We meet from 6-7:45 pm on all Wednesdays, excluding holidays. Here are the dates:

11/2-Intro (Led by Elspeth with whole team present)

11/16-R/E (Led by Shavon)

11/30-R/E (Led by Shavon, co-led data session with Elspeth)

12/14-R/E (Led by Elspeth)

1/4-Immigration (Led by Yvonne)

1/18-Immigration (Led by Yvonne)

2/1-Immigration (Led by Yvonne)

2/15-Capstone prep & using data for equity-minded practice (Led by Elspeth with whole team present)

3/1-Dis (Led by Elspeth)

3/15-Dis (Led by Elspeth)

3/29-Dis (Led by Elspeth)

4/12-Queer Comm. (Led by Katie)

4/26-Queer Comm. (Led by Katie)

5/10-Queer Comm. (Led by Katie)

5/24--Capstone (Led by Elspeth with whole team present)

6/7Capstone (Led by Elspeth with whole team present)

...and a graduation/capstone presentation with Commissioner Spears circa 6 weeks later, date TBD.

Please read the information below and then click on the "modules" link on the left side of this page to get started.

Our Zoom link:

Join Zoom Meeting

https://salemstate.zoom.us/j/83611012127

Passcode: 342124

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We draw from the paradigm of equity-minded practice in social work education to conceptualize this certificate program, which will support DCF supervisors and managers’ development of knowledge and skills integral to critically culturally competent, intersectional, and anti-oppressive practice (Johnson, Slayter and Simmons, 2021-In press). Equity-mindedness is the perspective or mode of thinking and practice exhibited by practitioners who call attention to patterns of inequity in client processes and outcomes (Council on Social Work Education, 2020). These practitioners take personal as well as institutional responsibility for the success of their clients, and critically reassess their own practices through engaging in reflectivity and reflexivity (Schön, 1983; 1987). Practitioners in this mode are intersectionality-conscious and aware of the social and historical context of oppressive practices in child welfare and ancillary systems. Our certificate program honors the need for social workers to be aware of a range of social identities, including, but not limited to, race, ethnicity, gender identity and expression, disability, sexuality, socioeconomic status (SES), and immigration status.

Learning Objectives

At the completion of the certificate program, participants will be able to:

Explain how their social identities inform their child welfare practice
Use data to identify inequitable processes and outcomes by social identity statuses
Discuss influences of various child welfare practices on processes and outcomes related to social identities
Exercise agency to contribute to equitable processes and outcomes for clients and colleagues of all social identities
View practice contexts and relationships as influenced by dynamics of privilege and oppression
Self-monitor interactions with clients and colleagues of different social identities

Participants will engage in weekly, 1 hour and 45 minute synchronous Zoom meetings from 6 – 7:45 p.m. (Wednesdays) and approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes of asynchronous coursework (e.g., online exercises, discussion posts, and assessments) for a total of four hours of learning per week. Participants will also be expected to read or view course-related materials in advance of synchronous meetings. A total of 60 CEUs will be available through the SSU School of Social Work. To be awarded with a certificate of completion, participants must complete 90% of the asynchronous and synchronous work required by the program. You can track your progress towards completion by monitoring the "Grades" section in Canvas to see how you are doing on asynchronous work and the "Attendance" section in Canvas for the synchronous work. Please click on this link for the rubric related to obtaining your certificate and CEUs.

In between Zoom sessions, you will be assigned reading and discussion activities to complete on your own. Please click the "Modules" link on the left side of this page to go to the Weekly materials.

We look forward to working with you! If you have questions, please contact Elspeth Slayter, coordinator of the program (eslayter@salemstate.edu).

Sincerely,

Lisa Johnson, Shavon Fulcher, Katie Peterson, Yvonne Ruiz and Elspeth Slayter

Certificate program faculty team