CDVP Testing

The following references support the questions on this examination. They are available online from Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble as well as directly from the publishers. These books also may be available at retail stores and in public and academic libraries.

ICDVP selected the following references as the best available sources to represent knowledge and competencies that should be familiar to a certified professional. While these references support questions in content areas important to safe and effective practice, ICDVP does not recommend any particular service model or endorse every statement in these sources. However, ICDVP affirms that domestic violence professionals should be familiar with the issues addressed in these sources.

Kanel, Kristi. A Guide to Crisis Intervention, 5th Edition (2015) or 4th Edition (2012)
Publisher: Brooks/Cole, Cengage Learning
Website: www.cengage.com

Lissette, Andrea, and Richard Kraus. Free Yourself from an Abusive Relationship (2000)
Publisher: Hunter House Inc., Publishers
Website: www.hunterhouse.com

Wilson, K.J. When Violence Begins at Home 2nd Edition (2005)
Publisher: Hunter House Inc., Publishers
Website: www.hunterhouse.com

Bergen, Raquel K., “Marital Rape: New Research and Directions.” (2006)
Publisher: National Resource Center on Domestic Violence (NRCDV)  Available here

Illinois Domestic Violence Act Revised (2015)
Publisher: Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence

A Manual for Mandated Reporters (2015) 
Publisher: Illinois Department of Children and Family Services Available here

Reporting Adult Abuse: What Professionals Need to Know (2014)
Publisher: Illinois Department on Aging Available here

All candidates for the Illinois Certified Domestic Violence Professional certification must complete 40-hour Domestic Violence training at an ICDVP certified training site and must successfully complete 150 hours of satisfactory, documented, supervised direct service at an ICDVP certified supervision site within two years of the examination date with all hours completed prior to submission of the application. It is the responsibility of the candidate seeking supervision to ensure the following are met.

Hours towards certification must be earned subsequent to completion of the 40-hour Domestic Violence training or the 20-hour/20-hour at an ICDVP certified training site.

• Direct service is defined as service hours provided, and not clock hours worked.
• The individual providing supervision must be a current CDVP who works a current ICDVP certified supervision site as a supervisor/manager per their job description.

The preferred method of supervision is for all 150 direct hours to be completed at an ICDVP certified supervision site. If a candidate does not work for an ICDVP certified supervision site, then hours may be obtained by providing domestic violence services at their current agency or another location that has been pre-approved by the certified supervision site.

• The ICDVP certified supervision site has the discretion to charge external candidates for the supervision.
• It is recommended that the certified supervision site have a contract or MOU between the agency and the ICDVP candidate that defines expectations for both parties.

All 150 direct hours must fit into one (1) of the nine (9) approved categories of activities with 90 hours of direct client services completed within the first 5 categories.

1. Counseling
2. Advocacy
3. IDVA Advocacy
4. Hotline/Information and Referral
5. Group Services
6. Prevention
7. Training
8. Outreach & Community Education
9. Systems Advocacy

A minimum of 15 hours of supervision are required for every 150 hours of direct services (not clock hours worked, but service hours provided) as defined in the above section. Those 15 hours may consist of any combination of the following:

• Face to face
• Phone consultation
• Video conferencing communication
• Review and discussion of documentation and client records
• Review and discussion of the IDVA, including confidentiality limitations for services not provided through a domestic violence agency
• Direct observation of services provided

Group supervision for all sites is limited to 5 supervisees in the group.