Pcacb
Pennsylvania Certification Board is a private non-profit founded in 1979 that certifies behavioral health, community health, and recovery professionals in Pennsylvania through 20+ credential programs, serving 12,000+ active credential holders under IC&RC reciprocity standards.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1979
- HeadquartersHarrisburg, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Pcacb does
The Pennsylvania Certification Board (PCB), established in 1979 and headquartered at 298 S. Progress Avenue in Harrisburg, PA, is a private non-profit corporation that provides professional certification, examination administration, and education oversight for behavioral, physical, and community health professionals in Pennsylvania. The organization maintains a portfolio of more than 20 distinct credential programs, including addiction counselor certifications (AAC, CAAC, CADC, CAADC), peer and recovery support credentials (CPS, CRS, CFRS, CRSS), the Certified Community Health Worker (CCHW) credential, prevention and intervention certifications, clinical supervision and criminal justice endorsements, and the Certified Perinatal Doula credential. PCB operates as a member of the International Certification & Reciprocity Consortium (IC&RC) since 1981, enabling credential reciprocity across 24 countries, 47 states/territories, five Native American regions, and all U.S. military branches.
PCB's core technology consists of an online credentialing platform with examination management (including remote proctored and in-person options), a public credential verification database, and an aggregate data access system for research and workforce intelligence. The organization has 12,000+ active credentials under management and a documented ethics enforcement history spanning 1,000+ violations since 2011, including revocations, suspensions, and reprimands. Governance is provided by a Board of Directors under Executive Director Treasure Gallagher, with a small operational staff (1-10 employees) supported by department managers handling credentialing, peer credentialing, examination, and education functions.
PCB's revenue model is primarily transactional and fee-based, deriving income from initial certification applications ($150 for CPS, $375 for CAADC), recertification fees (with an additional $75 fee for lapsed credentials recertifying within six months), examination retest fees ($75 per attempt), fee-based marketing email services to certified professionals ($100-$2,000 by credential category), and subscription-based aggregate data access ($225 initial request plus $100 quarterly maintenance). The organization also approves and oversees training curricula such as the 78-hour Recovery Specialist Curriculum, though training delivery is conducted through partner institutions including Villanova University. Distribution is entirely digital and self-serve through PCB's website (pacertboard.org), with employer-facing channels including a public credential verification portal and a free employment opportunities board.
Pcacb firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Pcacb
- Legal name
- Pennsylvania Certification Board
- Website
- https://pacertboard.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1979
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Pennsylvania Certification Board is a private non-profit founded in 1979 that certifies behavioral health, community health, and recovery professionals in Pennsylvania through 20+ credential programs, serving 12,000+ active credential holders under IC&RC reciprocity standards.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Pcacb industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Professional Certification Services
- NAICS
- Vocational Rehabilitation Services (624310)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Professional & Occupational Licensing Examination Authorities (EDADAFAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Behavioral Health & Counseling (Social Work, Psychology, Substance Use CE) (EDAAALAD), Continuing Education (CE/CPD) & Provider Accreditation Bodies (EDADACAF), Test Administration, Proctoring & Security Authorities (EDADAFAH)
Keywords
Where Pcacb is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Harrisburg
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Pcacb business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Certification Fees: Initial certification application fees for various credentials including CPS ($150), CAADC ($375), and others. Fees are paid at application submission.
- Recertification Fees: Ongoing recertification fees for maintaining credentials, with additional $75 fee for expired credentials recertifying within 6 months
- Examination Fees: Retest fees of $75 for candidates who fail examinations, applicable to CPS, CRS, CAAC, CADC, CAADC, CCS, CAAP, and CPS Prevention exams
- Marketing Email Services: Fee-based email marketing services to certified professionals ranging from $100 to $2,000 depending on credential category targeted
- Data Access Services: Aggregate certification data access with $225 initial request fee and $100 quarterly maintenance fee
- Training Program Fees: Recovery Specialist curriculum training at $1,200 per participant at Villanova University; various training providers offer programs at different price points
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | CPS (Certified Peer Specialist) Initial Certification |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | CAADC (Certified Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor) Initial Certification |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Examination Retest Fee |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Marketing Email - All Credentials |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Marketing Email - Credential-Specific |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Data Access Program |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Recovery Specialist Training - Villanova |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels4 records
Pcacb product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Administers professional certification examinations and credentials for behavioral health, substance use disorder, peer recovery, and community health workers in Pennsylvania. The organization issues, verifies, and recertifies credentials such as CPS, CRS, CAADC, CADC, and CCHW, and supports continuing education and training program approval for its credential holders.
Product overview
The Pennsylvania Certification Board (PCB) offers a comprehensive credentialing ecosystem for behavioral, physical, and community health professionals across Pennsylvania. The core offering consists of over 20 distinct certification programs including addiction counselor credentials (AAC, CAAC, CAADC, CADC), peer support certifications (CPS, CRS, CFRS, CRSS), community health worker certification (CCHW), and specialized endorsements (Clinical Supervision, Criminal Justice, Gambling). These credentials are supported by the Recovery Specialist Curriculum training program (78 instructional hours) and examination services. The portfolio also includes verification services for employers and data access programs for organizations requiring aggregate workforce intelligence. PCB is a member of IC&RC and operates as a private, non-profit corporation established in 1979, dedicated to public protection through establishing and monitoring certification standards.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- CPS (Certified Peer Specialist) Certification
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 12,000 active credentials held by professionals in Pennsylvania
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Pcacb
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Pcacb technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Pcacb partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- IC&RC (International Certification & Reciprocity Consortium)corePCB is a member of IC&RC, the global leader in credentialing prevention, addiction treatment, and recovery professionals. Organized in 1981, IC&RC provides standards and examinations to certification and licensing boards in 24 countries, 47 states and territories, five Native American regions, and all branches of the U.S. military. This membership enables reciprocity agreements allowing certified professionals to transfer credentials across jurisdictions.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Pcacb competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals: National membership and credentialing body for addiction-focused counselors, overlapping heavily with PCB's CAADC, CADC, and prevention specialist credentials. Competes for the same professional audience at a national level.
- New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) Credentialing: State-run credentialing authority for addiction professionals in New York. A direct functional equivalent to PCB operating under a public administration model, competing for the same IC&RC-aligned professional base.
- Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification (CRCC): National certification body for rehabilitation counselors, including Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC). Comparable in function and audience overlap to PCB's clinical supervision and addiction counseling credentials.
- Maryland Addictions and Behavioral-health Professionals Certification Board: Direct state-level peer offering comparable addiction and behavioral health credentialing (CAC-AD, CSC-AD, etc.) to professionals in Maryland. Same business model, same IC&RC reciprocity, different state jurisdiction.
Broad incumbents
- American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC): Large incumbent health-professions credentialing body. Operates at materially greater scale than PCB in an adjacent healthcare-certification vertical, illustrating the institutional model PCB could expand toward.
- National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC): The dominant national counselor credentialing body (NCC, CCMHC). Operates in adjacent territory to PCB's clinical and addiction counseling credentials, with broader scope into mental health counseling.
- IC&RC (International Certification & Reciprocity Consortium): The umbrella consortium of which PCB is a member. IC&RC sets standards and examinations used by certification boards across 24 countries and 47 states, and is the closest structural analog to PCB at a global scale.
- International Association of Peer Supporters (iNAPS): National membership organization promoting peer support across mental health and recovery — overlaps with PCB's CPS, CRS, and CFRS certificants and provides adjacent credentialing, training, and ethics standards.
Emerging players
- DONA International: Largest doula certification organization in the US. Comparable to PCB's Certified Perinatal Doula credential in product structure (cert + exam + recertification) and overlaps in perinatal workforce audience.
Regional players
- Pennsylvania Community Health Worker Collaborative: Pennsylvania-focused body supporting CCHW workforce development. Adjacent to PCB's CCHW credential and a potential collaborator or competitor for community health worker certification standards in the same state.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Pcacb social profiles
Digital presencePcacb financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Pcacb leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Pcacb funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Pcacb M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Pcacb
What does Pcacb do?
Administers professional certification examinations and credentials for behavioral health, substance use disorder, peer recovery, and community health workers in Pennsylvania. The organization issues, verifies, and recertifies credentials such as CPS, CRS, CAADC, CADC, and CCHW, and supports continuing education and training program approval for its credential holders.
Is Pcacb a public or private company?
Pcacb is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Pcacb founded?
Pcacb was founded in 1979. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Pcacb based?
Pcacb is headquartered in Harrisburg, United States, in the North America region.
How does Pcacb make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Certification Fees are the primary driver. The others are recertification Fees, examination Fees, marketing Email Services, data Access Services and training Program Fees.
Who are Pcacb's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals, New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) Credentialing, Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification (CRCC) and Maryland Addictions and Behavioral-health Professionals Certification Board. Broad incumbents are American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC), IC&RC (International Certification & Reciprocity Consortium) and International Association of Peer Supporters (iNAPS). DONA International is listed as an emerging player. Pennsylvania Community Health Worker Collaborative is listed as a regional player.
Does Pcacb have an API?
No public API is recorded for Pcacb.
What industry is Pcacb in?
Pcacb's product category is Professional Certification Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDADAFAD, Professional & Occupational Licensing Examination Authorities, with a secondary code of EDAAALAD, Behavioral Health & Counseling (Social Work, Psychology, Substance Use CE). Its NAICS code is 624310 and its SIC code is 8600.