Build a Specialization
Help define advanced practice in a focused area of behavior change
The Academy for Behavior Change works with qualified subject matter experts, organizations, and partners to develop competency-based specialization frameworks in areas where behavior change practice needs greater clarity, consistency, and applied preparation.
Building a specialization is not the same as creating a course. It begins with defining what skilled practice should look like in a specific population, setting, role, condition area, or applied domain.
ABC specialization frameworks are designed to support high-quality practice, workforce development, and clearer pathways for advanced preparation across the behavior change field.
What It Means to Build a Specialization
A specialization framework identifies the knowledge, skills, judgment, and professional behaviors needed for effective practice in a focused area.
- Foundation for future education, training, program approval, and individual recognition.
- Standardize emerging or complex requirements
- Develop a shared foundation to guide advanced learning
- Define practice standards across fields
Competencies define what professionals should be able to demonstrate. Curriculum describes how learners build those abilities. This distinction allows ABC to support consistency across the field while still giving programs flexibility in how they design learning experiences.
Who Is This Path For?
This pathway is designed for partners who see a need for more focused preparation in a defined area of behavior change practice.
It may be a good fit for:
- Subject matter experts with deep experience in a specialized practice area
- Professional associations or organizations advancing a field of practice
- Healthcare, wellness, or community organizations identifying a workforce need
- Training organizations interested in helping clarify specialization-level competence
- Interdisciplinary groups working in emerging or complex areas of care
This pathway is especially helpful when there is a clear need for shared expectations around what competent practice should look like.
Collaborative Development Process
Building a specialization is a collaborative process between the Academy for Behavior Change and qualified subject matter experts, organizations, or partners. ABC provides the structure for competency development, while partners and subject matter experts bring the field knowledge, applied experience, and practice context needed to define meaningful specialization-level competence.
Together, this process helps ensure that each specialization is grounded in real-world practice, aligned with the needs of the field, and clear enough to guide future education, program approval, and individual recognition.
The Specialization Development Process
Specialization development is a collaborative process. While each project may look slightly different, most specializations move through the following stages.
Clarify why the specialization is needed, who it serves, and how it will be used.
Identify the essential domains, competencies, and observable behaviors that describe skilled practice.
Clarify what learners or professionals should be able to know, do, and demonstrate in relation to the competencies.
Identify how competence may be shown through applied work, reflection, case analysis, observation, performance review, or other meaningful evidence.
Programs or partners may build learning materials, cases, tools, exercises, and resources aligned with the competency framework.
Gather feedback, evaluate alignment, and refine the specialization framework or supporting materials as needed.
Once finalized, the specialization framework can support program approval, learner completion pathways, and ABC-issued recognition for eligible individuals.
This process reflects ABC’s competency-based approach to specialization development, beginning with scope and competency definition before moving into curriculum, assessment, pilot, and launch.
Is This the Right Path?
This path is for you if you want to help define a specialization framework or explore whether a new area of practice is ready for competency development.
This may not be the right path if you already have a completed training program and want it reviewed for approval. In that case, the better next step is Specialization Program Approval.
This may also be different from enrolling as an individual learner. Individuals seeking advanced preparation should visit Complete a Specialization to learn about available or emerging specialization pathways.
Start a Specialization Conversation
Interested in helping shape a new specialization area?
We welcome conversations with organizations, subject matter experts, and partners who are working in areas where behavior change practice needs clearer preparation, stronger standards, or more consistent pathways for professional growth.