On this page we’re giving you all the information you need to prepare your membership application!

Criteria for membership

These are the criteria for institutes to join and maintain IASTI membership.

Initial criteria for the Institute’s membership

The institute shall have or do the following:

• The institute shall have at least three years experience of providing a Solutions-Focused training program.

If you represent a newly formed institute, the program can have been running for a shorter time but you need to present an equivalent competence within the group of trainers of running a well established training program.

A newly formed institute with highly qualified trainers should be able to join easily and an old institute that has lost its qualified trainers may not be accepted even though it has an impressive history. The current qualifications are the most important criteria for acceptance. Please note that the institute need to have a solution-focused training program comparable with at least level one IASTI certification. The program shall be up and running and well established with trainees going through the program learning to use the the solution-focused model.

• Present a written summary of the history of the institute and/or the active trainers of the institute regarding their qualifications both with client work and training.

• Present a plan for starting their certification program in direct connection to joining IASTI. The institute shall present a written plan.

• Present five recommendations written by institutions trained by the institute and/or the trainers. The recommendations need to address the solution-focused training program of the applying institute. If needed a recommendation from an IASTI member institutes that are well aquatinted with the applying institutes training program can be used in place of a recommendation from an institution.

• Optional: The institute can present recommendations by IASTI member institutes as references to support that they have a good standing in their local market. This are recommendations of good standing and do not replace the need for recommendations regarding the applying institutes training program (see above).

The definition of an “institute” in IASTI is a legal body that offers training in the Solutions-Focused model and practice. This includes a part time practitioner. Most Solution-Focused training institutes are small companies.  The institute should have a well-established and respected training tradition in Solutions-Focused practice.

The trainers shall have the following qualifications 

• All trainers need to have a relevant professional degree. The exact type of degree needed will vary from country to country and depends on the laws and professional context of that country. For example, a licensed psychiatrist, psychologist, therapist, or a qualification as a social worker or special education teacher could suffice.  The IASTI trainer needs to have the professional background of a qualified profession within the behavioral fields and the corresponding experience and practice background.
• One trainer, the main trainer(s), needs to have a minimum of eight years in Solutions-Focused practice with clients and five years experience providing training.
• Additional trainers shall have a minimum of five years of Solutions-Focused practice with clients and three years of experience giving training.
• Trainers shall be actively publishing books and/or articles. These works should be seen as collected competence in the institute’s group of trainers and provide way for the trainers to communicate their work.
• Trainers shall make presentations during national and/or international Solutions-Focused conferences. These presentations should be seen as a collected competence in the institute’s group of trainers and provide way for the trainers to communicate their work.

Titles of Accreditation

In joining IASTI:

• The trainers who fill the requirements for main trainer render the titles Accredited Solution-Focused Trainer; Accredited Solution-Focused Supervisor and; Certified Solution-Focused Master Practitioner.
• The institutes additional trainers (se above) render only the title; Certified Solution-Focused Master Practitioner.
• The training institute render the title Accredited Solution-Focused Teaching Institute and the certifying program render the title Accredited Solution-Focused Training Program.

Hindrance for joining IASTI and criteria for membership ineligibility and/or exclusion

The below points can be used as exclusion criteria if the committee regards the failing of a training institute and/or its trainers to be severe and no other solution is found within a reasonable time frame.

• Disregard for client ethics
• Disregard for ethics regarding employees of the institute.
• Disregard for ethics regarding the trainees.
• Disregard for the integrity of a peer IASTI institutes.
• The institute or a member of the institute acts in a way that jeopardizes the reputation and/or goodwill of IASTI.
• The institute or a member of the institute acts in a way that lessens the value of the IASTI certification.
• The institute or a member of the institute is involved in financial or business crime or felony.

In addition:

• The institute has ceased to or never given certifying training. The institute does not provide certifying training.
• The institute does not communicate and is out of contact. Specifically, if the institute has been out of contact or not give adequate answers for six months and the institute thereby has failed to fulfill its IASTI obligations, it can lose its membership.

Criteria  for maintaining IASTI membership

The institute shall do the following to uphold membership:

• Provide a training program leading toward the IASTI certification of the trainees.
• Take part in the peer institute quality control program and make sure all inclusion criteria are continuing to be meet.
• Collaborate within IASTI by answering questions, mentoring, and giving feedback when needed.
• Communicate (e.g., during national and/or international Solutions-Focused conferences and/or by publishing articles and/or books) their results, ideas and conclusions regarding their Solutions-Focused practice.
• Report about its activity during the previous year in January. This report should describe the number of IASTI certifications with names and the levels of certification and specialization.
• Pay the annual membership fee. IASTI will send an invoice and a reminder if the payment is not received. If an institute fails to pay on time, the first consequence will be that IASTI sends a reminder. After this no more reminders will be sent. Non-payment will be recognized as the institute has made the choice to leave IASTI. The institute will have to make a new application if their membership has expired because of an unpaid fee. The membership fee will start 1 January 2014 and will be 150 euro per member institute. Decision to increase the fee can be done if IASTI takes on additional responsibilities and costs or due to other clear and reasonable reasons. This decision can be made during the annual assembly of the members.

Collaboration of institutes within IASTI

The process of peer institute quality control
To ensure that the IASTI member institutes provide a high quality training program in the Solutions-Focused approach IASTI have in place a process of peer institute quality control.

Limits of collaboration
The IASTI institutes are reminded that any collaboration regarding pricing or market shares could be against the law. The IASTI institutes are prompted to be careful with collaboration that could jeopardize the free concurrence of economically independent institutes and the corresponding business ethics.

Acknowledgements
All material that is shared among institutes shall keep the initial copyright clause and in all other ways the originator should be acknowledged when the material and ideas are used in training and in written material.