WHEELING, IL— Registration is now open for the Cremation Specialist training program offered exclusively by the Cremation Association of North America (CANA). This unique program is designed to help funeral professionals discover opportunities to create memorialization and ceremony and master the necessary skills and knowledge to take their service to the next level.
The CANA-Certified Cremation Specialist (CCS) training covers a range of topics that impact today’s business and grieving families. In addition to FTC compliance, engaging phone shoppers, and discussion of embalming preferences, other topics such as grief expressions, communication skills, and ethical dilemmas are all included in the curriculum. Participants can earn up to 11 hours of continuing education (CE) credits across a variety of required categories.
The remarkably flexible program, conducted entirely online, is comprised of eight courses: seven on-demand and one that is live and instructor-led. Participants can work at their own speed, receiving their certification in as little as three months and can choose to graduate on July 15 or October 15.
Each class in the program is easy to navigate and offers engaging and thought-provoking content, with fill-in-the-box reflections and active guidance from CANA staff. Participants can pause and resume the training to accommodate their busy schedules.
CANA encourages funeral professionals who are looking to advance their careers to enroll in the program and enhance their skills.
“You can become the most amazing rock star arranger ever, but it just takes a little bit of training and a little bit of knowledge of how to be still and how not to slap down the first contract and say, ‘Here you go,’” explains Glenda Stansbury of InSight Books, who contributed to the program. “That’s probably the true benefit of all of this work: to have a full-fledged curriculum that is cremation-based to help that cremation professional.”
To date, this new credential has 87 graduates, representing practitioners from all stages of their careers, who have gained confidence to go further with the families they serve. “This program was a highly valuable and meaningful way to level-up my personalized service to families. I highly recommend CCS certification to other funeral professionals,” shared Tee Rogers, a CANA-Certified Cremation Specialist. “It was insightful, inspiring, and informative. The content and leaders were highly respectful of diverse identities and perspectives, a normalization of inclusion that was encouraging to experience as I continue efforts to increase awareness of challenges faced in the funeral industry by our LGBTQIA+, minority religious, and secular clients and employees.”
Registration is accepted on a rolling basis for the 2024 program from April 1 through July 31. Space is limited so funeral professionals should act soon to join. Registration is $615, discounted to $465 for CANA Members. Learn more about becoming a CANA-Certified Cremation Specialist at cremationassociation.org/CCS
About CANA
Founded in 1913, the Cremation Association of North America (CANA) is an international organization of over 3,700 members, composed of funeral homes, cemeteries, crematories, industry suppliers, and consultants. CANA members believe that cremation is preparation for memorialization.
