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2011-2012 Academic Catalog and Handbook

Certificate in Trauma Response Services

Certificate in Trauma Response Services

(Non-degree)

Purpose

The post-graduate Certificate in Trauma Response Services is to train professionals who will advance the field of traumatology, and promote the safe and effective care of individuals and communities prior, during, and after traumatic incidents. The program is designed for mental health, education, medical, and ministerial professionals seeking demonstrated competency in responding to traumatic incidents in local, regional, and international settings. The educational environment is comprised of new and experienced professionals working together to increase the quality of care to individuals and communities impacted by traumatic events.

Program Objectives

Educational Objectives

To enable students to:

  • Function as multi-professional trauma/disaster aid responders by promoting minimum standards of training, skills, and personal readiness of responders from government and non-government organizations
  • Understand and apply professional and ethical standards in trauma/disaster response
  • Be prepared as trauma/disaster responders for crisis intervention including the use of psychological first aid strategies
  • Understand multicultural trends, cultural context and the effects of crises, disasters and other trauma-causing events on persons of all ages
Professional Objectives

To enable students to:

  • Understand their roles and responsibilities as members of interdisciplinary emergency management response teams during local, regional or national trauma/disaster events
  • Develop uniform standards for recruitment, orienting, supervising, and debriefing the responder
  • Assist organizations in strengthening their disaster response services
  • Increase the effectiveness of response organizations through a multi-level systemic approach to service delivery

Admission Requirements

The Certificate in Trauma Response Services program is open to a variety of current graduate students in qualifying degree programs and post-graduate professionals in qualifying professions. Qualifying graduate degree programs and professions include mental health, education, health sciences, and ministry. All Certificate in Trauma Response Services applicants must submit their application fees along with their application materials. Current GFU Graduate Students may take eligible TRMA classes without enrolling in the certificate if they are in good standing within their degree program. Admission requirements are as follows:

  • Current GFU Graduate Students
    • Graduate Department of Counseling application form and application fee
    • GPA of 3.0 or higher
    • Good standing in current degree program
  • Current Master’s Students Attending Other Colleges or Universities
    • Graduate Department of Counseling application form and application fee
    • GPA of 3.0 or higher
    • Graduate school transcripts verifying completion of a qualifying degree
  • Current Post-Graduate Professionals
    • Graduate Department of Counseling application form and application fee
    • GPA of 3.0 or higher
    • Graduate school transcripts verifying completion of a qualifying degree program

Transfer Credit

Transfer of up to 2 hours credit is allowed toward the Certificate in Trauma Response Services from accredited graduate schools. Students must have earned a grade of B or better for a course to be considered for transfer. In addition, only courses taken elsewhere within 10 years of the date of matriculation to the Certificate in Trauma Response Services will be considered for transfer. Continuing education workshops, seminars, and conferences do not qualify for transfer credit. Transferability of credits earned at this institution and transferred to another is at the discretion of the receiving institution. Consult the registrar's office for information on eligibility of transfer credit.

Residence Requirements

Of the 12 hours required for the Certificate in Trauma Response Services, a minimum of 10 credit hours must be taken in resident study at George Fox University. All work leading to the certificate must be completed within 5 years from the time of matriculation. Extension of this limit requires approval of the Graduate Department of Counseling (GDC) Faculty. However, only one such extension may be considered due to special circumstances, such as ill health. Reinstatement to the program after withdrawal requires Admissions Committee action and may subject the student to additional requirements for the program. A leave of absence is valid for up to one year after which the student must re-apply to the program.

Course Requirements

The Certificate in Trauma Response Services can be completed in 1-2 years in length with 12 semester hours of course work required as a minimum for certificate completion. Of those hours, 4 are in foundational knowledge coursework, 4 in best practice strategies, and 4 in field experience credits.

Each student must complete the program requirements based on the following criteria:

  • Track I is for education, school counseling, school psychology, medical and ministerial professionals
  • Track II is for independent mental health practitioners and students such as clinical psychologists, clinical social workers, marriage and family therapists, and professional counselors

Other Program Requirements

TRMA courses are not available for audit.

Graduation Requirements

In order to complete the Certificate in Trauma Response Services program students must:

  • Satisfactorily complete a minimum of 12 semester hours with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above.
  • Achieve no grade lower than a B in all core courses. If a grade of a B- or lower is received in a required course, that course must be retaken (for more specific information, please refer to the student handbook).

Curriculum Plan

Foundational Knowledge (4 hours)
TRMA 500 Introduction to Traumatology 1
TRMA 501 Basic Skills in Individual and Group Crisis Intervention
 1
TRMA 502 Interpersonal Neurobiology of Trauma 1
TRMA 503 Grief and Loss Across the Lifespan 1
Best-Practice Strategies (4 hours)

Track I
TRMA 560 Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Applications in Crisis Intervention
 1

Students must complete the following course for 3 semester credits:
TRMA 585 Trauma Response with Specific Populations
 1

Track II
TRMA 560 Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Applications in Crisis Intervention
 1
TRMA 585 Trauma Response with Specific Populations
 1

Students must complete the following course for 2 semester credits:
TRMA 685 Clinical Treatment of Trauma-Related Distress
 1
Field Experience (4 hours)
TRMA 581 Legal and Ethical Issues in Trauma Response 1
TRMA 582 Field Operations and Incident Command 1
TRMA 591 Field Experience in Trauma Response I 1
TRMA 592 Field Experience in Trauma Response II 1

Note:

  • Specific learning outcomes for each course are congruent with national traumatology certification expectations. Course requirements primarily involve project-based learning assignments requiring the student to demonstrate mastery and application of course content. In addition, all Certificate in Trauma Response Services course outcomes reflect core competencies expected in accordance with CA-CREP and NCATE educational standards.
Counseling Course Descriptions
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