Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Wellness Graduate Certificate
Social and emotional (SEL) learning is the process by which children and adults acquire the skills necessary for managing emotions, showing empathy, establishing and maintaining positive relationships, making responsible decisions, and setting and achieving positive goals. These skills must be practiced in social contexts, including classroom and school environments. Many children and youth struggle with these skills, particularly if they have experienced trauma or emotional crisis and few teachers have had formal training to help them.
Goal 1: Social Emotional Wellness Learning and Youth Development
Outcome 1.1: Describe and define what social emotional learning is and how it relates to resiliency, including the research linking SEL to positive and negative developmental outcomes;
Outcome 1.2: Explain how research grounded in different theoretical traditions frame social and emotional wellness, and the relevance of this prevention science to educators;
Outcome 1.3: Discuss how a multi-tiered system/Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports (PBIS) approach is used to guide the selection and implementation of evidence-based SEL programs and practices;
Outcome 1.4: Evaluate research on social and emotional wellness programs and practices to identify those that are likely to address the needs of a specific student population and students with targeted needs; and
Outcome 1.5: Demonstrate an understanding of typical child, adolescent, and young adult development.
Goal 2: Characteristics and Impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences, Trauma, and Mental Illness on PK-12 Students Candidates will demonstrate their ability to:
Outcome 2.1: Describe and define Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), Trauma, and Mental Illness, including how such experiences and conditions can impact growth, development, and learning of children and adolescents;
Outcome 2.2:Discuss the relevance as an educator of understanding ACEs, Trauma, and Mental Illness, and the role of schools in reducing risk factors and increasing protective factors;
Outcome 2.3:Describe the relevant history of stigmatization and stereotyping associated with ACEs, Trauma, and Mental Illness, and their relationship to educational services;
Outcome 2.4:Identify and describe examples of ACEs, Trauma, and Mental Illness that will predictably be part of some of their PK-12 students’ life experiences; and
Outcome 2.5:Describe the cultural implications associated with ACEs, Trauma, and Mental Illness.
Goal 3: Behavioral and Mental Health Literacy
Outcome 3.1: Describe the most common types of Mental Illness that PK-12 students may experience, including both internalizing and externalizing conditions;
Outcome 3.2: Explain the processes and general relationship between diagnosis via the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual V (DSM-V) and the classification system under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA);
Outcome 3.3: Identify and describe the roles of other relevant child-serving systems within communities that can be supportive to addressing matters associated with social, emotional, and behavioral wellness of PK-12 students (e.g., children’s mental health and juvenile justice); and
Outcome 3.4: Identify and describe the requirements for schools (e.g., Student Assistance Program and Act 71) to support a youth who appears in emotional distress.
Goal 4: Prevention and Intervention to Support Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Wellness across PK-12 Educational Environments
Outcome 4.1: Describe the features of a Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) framework to support social, emotional, and behavioral wellness;
Outcome 4.2: Plan and implement universal prevention strategies associated with the MTSS framework: February 2018 8 a. That are culturally responsive and address students’ developmental social and emotional learning needs; and b. That are reflective of trauma-informed practices in the classroom with all students;
Outcome 4.3: Plan and implement (when necessary) approaches to de-escalate no crisis and crisis situations in the instance when the safety of students or others may be in jeopardy that reflect trauma-informed principles;
Outcome 4.4: Demonstrate an understanding of how to use academic and behavioral progress monitoring data (e.g., individual, classroom, school-wide) to support educational practice; and
Outcome 4.5: Participate in suicide prevention activities in alignment with the requirements of Act 71.
Goal 5: Collaboration with Families, Agencies, and the Community
Outcome 5.1: Demonstrate authentic collaboration with youth, families, school, and community partners regarding student social, emotional, or behavioral needs in simulated or actual contexts;
Outcome 5.2: Demonstrate culturally responsive approaches when communicating with family, school, and community partners regarding student social, emotional, or behavioral needs in simulated or actual contexts;
Outcome 5.3: Demonstrate the skills necessary to authentically engage youth in decision-making processes;
Outcome 5.4: Describe and comply with protections associated with confidentiality, including release of information; and
Outcome 5.5: Communicating and advocating for the social, emotional, and behavioral wellness of students PK-12 with police, initial responders, and other groups within the community.