Pupil Personnel Services Credential in School Social Work (PPSC-SSW)
The California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) issues Pupil Personnel Services Credentials (PPSC) with authorizations in four service areas: school counseling, school psychology, school social work, and school child welfare and attendance services. Social workers who work in California K-12 Public Schools are usually required to hold a PPSC with a specialization in School Social Work. Cal Poly Humboldt Department of Social Work's PPSC-SSW prepares post-MSWs to practice school social work.
The PPSC-SSW authorizes the holder of the credential to perform the following duties:
- Assess home, school, personal, and community factors that may affect a student’s learning.
- Identify and provide intervention strategies for children and their families, including counseling, case management, and crisis intervention.
- Consult with teachers, administrators, and other school staff regarding social and emotional needs of students.
- Coordinate family, school, and community resources on behalf of students.
The PPSC-SSW program builds upon the breadth and depth of the MSW curriculum, by providing specialized instruction to develop the knowledge, skills, and values required to effectively provide social work services within public school systems. Social workers who successfully complete the program will be eligible to apply to the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) for the Pupil Personnel Services Credential in School Social Work.
The application cycle is open every January 1st - March 31st. Please contact the Coordinator for info about current application guidelines. The credential program consists of two 3 unit (8-week) online courses that take place during the Humboldt summer session. Specific dates TBD. The credential program consists of two 3-unit online courses. The cost is $510 per unit. Financial aid is not available at this time.
Candidates must have completed the following requirements:
- Receipt of a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree from a program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE).
- 1,000 total internship hours that require:
- 450 clock hours in a school-based practice practicum placement supervised by a PPSC-SSW-credentialed practitioner; these hours MUST be completed during the MSW or post-grad.
- Being provided in settings with at least two school-age groups such as preschool, elementary, middle, high school.
Submission of the following items are required when applying:
- Proof of Certificate of Clearance with the CTC. See the instructions to apply for certificate of clearance and the request for livescan form. PLEASE NOTE: The Certificate of Clearance MUST be completed prior to starting school-based internship hours.
- Official transcripts of all colleges and universities attended including verification that a minimum of 45 semester units or 67.5 quarter units of MSW study from a CSWE-accredited graduate social work program were completed by the applicant.
- Final Field Evaluation & Verification of Standards (see form below).
PLEASE SEND ALL APPLICATION COMPONENTS AND ANY INQUIRIES IN ONE EMAIL TO THE PPSC-SSW PROGRAM COORDINATOR: julie.slater@humboldt.edu
SEE THE CTC GUIDELINES for additional information regarding the PPSC-SSW.
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