College at Brockport, SUNY

Specialized Structure: Graduate Certificate

The College at Brockport Social Work Department received college approval to offer a Graduate Certificate in Gerontological Social Work. This 15 credit certificate allowed MSW students participating in the Hartford Partnership Program for Aging Education (HPPAE) field placement to have 9 field credits count toward the 15 credit certificate. Students selected two, three-credit electives from a number of regularly offered graduate courses approved for the certificate and will earn this certificate as part of their MSW plan of study. Eight students earned the certificate as of May 2011 and we anticipate that approximately 10-12 students will earn the certificate in subsequent years. This certificate was developed in part to sustain our HPPAE program and to offer students a value added professional incentive to earn the certificate as part of their MSW plan of study.
 
In addition, plans are also underway to develop a proposal for a 12 credit graduate gerontology certificate. This certificate would be open to non-social work graduate students. If approved, our intent is to market this certificate to field instructors as non-matriculated learners. This proposal features a 3 credit competency-based social work elective course held at an independent living center that involves elders in class activities, along with a selection of pre-approved 3 credit course electives. This approach will facilitate the continued professional development of field instructors and others with competency-based gerontological knowledge. Tuition stipends issued to field instructors in recognition of their service to the college are anticipated to be an incentive for recruiting field instructors.