The Social Work Healthcare Certificate is for undergraduate social work majors. The certificate program extends and elaborates on the generalist approach to social work practice in the field of healthcare. This certificate is designed to expose students to the environment, terminology, culture, and nature of work in health care organizations. Students will examine the roles and duties of social workers in a variety of health care settings, e.g., clinics, hospitals, long term care facilities, mental health clinics, rehabilitation centers, and community agencies.
Since the early 20th century, social work has been an integral component of the U.S. healthcare system, and the profession continues to play a leadership role in the psychosocial aspects of health care. Today, social workers are present in settings across the healthcare continuum, including prevention and public health, primary and acute care, specialty care, rehabilitation, home health, long-term care, and hospice. Professional social workers provide services to individuals and families throughout the lifespan, addressing the full range of biopsychosocial–spiritual and environmental issues that affect well-being. Social work’s strengths-based, person-in environment perspective provides the contextual focus necessary for client- and family-centered care and is unique among the health professions. (NASW Standards for Social Work Practice in Health Care Settings, 2016)
Contact Information
swk@css.edu
Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of the undergraduate concentration in Social Work Healthcare at The College of St. Scholastica, the student will be able to:
- Demonstrate knowledge and skill needed to engage, assess and intervene effectively with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities receiving healthcare.
- Conceptualize aspects of healthcare in relation to contemporary issues in human rights in the United States and throughout the world.
- Identify and critically reflect on how diversity affects health in respect to access, health literacy, and other social determinants of health.
- Describe the continuum of healthcare services in the United States and the role of the social worker and be able to function effectively within healthcare organizations.
Requirements
Students must achieve the following program requirements for all courses listed under Program Requirements and Program Required Courses and earn the Social Work, B.A. degree to earn the Social Work Healthcare certificate.
Program Requirements
Certificate Credits: 8
Minimum GPA: 2.0
Minimum Grade: C
Program Required Courses
Course List
| Code |
Title |
Credits |
| 1 | |
| SWK 3395 | Social Work and Healthcare | 4 |
| 2 | 4 |
| Trauma and Recovery: Medicine and Literature | |
| Healthcare Across Cultures | |
| Health, Happiness, and Human Well-being | |
| U.S. Healthcare System | |
| Interprofessional Health Care | |
| Religious Perspectives on Living, Dying and Grieving | |
| Religious Perspectives on Healthcare Ethics | |
| Spirituality Resilience Recovery | |
| Topics in Social Work (Aging, Health, Mental Health, Substance Abuse, Veterans) | |
| Total Credits | 8 |
