Building Relationships with Families Through Strengths-based Practice

Are your workers missing crucial strengths-based language and skills that are essential to empowering families? Are you struggling to remove the engrained deficit language that keeps people from being their best selves? Are your families struggling to find hope in today’s world?

We have a solution for you!

Our Strengths-based Family Worker Credential educates workers on the value of using the strengths-based language and provides the skills that assist them in making connections with families more meaningful through building trusting relationships. Our program educates workers on how to be culturally sensitive, collaborative, and self-reflective. Most importantly, workers learn how to use strengths-based practices that are used with helping families find hope and recognize their own independence and strengths.

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

Temple University Harrisburg is a national leader in the field of strengths-based practice demonstrated through our Strengths-based Family Worker Training and Credentialing program and our popular Strengths-based Leadership Certificate programs. 

We have recently undergone some changes to how our program is delivered. These changes have made it easier for our participants to plan and schedule their courses and stay on track. In addition the we have streamlined the assignments to help assessing their learning. 

CREDENTIAL REQUIREMENTS

To obtain the SFW Credential, participants must complete the 4 components within 18 months of their start date (Foundations).

1.   Foundations of Strengths-based Practice (12 hours)

This course meets virtually via instructor-led Zoom sessions for four consecutive weeks and utilizes breakout rooms to allow for small group and partner interaction. Each Zoom session is three hours long. Pre-course work and post-course discussion takes place in Temple Harrisburg's online learning management system, Canvas. (12 hours)

2.   Six Core Content Courses

The six core content courses are designed to reflect current, evidence-based content and practices that helping professionals need to practice effectively in today’s environment. These newly improved content courses originated from the original SFW curriculum and through research and feedback from those in the field we have added and improved the content into the new design.

• Passing a course – Must obtain an 80% or higher with all assignments submitted. Any unsubmitted assignment will receive a zero and will be counted against the final grade.
• The course starts the first day of the month it is scheduled for and ends the last day of the month it is scheduled in.
• It is the participants responsibility to manage their time appropriately to ensure they have time to complete all the assignments. This includes watching the course lectures. Lectures are part of the attendance of a course and are expected to be watched at 100%

Courses:

1. Client-Centered Counseling for Behavioral Change (6 hrs.)
2. Creating a Safe Environment: Trauma-Informed Care and Self-Care Practices (6 hrs.)
3. Pursuing Cultural Understanding (6 hrs.)
4. Professionalism in Strengths-based Work (10 hrs.)
5. Systems Approaches & Advocacy (6 hrs.)
6. Strengths-based Assessments & Measuring Progress (10 hrs.)

Course Schedule Lineup

3.  National SFW Credential Exam

The exam covers the knowledge and content learned throughout the 7 prerequisite courses. A score of 80% or higher on the exam must be obtained before access to the practicum is provided.

4.  SFW Practicum (21 hours)

The SFW Practicum course provides a highly interactive and supportive online community for professionals to demonstrate and enhance their strengths-based knowledge and skills. This practicum course is designed to give supervised and supported practical application of the previous coursework. This seven-week online course consists of weekly assignments, group discussions, and feedback from the instructor. The Practicum consists of an average of 3-hours of work a week for 7 weeks. The design of the Practicum was design with the working adult in mind.  

REGISTRATION

To begin, please register for the first course, Foundations of Strengths-based Practice via the course listings found on the right side of this page. It is our recommendation that participants start with Foundations of Strengths-based Practice then move into Client-Centered Counseling for Behavioral Change as these are the foundations to all remaining content but this is not mandatory.

Registration opens one month prior to the start date for any of the core courses.

COST

The overall cost of the credential is $1385 per participant. This is based on successfully completing each of the requirements without retaking or retesting. The cost of each course can be found under each of the course listings on the right side of the page.

CANCELLATION POLICY

All cancellation requests must be in writing via email to sfwtuh@temple.edu and received by the Temple University Harrisburg staff before becoming effective.

**Please note: If a cancellation request is not made and the registrant does not attend the course as originally scheduled, the registrant is still responsible for payment for the scheduled course.

Cancellation and Refund Policy:

All cancellation requests MUST be received within 72 hours (3 business days) from the start date of the course AND the registered person has not accessed any portion of the online course in Canvas. Cancellations that meet the criterial listed above will be eligible for a full refund of fees paid.

TUH reserves the right to cancel continuing education events due to low enrollment.

CONTINUING EDUCATION/CEU PROCESS

Many of the courses have been approved for CEUs and Social Work Continuing Education Hours. Temple University is a PA State Board of Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists, and Professional Counselors pre-approved provider of continuing education. Please see each course page to determine the number of hours approved and the steps to obtain a certificate of continuing education.

DIGITAL BADGE

Upon completion of the SFW Credential, a certificate is awarded to participants as well as a digital badge that participants may share out via social media or LinkedIn as well as attaching to their emails and resumes.

RECREDENTIAL

The Strengths-based Family Worker Credential is valid for 3 years at which time participants that wish to keep their credentials active can participate in the Recredential course that provides continued education and updates to practices. Once completed, they will be issued a new certificate as well as a new badge indicating their success.