Advanced School Mental Health Practice Certificate

The U.S. is facing a mental health crisis, and our children and young people are among the most affected. As a School-Based Mental Health Practitioner (SBMHP), you are in the best position to engage with students and their families on mental health issues by identifying emerging issues and behaviors and offering the tools to help them effectively manage stress and strong emotions.The School Mental Health Advanced Practice Certificate at Loyola University Chicago is a post-master's certificate program that equips you to better impact positive psychosocial development of your students and overall well-being of your school community.Through this certificate in mental health, you will gain advanced training in fostering collaboration between schools and families as well as learn to implement strength-based interventions in schools, advocate for whole-school interventions, and become a more data-driven and evidence-informed mental health professional.At the start of the certificate program, you will identify a topic for your School-Change Project, a two-year systemic intervention designed to address the social-emotional learning needs for your school community, and conduct an initial needs assessment with key school stakeholders. You will then put together a proposal for your project and begin implementing it in your second year.Program StructureThe School Mental Health Advanced Practice Certificate can be pursued full time or part time. Classes are offered online with one in-person immersion weekend required.This certificate in mental health consists of 15 credit hours, including two synchronous courses, two asynchronous (self-paced) courses, and one hybrid elective class. To be considered for this program, you must be working full time in a school.