Bethlehem, Pa. January 22, 2026 – The National Commission for Health Education Credentialing Inc., (NCHEC), in partnership with the Society for Public Health Education, Inc. (SOPHE), today announced the release of A Competency-Based Framework for Health Education Specialists – 2025. Based on the Health Education Specialist Practice Analysis III (HESPA III 2025), this publication reflects and guides current health education practice and promotion practice.
The HESPA III 2025 was comprehensive national practice analysis designed to update, refine, and validate the contemporary practice of health education and promotion. The framework serves as a foundational model for professional preparation, credentialing, and ongoing professional development. This revised framework guides revisions to the 2027 CHES® and MCHES® examinations.
The approximately 200-page textbook documents the processes, outcomes, and findings of the HESPA III 2025 practice analysis. The updated hierarchical model includes 9 Areas of Responsibility, organized into 39 Competencies and 243 Sub-competencies. Notable updates include the separation of Evaluation and Research into standalone Areas of Responsibility, as well as the organization of the health education knowledge base into 9 conceptual topic areas. A total of 141 knowledge topics were validated as being actively used by health education specialists in practice.
“This publication reflects the collective expertise and commitment of health education specialists across the country,” said Melissa Opp, MPH, MCHES®, ICE-CCP, Executive Director of NCHEC. “We are deeply grateful to the practitioners who contributed their time and insight to this rigorous national study. The resulting framework provides a tool for academic programs to align curricula with validated competencies and for employers to support meaningful professional development.”
This framework serves as an essential resource for educators, practitioners, administrators, and employers across health education and promotion,” said Beth Chaney, PhD, MCHES®, Chair of the HESPA III Panel and primary author of the publication. “A well-prepared health education workforce—grounded in contemporary competencies and skills—is critical to advancing the nation’s health, strengthening communities, and responding effectively to emerging public health challenges.”
Competency-Based Framework for Health Education Specialists – 2025 will be available for purchase through the NCHEC website beginning January 22, 2026. Copies will also be available onsite at the Society for Public Health Education Annual Meeting in Portland, Oregon, in April 2026, where conference programming will include HESPA III 2025-related workshops and sessions. Supplemental resources are available upon request to assist faculty with mapping curriculum to the HESPA III 2025 framework. To request HESPA III supplemental resources, please complete this form after purchase.
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Founded in 1988, the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc. (NCHEC) is a non-profit organization dedicated to the professional practice of Health Education/Promotion by promoting and sustaining a credentialed body of Health Education Specialists. The purpose of NCHEC is to certify health education specialists, promote professional development, strengthen professional preparation and practice, and promote the health education/promotion profession. (See www.nchec.org).