Trauma Specialization
WMU's School of Social Work provides students with the opportunity to complete a specialization in trauma practice across the lifespan, for Clinical Social Work (CSW) concentration MSW students. Students will declare their plan to obtain the Trauma Specialization by completing the Concentration and Specialization or Graduate Certificate Survey, organizing their program plan to meet the requirements detailed below, and meeting with their assigned academic advisor to finalize their program plan. If you are not sure who your academic advisor is, email swrk-admi@wmich.edu.
The Trauma Specialization (TS) prepares students to provide trauma-specific evidence-based clinical services to those with a history of trauma across the lifespan (including children, adolescents, adults, survivors, and perpetrators; and those who have experienced a wide range of traumas, such as child abuse, sexual assault, intimate partner violence, community violence, combat, witnessing violence, human trafficking, natural disasters and/or traumatic accidents).
Trauma Specialization Course Requirements
Students who wish to complete the TS will complete nine elective credits in courses approved for the Trauma Specialization. These elective credits will meet expectations for the nine credits of electives required for the MSW degree and are available to any student in the MSW program as electives, which includes:
- SWRK 6500, Core Concepts of Child Trauma (3 credits), taken no later than the Fall of the concentration (final) year.
- SWRK 6379, Integrative Seminar in Trauma Studies (1 credit), taken in the spring of the concentration (final) year.
- Five additional TS approved elective credits, having a trauma-specific and clinical social work focus.
- MSW Clinical Social Work Clinical Concentration Field Placement: Students also complete their Clinical concentration field placement (500 hours) in a Trauma Specialization approved field organization, which:
- Identifies itself as having a trauma-specific approach, and provides assessment, treatment planning, and treatment for those with a trauma history
- Field instructor has training and experience in providing trauma-specific treatment
Approved Trauma Specialization Courses
The following WMU School of Social Work are approved for the Trauma Specialization (tuition costs may vary slightly by campus). If a course is not listed, it is not approved for the Trauma Specialization. Please see new course schedules as they become available.
Approved trauma specialization courses
Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Training
The WMU School of Social Work offers a unique training opportunity in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) for students in the Clinical Social Work concentration. This includes specialized course work and concentration field placements that offer training and supervision in TF-CBT, with TF-CBT trained field instructors. The TF-CBT Training can be completed along with the Trauma Across the Life Span specialization, or separately. There are 5 elective credits plus a MSW Clinical Concentration field placement required for the TF-CBT Training program, to include:
- SWRK 6500: Core Concepts of Child Trauma (3 credits). TF-CBT students must take SWRK 6500 no later than Fall of their concentration year.
- SWRK 6378: Integrative Seminar in TF-CBT (1 credit), to be taken the Fall semester of your concentration (final) year.
- SWRK 6379: Integrative Seminar in Trauma Studies (1 credit), to be taken the Spring semester of your concentration (final) year.
- MSW Concentration field placement with a field instructor trained and implementing TF-CBT, and that provides the opportunity to complete at least 2 full TF-CBT cases during the field placement.
- Participate in TF-CBT consultations for field instructors and students.
WMU School of Social Work Clinical Social Work Trauma Specialization Program Options: Trauma Across the Life Span (TALS) and Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) | |||
Courses required (apply to MSW elective credits) and field placement requirements | Trauma Across the Life Span (TALS) | Trauma-Focused Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) | Completing Both TALS and TF-CBT |
SWRK 6500: Core Concepts of Child and Adolescent Trauma (3 credits); take no later than Fall of concentration/ final year | X | X | X |
SWRK 6378: Integrative Seminar in TF-CBT, Fall semester, concentration/ final yr. (1 credit) |
| X | X |
SWRK 6379: Integrative Seminar in Trauma Studies, Spring semester, concentration/ final yr. (1 credit) | X | X | X |
CSW Concentration year placement (500 hours) | X (focused on trauma assessment and intervention/ treatment, any population, any treatment model) | X (TF-CBT with children, adolescents, and their caregivers) | X (TF-CBT with children, adolescents, and their caregivers); also meets TALS field requirements |
Total elective course credits required | 9 | 5 | 9 |
Professionals who are fully licensed, may become nationally certified in TF-CBT. More information can be found by visiting TF-CBT National Therapist Certification Program.
For additional information about the Trauma Specialization, contact Dr. Karen VanDeusen, Trauma Program Director, at karen.vandeusen@wmich.edu.