The California Commission on Teacher Credentialing issues the Pupil Personnel Services (PPS) Credential in four specialization areas: Counseling, School Psychologist, School Social Work and Child Welfare and Attendance. The Department of Social Work, College of Liberal Arts, offers the combined School Social Work and Child Welfare and Attendance Specializations of the PPS Credential within the context of the Master of Social Work (MSW) degree.
The PPS Credential in School Social Work and Child Welfare and Attendance authorizes the holder to be employed in the State of California as a School Social Worker and/or a Child Welfare and Attendance Specialist. The credential covers pre-kindergarten through 12th grade service in public and other schools requiring the credential. Individuals with the credential in School Social Work and Child Welfare Attendance are pupil advocates, and provide prevention and intervention strategies that remove barriers to learning. These professionals, in partnership with other educators parents and the community maintain high expectations for all pupils, facilitate pupils reaching their highest potential, foster optimum teaching and learning conditions, and prevent school failure. School Social Work is defined as the application of social work principals and objectives to help fulfill the major purpose of the education system: to provide a setting for teaching and learning in which all children can prepare themselves for the world they now live in, and the world they will face in the future.
Child Welfare and Attendance specialists provide assessment and intervention around issues of attendance for pupils.

Requirements

1. Successful completion of all of the requirements for the 60 unit Master of Social Work (MSW) degree within the Children, Youth and Families Concentration. Required coursework will be completed in the following sequence areas: Field Work, Human Behavior and the Social Environment, Community Projects, Social Work Policy, Social Work Practice, and Social Work Research;
2. Completion of SW 665, School Social Work as one of the required electives within the 60 unit MSW program, taken either prior to or concurrently with school social work field work placement;
3. Successful completion of required School Social Work Seminar series presenting specialized topics;
4. Demonstrated knowledge in the following areas of pupil personnel services, as defined in the Commission on Teacher Credentialing Standards: Knowledge of techniques for facilitating individual growth and development to achieve academic success; Knowledge of the wide variety of socio-cultural influences that affect pupils in a school setting; Knowledge of human assessment; Knowledge of problem prevention and early intervention; Knowledge of consultation services; Knowledge of learning theory and psychological education; Knowledge of coordination and development of services; Knowledge of legal enablements and constraints; Knowledge of referral and utilization of services; Knowledge of human assessment as direct services to pupils, Knowledge of social interventions; Knowledge of consultation coordination and development of services; Knowledge of referral, utilization, involvement and use of community resources; Knowledge of social research and services based on research; Knowledge of the code of professional ethics; Knowledge of attendance laws and the rights of minors; and Knowledge of skills using attendance laws and assessment skills.
5. Successful completion of 540 clock hours of field practice, demonstrating all of the required skills and knowledge areas,in an approved PPS site, under the supervision of an experienced MSW level practitioner and an individual who holds a PPS Credential. Supervised hours of field practice will include at least 100 hours in each of two settings (elementary, middle and/or high school), and experience in service delivery with populations representing racial and ethnic diversity, and will cover both school social work and child welfare and attendance competencies and standards.
6. Completion of required Application and forms from California Teachers Credentialing Division, including fingerprints, Certificate of Clearance and Character Reference form;
7. Completion of required health screenings;
8. Successful performance on C-BEST Examination;
9. Certification of program completion and demonstrated competence by the Associate Director and Director of Field Education, Department of Social Work. The student may be required to complete additional course work, field work, or demonstrate specific competencies before approval.
10. Completion of all required forms and procedures of Credential Processing Center, CSULB.


EFFECTIVE: Fall 1996



Code: 805
College: 50
Career: GR
IPEDS (Cred) ERST: 803