Social Work & Human Services, Certificate of Achievement

The Certificate of Achievement in Social Work provides students a strong foundation in scientific assessment and analysis of behavior. Students apply social work theories through practice with individuals, groups, and communities. This program is designed for students interested in working in public and private organizations, students majoring in social work, and students pursuing an associate or bachelor’s degree in social work.  

24 students/year

Workforce data indicates a strong employment need for paraprofessionals in the human services agencies. Then Regional Equity and Recovery Partnership Grant has provided resources to establish curriculum alignment among Region X community colleges to create a stackable certificate that would allow students who complete the course work in this certificate to have a foundation to meet these employment needs. Students pursuing this certificate may be eligible to receive financial and other support as they work towards certificate completion. The certificate allows completion of course work needed for the associate degree while also obtaining practical work-based learning experiences.

Social Work is an applied behavioral science that emphasizes the application of behavioral science principles in a variety of cultural contexts. Social Work students are expected to think critically and scientifically about behavior, to apply the principles of the behavioral sciences, and to understand the role of values in diverse cultural settings. As a profession, social work focuses on methods for helping people from many different social groups to improve the quality of their lives.

The Social Work program has two primary goals. The first is to provide students with the basic science and social work courses that prepare them for entry-level work in the field and/or transfer to four-year colleges, universities or other institutions. The second goal is to provide students with general knowledge related to the behavioral sciences that compliments their interests in the field of Social Work.

Program Learning Outcomes

Students who complete the program will be able to:

●       Identify, analyze, and demonstrate the various levels of social work practices in diverse environments.

●       Identify the various roles of social workers at micro, mezzo, and macro levels including but not limited to roles such as case manager, broker, outreach worker, and advocate.

●       Demonstrate an understanding of the issues faced by under-represented and vulnerable communities.

Career Option

Most career options directly related to professional (licensed) social work require graduate level degrees. However, there are applied and paraprofessional occupations that value the associate degree. Social services departments, hospitals, academic and community mental health facilities, childcare programs, services for the aged, alcohol and other drug treatment programs, family services agencies, and other community organizations are all examples of settings which employ both professional and paraprofessional social service providers. Education at each academic level enhances skills, knowledge, and employability.

The Certificate of Achievement in Social Work provides students a strong foundation in scientific assessment and analysis of behavior. Students apply social work theories through practice with individuals, groups, and communities. This program is designed for students interested in working in public and private organization, students majoring in social work, and students pursuing an associate or bachelor's degree in social work.

This proposal for the Certificate of Achievement is a major part of the Social Work Curriculum Alignment/Regional Equity Recovery Partnership Project funded by the regional SWP (1705-RSWP6-06). One of the primary purposes of this grant was to develop a regionally aligned certificate in social work. It is designed to be stackable to the existing Associate Degree in Social Work, which prepares our students to transfer into a baccalaureate program. While we are aware of the necessity of a baccalaureate degree to earn a high salary in this sector, we have placed many students into para-professional/supervisorial positions while they are still pursuing our currently available certificate/degree. This proposed certificate is one of many ways that Southwestern College is responding to the call for action by the San Diego County Behavioral Workforce Report, which indicates that we need to promptly produce a behavioral health workforce to meet the expected demand in the region. 

As advised by County of San Diego Fourth District Supervisor Chair Nathan Fletcher, the San Diego Workforce Partnership (SDWP) is addressing the shortage of trained behavioral health workers in the San Diego region by building a better way to deliver services and transform our behavioral health system through recruiting, training, and retaining more mental health and addiction treatment professionals to work in San Diego County.

Based on the San Diego Behavioral Health Workforce Report, San Diego County is facing a significant behavioral health (BH) worker shortage. This report estimates 17,000 BH professionals were employed in 11 key occupations in 2022. This is 8,000 workers short of the 25,000 needed. These statewide projected shortages were all before the outbreak of the COVID-19 global pandemic. Since 2020, community need for behavioral health services, workforce shortages and wage competition from other industries have intensified, intensifying the long-standing workforce shortage to crisis levels.

Southwestern College is one of six colleges participating in the Southern Border Region counties to strengthen social work pipelines through strategic, collaborative, and innovative efforts focusing on targeted outreach, recruitment, and retention. As one of three colleges in the region offering asocial work program, San Diego City College is adding to the Associate of Arts Degree in Social Work (the combination of district general education courses) the one-year Certificate of Achievement in Social Work providing students skills for employment upon completion as well as the pathway towards an associate and bachelor’s degree.

The Certificate of Achievement in Social Work at San Diego City College is a new program that not only addresses the region’s goal to bolster the number of trained behavioral health workers, it also prepares completers interested in pursuing the well-established Associate of Arts Degree in Social Work that has been serving the region and the local community. 

Community Support

The following local organizations endorses the Social Work Certificate of Achievement at San Diego City College.

·        Interfaith Community Services

·        National Alliance on Mental Illness San Diego& Imperial Counties

·        PATH San Diego

·        San Diego Housing Commission

Please find the support letters advocating to move the recommendation of the new award at San Diego City College, affirming that there are jobs available for program completers within the local service area of the college.