When I think back to my first days on the job as a healthcare social worker, I felt completely overwhelmed. I was a new MSW hired to work in a dialysis center in Chicago. I specialized in healthcare social work, had a bachelor and Master of Social Work, and had interned in healthcare settings.
Having said that, the idea that I was on my own to practice and entrusted with the social care of patients who had chronic disease, faced structural and social determinants of health and daily crises felt daunting. I also felt envious of the rest of the interdisciplinary team who I thought “knew what they were doing” and seemed at ease. I was fortunate to have supportive colleagues, competent social work clinical supervisors, and the training from a social work school that helped me seek out additional consultation and support around complex topics.
In an attempt to address this gap, the social work and academic teams at Rush University Department of Social Work and its Center for Health & Social Care Integration (CHaSCI), Boston University School of Social Work and its Center for Aging & Disability Education & Research, and partners via the Coalition for Social Work and Health created a continuing education program designed to better prepare social workers to manage the complexities of the work.
The Social Work in Health Care Certificate Program (SWIHC-CP) prepares social workers to practice effectively within today’s complex health care systems. Designed for BSW- and MSW-prepared social workers who are new to health care or transitioning from other areas of practice, this asynchronous certificate builds core clinical knowledge, practical skills, and professional confidence for work across diverse health care settings.
Learners explore the role of social work in addressing social determinants of health, advancing health equity, and delivering person-centered, culturally responsive care. The curriculum integrates evidence-based frameworks, treatment modalities, and real-world applications relevant to inpatient, outpatient, community-based, and specialty care environments. Emphasis is placed on trauma-informed practice, interdisciplinary collaboration, ethical decision-making, and resilience for patients, caregivers, and clinicians.
By completing the continuing education certificate, learners gain foundational competencies required for health care social work practice and are better prepared to contribute meaningfully to interprofessional teams serving diverse and underserved populations.
What can learners expect by participating in the program? It includes 6 courses:
- Introduction to Health Care & Health Equity
- Patient Populations & Health Care Settings
- Frameworks, Treatment Modalities, and Social Work Skills
- Social Work and Complex Care
- Patient, Caregiver, and Clinician Resilience
- Ethical Considerations in Healthcare Settings
Learners have the option of purchasing/participating in one course, several or all (purchasing all results in a discount). Completing all six courses will provide 28 hours of continuing education credits (CEs), including the 3 ethics hours, thus meeting most or all state recertification requirements for licensure. Otherwise, courses 1-5 all provide 5 CEs and course 6 provides 3 CEs.
Organizations who would like to offer the certificate as either required or optional learning for staff or interns can discuss discounts for group enrollment.
CHaSCI is proud to promote the SWIHC-CP as part of its portfolio of programs and offerings that help to respond to current day challenges in our health and social care landscape. Our systems may be broken and fractured, but there are social workers and providers hungry for training and education that will further enable them to make lasting changes within their patients lives, their communities and the greater system. SWIHC-CP offers a step in this direction.
To learn more or register for the certificate or individual courses, please visit Rush University’s Social Work in Healthcare certificate webpage.
The Social Work in Healthcare Certificate is offered through a collaboration between the Department of Social Work and the Center for Health & Social Care Integration at Rush University, Boston University’s School of Social Work and its Center for Aging & Disability Education & Research, and the Coalition for Coalition for Social Work and Health. The courses are hosted by Rush’s Office of Interprofessional Continuing Education.