Do you wish to…
…earn continuing education hours? Meet a licensing requirement? Expand your skill set to meet the expectations of a current employer—or the expectations of a hoped-for future employer? Or do you simply wish to enhance your overall ability to improve lives and change the world?
If any of these is your wish or need, please take a look at the U-M School of Social Work’s six continuing education certificate programs. They cover a variety of social work–related topics, may be self-paced or may have live components, and some may lead to certification or to a credential, as described below.
We just introduced our newest program, Political Social Work, for registration, and it will run in the fall. It is the brainchild of lecturer Justin Hodge, MSW’13. Political Social Work will cover social work skills for those already in politics and give licensed social workers a foundation for running for and holding public office. Many of our graduates have indeed won political office and have served effectively, bringing social work values to the complex and contentious arena of lawmaking.
Our Certificate in Advanced Clinical Dementia Practice focuses on knowledge needed by social workers, nurses, physicians, and other clinical providers, in particular those who work with aging adults. This course and our Addictions course are both offered online in a self-paced format. Political Social Work, Mixed Methods Research and Integrated Behavioral Health and Primary Care all mix live and self-paced components online, including small discussion groups with instructor interaction. Our longest, most elaborate course, Sexual Health, adds some in-person elements.
The hours spent on a CE course range from 34 for Advanced Clinical Dementia Practice up to 195 over the course of a year for Sexual Health. Tuitions vary, based on the length and complexity of the course. In addition to the six courses described above, several mini-courses, workshops and in-service trainings are available. These usually require a commitment of one or two days and cost $25-$265.
Regardless of format or duration, our courses are all taught by our interprofessional team of CE faculty: social workers, physicians, nurses, public health experts who deliver video lectures, conduct online webinars and participate in real-time class discussions. All are experts and leaders in their respective fields.
Our Continuing Education courses do not offer certification, but some do lead to a credential, and the Addictions and Sexual Health courses can lead to certification in most states. Some students take both of those courses for certification as addiction professionals, and Sexual Health leads to certification by the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists (AASECT). Some programs also offer CME credits.