Colleges of Health and Human Services and Education Announce Joint Graduate Certificate Program

April 11, 2016
Categories: CHHS News

The School of Social Work and Department of Special Education and Child Development are pleased to announce the approval of a joint certificate program in Early Childhood Mental Health (ECMH) focusing on children birth to five years of age and their families.

Graduates of the Certificate program will be able to:

  • Promote awareness about the importance of early childhood mental health 

  • Work with diverse families with young children 

  • Identify evidence‐informed services for young children and their families

  • Recognize ecologically valid mental health assessments of young children
  • Explain relationship of social, cognitive, and communication development in young children 

  • Support positive, relationship‐focused communication between young children and their adult caretakers 

  • Facilitate positive social‐communication skills between young children, parents, and 
other caretakers in a variety of settings 


The ECMH Certificate requires 15 graduate credit hours. 


Four Core Courses:

  • SOWK 6171 Early Childhood Mental Health (3 credits) – offered online Summer 2016! 

  • CHFD 6240 Advanced Studies in Infant and Child Development (3 credits)
  • SPED 6242 Enhancing Communication and Supporting Behavior in Inclusive Settings (3 credits)
  • SOWK 7127 Advanced Social Work Practice with Families (3 credits) 


One Elective Course selected from the following:

  • SPED 5112 Authentic Approaches to the Assessment of Young Children with Disabilities: Birth to Kindergarten 
(3 credits) 

  • CHFD 6220 Family Theories and Research (3 credits) 

  • SPED 6350 Young Children w/ Disabilities and their Families: Interdisciplinary Collaboration (3 credits) 


The certificate program is open to professionals with at least a bachelor’s degree who work or desire to work with young children and their families. This could include social workers, early childhood educators, early interventionists, early childhood special educators, early childhood program administrators, policy advocates, psychologists, pediatricians, nurses, public health educators, child protective services personnel, speech-language pathologists, and others. 


For more detailed information and admissions requirements, please contact:


Dr. Robert Herman-Smith

School of Social Work

Email: bherman@uncc.edu

Phone: 704-687-7180

Office: CHHS 487F