Program Overview

Trauma-Informed Practice, Certificate

College of Social Work

Gain an advanced, interdisciplinary education in trauma intervention and practice skills for diverse professional settings.

Attain specialized expertise to work with individuals, families and communities affected by trauma. This professional certificate will provide you with relevant information, enhance your ability to effectively work in broad settings and expand your employment opportunities.

Program Highlights

• Cutting-Edge Research

Study the latest evidence of trauma’s impact on the brain and body, relationships and communities across all levels of practice.

• Trauma Expertise

Develop critical skills to address trauma-informed relationships, assessment, intervention and repair in varied workplace settings.

• Interdisciplinary Careers

Choose an area of inquiry as part of your certificate studies with electives in various graduate programs.

• Work That Matters

Build skills to support survivors and develop policies and practices that strive to heal harm.

What You’ll Study

Enhance competency in trauma and neuroscientific research. Practice trauma-informed engagement and assessment, trauma-sensitive relationship building and trauma-responsive interventions. Understand methodologies of developing trauma-informed policies and practices within and among organizations, institutions and systems.

Building Skills

Gain the professional and personal intelligence it takes to have a successful career.

• Therapeutic Intervention

Using proven strategies to help individuals or groups achieve positive outcomes

• Critical Thinking

Analyzing and evaluating information to make informed decisions or judgments

• Troubleshooting and Analysis

Identify root causes, determine solutions and restore functionality or improve performance

• Patient Education

Educating patients and caregivers about treatments to create better health outcomes

• Human Health

Fostering well-being, preventing diseases and optimizing physical, mental and social aspects of individuals' well-being

• Interprofessional Collaboration

Working with professionals from different disciplines to provide coordinated care or services

Using your degree

Make your college experience the foundation for a successful future.

Potential Careers

• Counselor or Therapist
• Health or Mental Health
• Substance Abuse Counselor
• Victim Advocate
• Program or Organization Director
• Policy Analyst

Workplace Settings

• Mental Health
• Health Care
• Education
• Child Welfare
• Criminal Justice
• Nonprofit

Advanced Degrees

Many degree holders add specialization through advanced degrees.

• Master's
  • Social Work, M.S.W. College of Social Work
• Combination Degree | Master's
  • Social Work and Public Health in Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior, M.S.W. & M.P.H. Arnold School of Public Health
    College of Social Work
• Doctorate
  • Social Work, Ph.D. College of Social Work
• Combination Degree | Master's | Doctorate
  • Social Work and Law, M.S.W. & J.D. Joseph F. Rice School of Law
    College of Social Work
• Combination Degree | Master's
  • Social Work and Public Health in Health Service Policy and Management, M.S.W. & M.P.H. Arnold School of Public Health
    College of Social Work
• Combination Degree | Master's
  • Public Administration and Social Work, M.P.A. & M.S.W. McCausland College of Arts and Sciences
    College of Social Work