Trauma Informed Care Certificate
The certificate in trauma informed care will expose graduate students in several helping professions to the theory and practice of trauma-related service delivery.
This is a multidisciplinary program that integrates knowledge from the social, behavioral and health sciences. The primary goal of the program is to train graduate students from the helping professions in specialized knowledge and skills related to psychological trauma.
Program Type
Graduate Certificate
Program Format
On Campus
UWM’s Trauma Informed Care Certificate program serves students from multiple disciplines, including social work, counseling psychology, nursing, occupational therapy, and sustainable peacebuilding. Since its inception, nearly 250 students from multiple fields have graduated from the program.
The program has three essential objectives:
- To familiarize participants with the phenomenon of trauma in all its varied manifestations.
- To introduce students to the prevalence and consequences of trauma, illuminating the myriad ways in which trauma exposure affects development and functioning.
- To teach students effective means by which they can mitigate the effects of trauma, facilitate healing, promote post-traumatic growth, and interrupt intergenerational trauma transmission.
Gainful Employment
This certificate program is subject to federal gainful employment regulations.
Due to new federal financial aid regulations, beginning with the summer 2017 term, students who had not previously been awarded federal financial aid at UWM and are enrolled in a standalone certificate program will no longer be eligible for federal Title IV aid. Students in a standalone certificate program who are seeking financial assistance may be eligible for private loans. Private loans are not guaranteed as they are subject to lender approval including a credit check.
FastChoice is a tool that will help you learn what to look for when shopping for a private loan. At the end of the short tutorial, it will provide a comparison shopping tool allowing you to sort, filter, and compare up to five lenders at one time.
Upon applying for the loan of your choice and being approved, the UWM Financial Aid Office will be notified by the lender to provide enrollment information. At such time the loan will be added to your financial aid award.
For previously enrolled students who have been awarded federal financial aid, see the Gainful Employment Certificate Disclosure Information: Gainful Employment Certificate Disclosure Information.
The curriculum consists of courses offered through various campus departments. Students will complete 15 graduate-level credits with a grade of B or better to meet the requirements. Students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 to remain in the certificate program. Students have three years from initial enrollment in the certificate sequence to complete the certificate. The results of this program are reflected on the student’s UWM transcript.
Core Courses (six credits)
| Course | Course Number | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Trauma Counseling I | SOC WRK 774 COUNS 774 NURS 774 OCCTHPY 774 | 3 |
| Trauma Counseling II | SOC WRK 775 COUNS 775 NURS 775 OCCTHPY 775 | 3 |
Elective Coursework (nine credits)
| Course | Course Number | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Study Aboad: Bristol or South Africa | SOC WRK 497 CRM JUS 497 | 3-6 |
| Seminar in Social Work Practice (Qualifying topics: Violent & Traumatized Families or Motivational Interviewing | SOC WRK 820 | 2 |
| Adult Psychopathology | SOC WRK 753 | 3 |
| Psychopathology of Childhood & Adolescents | SOC WRK 754 | 2 |
| Current Topics in Social Work (Topic: Death & Dying) | SOC WRK 791 | 2-3 |
| Current Topics in Psychology (Qualifying topics: Functional Assessment and Intervention or Neurobiology of Learning & Memory) | PSYCH 711 | 3 |
| Introduction to Cognitive Neuroscience | PSYCH 727 | 3 |
| Youth Mental Health Practice for Non-Mental Health Professionals | PH 732 | 3 |
| Multicultural Mental Health Guidelines & Ethics Overview | COUNS 704 | 3 |
| Multicultural Practice* | COUNS 704 & COUNS 705 | 6 |
| Multicultural Counseling | COUNS 715 | 3 |
| Multicultural Mental Health Guidelines for Working w/First Nations People | COUNS 744 | 3 |
| Clinical Studies in Counseling | COUNS 812 | 3 |
| Counseling Children & Adolescents | COUNS 816 | 3 |
| Counseling Appraisal & Decision-Making | COUNS 820 | 3 |
| Family Systems Theory, Research | COUNS 904 | 3 |
| Death and Dying | SOC WRK 680 | 3 |
| Practice Methods in Social Work: (Topic: Community Building & Mindfulness) | SOC WRK 691 | 1-3 |
| Treatment of Co-Occurring Disorders | SOC WRK 818 | 3 |
| Therapeutic Communication | OCCTHPY 519 | 3 |
| Occupational Therapy in Psychosocial Practice | OCCTHPY 719 | 3 |
| Intervention Strategies for Correctional Clients | CRM JST 830 | 3 |
| Readings in Criminal Justice Research | CRM JST 970 | 3 |
Recommended Fieldwork (three-six credits)
Students also have an opportunity to complete anywhere from 3 to 6 additional qualifying program credits through participation in trauma-informed practice field settings, contingent on the respective department’s field credit policy.
| Course | Course Number | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Field Instruction I | SOC WRK 721 | 3 |
| Field Instruction II | SOC WRK 722 | 3 |
| Field Instruction III | SOC WRK 821 | 4 |
| Field Instruction IV | SOC WRK 822 | 4 |
| Field Instruction V | SOC WRK 921 | 1-4 |
| Supervised Practicum 1 in School Counseling | COUNS 764 | 3 |
| Supervised Practicum 1 in Clinical Mental Health Counseling | COUNS 765 | 3 |
| Occupational Therapy Field Service I | OCCTHPY 725 | 6 |
| Occupational Therapy Field Service II | OCCTHPY 735 | 6 |
| Practicum in Nursing Research | NURS 899 | 3 |
Grade Point Average Requirement
A minimum cumulative 3.0 grade point average in certificate courses taken at UWM is required.
Transfer Credit
No more than 20% of the required credits may be taken at an institution other than UWM. These courses are subject to Graduate School transfer policy and must be approved by the director of the certificate program.
Articulation with Degree Programs
- Credits and courses required for a certificate may double count toward meeting UWM graduate degree requirements subject to the following restrictions:
- Degree programs must approve the courses from certificates that can double count toward the degree.
- All credits taken in completion of certificate requirements may count toward a UWM graduate degree as long as they do not contribute more than 90% of the total credits needed to obtain the degree. (Note: Students in PhD programs must still complete the minimum residency requirements.)
- Certificate courses used toward meeting degree requirements must be completed within the time limit for transfer credit.
- Courses completed for a degree may be counted toward a subsequent certificate, subject to all certificate policy requirements.
- A course may count toward no more than one certificate and one degree.
- Students may not earn a certificate subsequent to a concentration in the same area.
Time Limit
Certificate program time limits shall be established as follows:
- 18 or fewer credits/Three years from initial enrollment in the certificate sequence.
- 19 or more credits/Four years from initial enrollment in the certificate sequence.
- For certificates that are designed as add-ons to degree programs and are awarded concurrent with the degree, the time limit shall be the same as that of the degree program.
Eligibility and Admission
Students in good standing currently in a graduate program or those who have already completed a graduate degree are eligible for the certificate.
Graduate degree and previously admitted graduate nondegree students who decide to pursue a certificate program must submit the Panthera application before completing six credits in the certificate sequence.
Students who are pursuing this certificate as an add-on to a degree program are awarded concurrent with the degree; the time limit shall be the same as that of the degree program.
Application
Students wishing to obtain this certificate must declare their intention by applying to the program office or director.
All graduate certificate applicants- even those already enrolled in a UWM graduate program- must apply to the Graduate School via the Panthera admission application.
Graduate degree and previously admitted graduate nondegree students who decide to pursue a certificate program must submit the Panthera application before completing six credits in the certificate sequence.
Applicants must possess a baccalaureate degree and have a minimum 2.75 cumulative undergraduate grade point average to be admitted in to a certificate program.
