Dec 01, 2024  
2023-2024 Graduate Catalog 
    
2023-2024 Graduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Social, Emotional and Behavioral Wellness of P-12 Students Certificate

Location(s): Online


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The Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Wellness certificate is designed to prepare graduate students to foster resiliency in P-12 students. Students will develop an understanding of social, emotional, and behavioral wellness to address non-academic barriers to learning. Students will directly interact with mental health professionals serving students with social, emotional, and/or behavioral concerns. Additionally, students will gain direct experience formulating and providing effective interventions for students with known trauma and/or behavioral needs. Individuals who hold a PDE Instructional Level I or II certificate will be eligible to apply for the PDE Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Wellness of P-12 Students Endorsement following the completion of the coursework.

Student Learning Outcomes


Social Emotional Wellness Learning and Youth Development Candidates will demonstrate their ability to:

  • Describe and define what social emotional learning is and how it relates to resiliency, including the research linking SEL to positive and negative developmental outcomes
  • Explain how research grounded in different theoretical traditions frame social and emotional wellness, and the relevance of this prevention science to educators
  • Discuss how a multi-tiered system/Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports (PBIS) approach is used to guide the selection and implementation of evidence-based SEL programs and practices
  • Evaluate research on social and emotional wellness programs and practices to identify those that are likely to address the needs of a specific student population and students with targeted needs
  • Demonstrate an understanding of typical child, adolescent, and young adult development

Characteristics and Impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences, Trauma, and Mental Illness on PK-12 Students

  • Describe and define Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), Trauma, and Mental Illness, including how such experiences and conditions can impact growth, development, and learning of children and adolescents
  • Discuss the relevance as an educator of understanding ACEs, Trauma, and Mental Illness, and the role of schools in reducing risk factors and increasing protective factors
  • Describe the relevant history of stigmatization and stereotyping associated with ACEs, Trauma, and Mental Illness, and their relationship to educational services
  • Identify and describe examples of ACEs, Trauma, and Mental Illness that will predictably be part of some of their PK-12 students’ life experiences; and
  • Describe the cultural implications associated with ACEs, Trauma, and Mental Illness.

Behavioral and Mental Health Literacy

  • Describe the most common types of Mental Illness that PK-12 students may experience, including both internalizing and externalizing conditions
  • Explain the processes and general relationship between diagnosis via the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual V (DSM-V) and the classification system under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
  • Identify and describe the roles of other relevant child-serving systems within communities that can be supportive to addressing matters associated with social, emotional, and behavioral wellness of PK-12 students (e.g., children’s mental health and juvenile justice); and,
  • Identify and describe the requirements for schools (e.g., Student Assistance Program and Act 71) to support a youth who appears in emotional distress.

Prevention and Intervention to Support Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Wellness across PK-12 Educational Environments

  • Describe the features of a Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) framework to support social, emotional, and behavioral wellness
  • Plan and implement universal prevention strategies associated with the MTSS framework that are culturally responsive and address students’ developmental social and emotional learning needs and are reflective of trauma-informed practices in the classroom with all students;
  • Plan and implement (when necessary) approaches to de-escalate non- crisis and crisis situations in the instance when the safety of students or others may be in jeopardy that reflect trauma-informed principles;
  • Demonstrate an understanding of how to use academic and behavioral progress monitoring data (e.g., individual, classroom, school-wide) to support educational practice;
  • Participate in suicide prevention activities in alignment with the requirements of Act 71.

Collaboration with Families, Agencies, and the Community

  • Demonstrate authentic collaboration with youth, families, school, and community partners regarding student social, emotional, or behavioral needs in simulated or actual contexts;
  • Demonstrate culturally responsive approaches when communicating with family, school, and community partners regarding student social, emotional, or behavioral needs in simulated or actual contexts;
  • Demonstrate the skills necessary to authentically engage youth in decision-making processes;
  • Describe and comply with protections associated with confidentiality, including release of information;
  • Communicating and advocating for the social, emotional, and behavioral wellness of students PK-12 with police, initial responders, and other groups within the community.

Admission Requirements


  • Complete the online application and pay the application fee
  • Must have a bachelor’s degree in related field (e.g., psychology, social work, education, etc.)
  • Provide official transcript verifying an earned degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education with a GPA of 3.00 or higher (students with a GPA below 3.00 may apply for conditional admission)
  • Provide copy of PDE professional certificate (required to submit during application process if candidate plans to apply for the PDE Endorsement upon completion of the certificate program)

Total Number of Credits to Complete the Program: 12


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