This 105-hour non-credit certificate is for students who plan to pursue a career in community health or social work. This program is ideal for returning adult learners, folks who have been out of school for some time, new immigrants who are learning about how human service professions function in the  United States, or those who are making a career shift into social work and human services.  Students learn about the various roles community health workers have in our communities, create lasting connections with fellow-classmates, hear guest-talks given by local professionals in the field, clarify your own career goals, and become prepared for entering the for-credit program. 

The certificate enables students to gain exposure to various career options in community health, and develop skills necessary for entry-level employment in the field. Topics covered include: overview of community health work, terminology and basic physiology, assessment of health promotion programs, individual and community advocacy, basic skills for the profession, survey of community health workers and agencies, cultural humility, implicit bias, professional behavior, ethics, and all nine industry standard CHW core competencies (communications, professional and personal development, cultural competency and ethnic diversity, health care systems, barriers and resources, technology). Students may elect to continue their education through Berkeley City College’s non-credit Social Work and Human Services Work Readiness Certificate, the 18-credit unit Peer Support Specialist Certificate, or the AA-T Degree in Social Work and Human Service.

This certificate can be completed in one semester. Weekly time commitment is about 7 hours, including lecture time and self-paced study. Currently, this program is offered exclusively online. BCC provides WiFi hotspots, Chromebooks, and text books for this program. We also have multiple student support programs to give you wrap around support.

Required Courses

HUSV 500A: Community Health Worker I (first 7-week course)

HUSV 500B: Community Health Worker II (second 7-week course)

Program Learning Outcomes

Students who complete the program will be able to:

1. Explain the career opportunities as a community health worker.
2. Demonstrate skills for placement in entry-level volunteer, internship, or paid opportunities.
3. Determine a successful pathway to reach career goals as a community health worker.

To enroll complete this interest survey: www.tinyurl.com/bcc-chw

If you have any enrollment questions, you can reach out to Midhun Joseph, BCC Transitions Coordinator | mjoseph@peralta.edu

The Associate in Arts in Social Work and Human Services for Transfer is designed for students who plan to transfer to a four-year institution as Social Work and Human Services majors. In this program, the students gain exposure to the field of social and human service work. Students who successfully complete the AA-T in Social Work and Human Services earn specific guarantees for transfer to the CSU system: admission to a CSU with junior status and priority admission to a local CSU campus and to a program or major in Social Work and Human Service or a similar major. Students transferring to a CSU campus will be required to complete no more than 60 units after transfer to earn a bachelor’s degree. Students are required to complete 60 semester units that are eligible for transfer to a California State University, including both of the following: (1) The Inter-segmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) or the California State University General Education – Breadth Requirements and (2) 28 semester units with a grade of C or P or better in the major and an overall minimum grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.0 in all CSU transferable coursework. Students can start taking required courses now, and petition for the degree starting Spring 2023.

The AA-T has two major components: Major Courses (28 credit units) and IGETC/GE Courses (32 credit units) for a total of 60 units. The requirements are specified below. View the recommended course progressions here; this is a living document that is regularly updated.

Major Courses (28 units)

General Education |IGETC or CSU GE and Electives| (32 Units)

There are many options choose from. Review the most recent IGETC worksheet to select! Students are advised to consult with a Berkeley City College Counselor for additional information and to verify transfer requirements.

Program Learning Outcomes

Students who complete the program will be able to:

1. Students will develop an understanding of the historical context of social work.
2. Students will learn how to apply critical analysis in assessing client needs.

To enroll:

Step 1 is to open your BCC application, and you can start that here. Once you have your student ID and login information, enroll in the Human Services and Social Work Canvas Shell by sending a request for the enrollment link to HUSVCertificate@peralta.edu. This is a space where you can keep track of your course progressions, get important announcements about deadline and events, and receive job postings.

Students who complete the 52-hour Social and Human Service Work Readiness Certificate of Completion receive training on individual and group facilitation skills, fundamentals of the referral process, mental health crisis management, and HUSV Work Readiness wellness recovery action plans (WRAP) and qualify to receive the nationally recognized Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) certificate. A significant portion of the training covers trauma-informed self-care and successful personal/professional boundary setting. This program is required training for students in work-based learning opportunities as Mental Health Ambassadors at Berkeley City College, and a pre-requisite for the Social & Human Services Fieldwork Placement (HUSV 120B).

The MHFA credential and specific skills-training provides students with the ability to empower peers with skills to successfully identify and complete their personal goals. Participants will learn to lead peer-to-peer support groups and provide 1:1 peer-support sessions. Students who complete this program will be able to demonstrate their training has met national standards for Mental Health First Aid, and many core competencies for Peer Support Specialists, which enhances their ability to find employment in a variety of social and human service settings. Students may elect to continue their education journey with another certificate or degree program in Social Work and Human Services.

This certificate can be completed in one semester. BCC provides WiFi hotspots, Chromebooks, and text books for this program. We also have multiple student support programs to give you wrap around support.

Required Courses

HUSV 510A: Mental Health Ambassador I (first 7-week course); 100% online and self-paced; about 3 hours a week of work.

HUSV 510B: Mental Health Ambassador II (second 7-week course); meets in person for three training event days (28 hours of training, including online prep work).

Program Learning Outcomes

Students who complete the program will be able to:

1. Demonstrate fundamental understanding of mental health crisis management, including obtaining the Mental Health First Aid Certificate (MHFA) issues by the National Council on Mental Wellbeing.
2. Demonstrate awareness of trauma-informed self-care.
3. Demonstrate entry-level group and individual facilitation skills.

To enroll contact:

Midhun Joseph, BCC Transitions Coordinator | mjoseph@peralta.edu | http://tinyurl.com/PICKMYCLASSES

The Peer Support Specialist Certificate of Achievement program provides a comprehensive foundation in cultural fluency, communication, and the core competencies for Peer Support Specialists. This certificate is designed to help California meet the statewide challenges and the rapidly expanding need for social work, public health, and human service professionals. Specifically, by providing core competency-compliant education/training for the Peer Support Specialist designation. Students’ training will allow them to become well-rounded employees who are able to participate as team members in social work and human service agencies and settings. Students may elect to continue their education through Berkeley City College’s AA-T in Social Work and Human Service.

This certificate can be completed in two semesters. BCC provides WiFi hotspots, Chromebooks, and textbooks for this program. We also have multiple student support programs to give you wrap-around support.

Required Courses

There are 7 required courses, totaling 18 credits. All of them stack towards the AA-T in Social Work and Human Service. See the recommended course progression, and how the certificate stacks to the AA-T Degree here; this is a living document and is updated regularly. Note there are 3 tabs across the bottom, with info on multiple programs.

• COMM 6 Intercultural Communication (3 credits)
• HUSV 121 Intro to Social Work and Human Services (3 credits)
• HUSV 120 A/B Social Work and Human Services Fieldwork Seminar 1 (1 credit)
• HUSV 120 B Social Work and Human Services Fieldwork Placement 2 (2 credits)*
• PSYCH 1A Introduction to Psychology (3 credits)
• SOC 1 Intro to Sociology (3 credits)
• SOC 2 Social Problems (3 credits)

*HUSV 510A/B is a perquisite and is a free non-credit course

Program Learning Outcomes

Students who complete the program will be able to:

1. Demonstrate a fundamental knowledge of the role, scope, ethical, and legal issues of work for entry-level employment in social work and human services positions, such as Peer Support Specialist, Case Manager, Navigator, or Advocate.
2. Demonstrate culturally appropriate communication skills for entry-level employment in social work and human services, such as Peer Support Specialist, Case Manager, Navigator, or Advocate.
3. Apply boundary settings skills and emotional regulation skills appropriate for entry-level social work and human services positions, such as Peer Support Specialist, Case Manager, Navigator, or Advocate.

To enroll:

Step 1 is to open your BCC application, and you can start that here. Once you have your student ID and login information, enroll in the Human Services and Social Work Canvas Shell. This is a space where you can keep track of your course progressions, get important announcements about deadline and events, and receive job postings.