Graduate Certificate in

Clinical and Behavioral Health

Online

Program Overview

Advance your clinical expertise with the Clinical and Behavioral Health Graduate Certificate, a focused 12-credit-hour program that builds skills in trauma-informed practice, clinical assessment and evidence-based intervention. Designed for Master of Social Work (MSW) students and social services professionals, this certificate strengthens your ability to support individuals with complex behavioral health needs while exploring innovative, ethical approaches to care. While it does not lead to licensure, it provides a strong foundation for clinical practice and a clear pathway to pursuing the MSW degree.

Online Program Format

12 Credit Hours

$480 Tuition Per Hour

Strengthen trauma-informed clinical practice.

The Clinical and Behavioral Health Graduate Certificate equips students and professionals with advanced knowledge in trauma-informed practice, clinical assessment and evidence-based intervention. Through a focused 12-credit curriculum, you’ll strengthen your ability to support individuals with complex behavioral health needs while exploring innovative and ethical approaches to service delivery.

This certificate provides students with advanced knowledge in trauma-informed care, family preservation, permanency planning and child advocacy, directly aligning their preparation with workforce needs

Designed for MSW students and social service professionals, this certificate enhances existing skills and supports professional growth in clinical and community-based settings. While it does not lead to licensure, it provides a strong foundation for those interested in clinical practice and can serve as a pathway for students considering an MSW degree.

Application Deadline	Applications accepted year round
Practicum and Skills Lab	Yes
Completion Time	As little as two semesters

Curriculum

Flexible Pathways for Professional Growth

Whether you are advancing your current role, exploring graduate study, or expanding into a new area of practice, this graduate certificate provides a flexible and accessible way to build expertise without committing to a full degree program.

All 12 credit hours earned in this certificate program may be used directly toward the completion of the MSW program. The overlap of the certificate with the associated degree program is intentional as the certificate provides a level of focus within the MSW degree in absence of degree concentrations.

Please note that courses are subject to change.

Required Courses

SW 516 Trauma-Informed Social Work Practice
SW 530* Advanced Generalist Practice II: Psychopathology & Assessment
SW 544 Substance Use and Social Work Practice
SW 550 Innovation in Clinical and Behavioral Health

*Requires live, virtual skills labs on select Saturdays.

Admission

Application Deadlines

Certificate applications are accepted on a rolling basis for fall entry. Applicants can be degree-seeking or non-degree-seeking students. Applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution, and all undergraduate majors are welcome with no specific course prerequisites for enrollment.

Application Requirements

Applicants must have the following qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution
Academic transcripts from all institutions attended
One letter of recommendation
Resume
Statement of purpose, which should address your interest in the graduate certificate in 1-2 double-spaced pages. Include a title and reference page, following APA requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who should apply?

Perfect for MSW students and social services professionals looking to strengthen clinical expertise. Undergraduate majors like anthropology, psychology, criminal justice, and human development and family studies can benefit from advanced clinical skills in assessment, diagnosis and evidence-based intervention for individuals with behavioral health needs

Social workers are the largest group of mental health providers in the United States — over 200,000 clinicians, more than psychiatrists, psychologists and psychiatric nurses combined (SAMHSA). By equipping students with specialized competencies, the certificate enhances licensure readiness and increases employability. This certificate does not lead to licensure.

There is a high demand for trained child welfare professionals due to workforce shortages and ongoing challenges in foster care, permanency planning and family services.

Is this program fully online?

Yes — this certificate is 100% online. SW 530 will require live, virtual participation in skills labs on select Saturdays.

Does this certificate lead to licensure?

No. The certificate does not independently lead to professional licensure.

Can I apply this toward an MSW?

Yes — 100% of the credits can be applied to the Master of Social Work degree. SW 530 is a required course for each respective MSW program, while SW 516, SW 544 and SW 550 fulfill the three elective degree requirements.

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