advisory Council.

Name

National Council of Certified Dementia Practitioners

Legal name

National Council of Certified Dementia Practitioners, LLC

Website

https://nccdp.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

NCCDP is a private Sparta, NJ-based certification body issuing the Certified Dementia Practitioner (CDP) credential and related dementia care training (ADDC seminars, CADDCT trainer certification) to healthcare professionals, senior living operators, home care agencies, and universities across the US and internationally via ICCDP.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Certification and Training

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Nursing Assistant (CNA) & Patient Care Technician (PCT) (EDAOAJAB)

Keywords

• Dementia care certification
• Healthcare professional training
• Continuing education credits
• Memory care training
• Alzheimer's care education

Headquarters

HQ city

Sparta

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. CDP Certification Fees: Initial certification application fees for Certified Dementia Practitioner credential: $185 standard, $85 with association discount, $68 for corporate groups of 10+
2. Certification Renewals: Biennial renewal fees requiring 10 CEUs for most certifications
3. ADDC Seminar Fees: Live one-day Alzheimer Disease and Dementia Care seminar required for CDP certification, typically $195-$210
4. Online CEU Courses: Individual courses at $10 (non-members) or $5 (members); course bundles at $120 (non-members) or $60 (members); premium packages at $199 (non-members) or $99 (members)
5. CDP Pins and Merchandise: Physical merchandise including CDP pins and hard copy certifications for certified members

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The NCCDP is a private certification and training body that issues professional credentials to healthcare workers who care for people with dementia, including the flagship Certified Dementia Practitioner (CDP) and specialty credentials for trainers, managers, first responders, and Montessori-based caregivers. It delivers the live Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia Care (ADDC) Seminar, an online Dementia CEU Series through NetCE, private corporate training for groups of 10 or more, and supporting membership, webinars, and dementia-care training materials.

Product overview

NCCDP offers a comprehensive dementia care certification and training ecosystem. The core offerings center on two main certifications: the Certified Dementia Practitioner (CDP) for individual practitioners and the Certified Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia Care Trainer (CADDCT) for those who train others. These are supported by the required Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia Care (ADDC) Seminar as the foundational training. Additional certifications include Certified Dementia Care Manager (CDCM), Certified First Responder Dementia Trainer (CFRDT), and international offerings through ICCDP including CMDCP and CMDCPT. The organization provides online continuing education through a partnership with AlzBetter (Dementia CEU Series) and NetCE, supplemented by webinars and the Memory Care Excellence Network. Training delivery includes distributed training and private on-site seminars for organizations, while the DementiaStore provides merchandise and resources. The portfolio spans from initial certification through ongoing education renewal every two years.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Certified Dementia Practitioner (CDP) Flagship NCCDP credential validating competency in dementia care for healthcare professionals working with people living with dementia. Targeted at nurses, social workers, activity professionals, home health aides, hospice staff, and other front-line caregivers; typically completed via the ADDC Seminar and renewed through continuing education.
• Certified Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia Care Trainer (CADDCT) Trainer-level certification authorizing qualified professionals to deliver the ADDC Seminar and other NCCDP-approved curricula to organizations and association members. Designed for healthcare professionals who want to lead in-house dementia training programs.
• Certified Dementia Care Manager (CDCM)
• Certified First Responder Dementia Trainer (CFRDT)
• Certified Montessori Dementia Care Professional (CMDCP)
• Certified Montessori Dementia Care Professional Trainer (CMDCPT)
• Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia Care (ADDC) Seminar
• Dementia CEU Series (Online Continuing Education)
• Private Corporate Seminars and Staff Training
• Memory Care Excellence Network (MCEN)
• DementiaStore
• ICCDP International Certification and Training
• Intimacy, Sexuality, and Aging Training
• NCCDP Webinars

Quantifiable outcome

• Certification demonstrates commitment to excellence in dementia care and ongoing professional development
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• AlzBettercoreTechnology or IntegrationNCCDP in partnership with AlzBetter developed the Dementia CEU Series, a comprehensive set of 16 ANCC-accredited nursing CEU courses covering specific dementia care topics.
• NetCEcoreTechnology or IntegrationNCCDP Online Learning powered by NetCE provides members with continuing education opportunities to fulfill their 10 CEU requirements every two years for certification renewal.
• Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerNCCDP is recognized as an MLN Association Partner. CMS recognizes NCCDP ADDC curriculum through the Dementia Care Training Crosswalk. Participates in CMS National Partnership to Improve Dementia Care in Nursing Homes.
• System for Award Management (SAM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNCCDP is an approved vendor with the federal government through SAM.
• InsPACcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerADDC course is CEU approved for nurses for 7 CEUs with InsPAC in most states. InsPAC charges $49 for the 7 CEUs.
• University PartnerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor20+ university partners including Adelphi, Bradley, Cincinnati, Coastal Carolina, East Carolina, Florida State, Georgia Southern, Indiana, Kent State, Louisville, Michigan, North Texas, Texas Christian, University of Alaska at Anchorage, University of Arkansas, University of North Carolina, Wayne State, Western Carolina, Worcester State, and Rutgers. Universities offer ADDC Seminars to students.
• Association PartnerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNCCDP offers associations members who attend ADDC seminars at state or national conferences association discount rates ($85 vs $185 standard). Certified CADDCT trainers provide association discount letters in class.
• Corporate PartnerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCorporate partners investing in employee certification. NCCDP offers corporate group rate ($68/person for 10+) when ADDC training takes place on-site by Certified CADDCT trainer. Partners include Artis Senior Living, Discovery Senior Living, Home Instead, Watermark, Senior Lifestyle, Benchmark, and others.
• International Council of Certified Dementia Practitioners (ICCDP)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerNCCDP expanded internationally in 2015 by forming ICCDP. Offers CMDCP and CMDCPT certifications for those outside the US. Patrick Smith serves as CEO of both organizations.
• First Responders Training ProgramsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNCCDP offers CFRDT and CFR-DT certifications for first responders including law enforcement, firefighters, and EMTs who encounter individuals with dementia.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• HealthStream: HealthStream is a publicly traded healthcare workforce development platform serving hospitals, health systems, and senior living operators. It is broader than NCCDP but competes for the same enterprise compliance and continuing-education budgets, particularly in organizations seeking a single training vendor.

Direct peers

• Relias: Relias is a leading healthcare workforce training and compliance platform serving senior living, home health, and post-acute providers. It is the most direct competitor to NCCDP's enterprise training offering, with broader content breadth and stronger LMS technology, but NCCDP differentiates on dementia-specific depth and CMS-recognized credentials.
• Positive Approach to Care (Teepa Snow): Positive Approach to Care, founded by Teepa Snow, offers dementia training workshops and certifications built around the GEMS state model. It is a recognized brand in dementia education and serves the same frontline caregiver audience that NCCDP addresses with CDP and CADDCT credentials.
• AGE-u-cate Training Institute: AGE-u-cate delivers dementia and aging-related training programs, often through faith-based, community, and healthcare channels. It targets a similar audience of caregivers and healthcare professionals and competes for in-service training hours that NCCDP currently captures through its ADDC seminar and CEU courses.
• Dementia Care Specialists (CRS): CRS provides dementia-specific training and certification programs for healthcare professionals across care settings. It overlaps directly with NCCDP's CDP and ADDC curriculum and competes for the same corporate and individual training budgets in memory care and assisted living organizations.

Others

• Alzheimer's Association: The Alzheimer's Association is the largest US nonprofit focused on Alzheimer's and dementia, offering public education, training resources, and professional programs. It is not a direct certification competitor but shapes state and federal dementia-training policy that affects NCCDP's addressable market and is sometimes a partner or alternative content source for operators.
• Pioneer Network: Pioneer Network is a nonprofit promoting culture change and person-centered care in eldercare, offering training and educational resources. It influences the policy and best-practice landscape in which NCCDP operates but does not directly compete as a certification body.

Emerging players

• Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI): CPI provides dementia-capable training as part of its broader non-violent crisis intervention curriculum, often purchased by senior living operators as part of mandatory annual training. It is a partial competitor to NCCDP for in-service training hours, particularly on behavioral and communication aspects of dementia care.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/nccdp
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@NCCDPLTAD
• Facebookfacebook.com/nationalccdp
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/national-council-of-certified-dementia-practitioners-llc
• Instagraminstagram.com/nccdp_iccdp

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about National Council of Certified Dementia Practitioners