Online Trauma-Informed Organization Certificate Program: Basics for All Staff

Eligibility: 

This certificate program is open to anyone working in social work, human services, students and others interested in an overview of Trauma-Informed Care for organizations. You do not need to apply to take the certificate program.

Program Overview: 

This online certificate program helps organizations move toward a trauma-informed culture for clients and staff. Taking steps to shift an organization into a Trauma-Informed Care (TIC) model changes our perceptions about the individuals that we work with, both clients and staff. A trauma-informed system of care provides services that allow clients to feel safe, accepted and understood at all levels of agency interaction- without judgment and exchanges that could be potentially retraumatizing, or trigger traumatic reactions. When an organization learns how to provide TIC, they educate the staff about the effects of violence, victimization and trauma on individuals. Their services allow clients to feel safe, be accepted and be understood by everyone who may come in contact with them. Employees also feel safe and supported.

Please note that this certificate program does not verify competence in the field, but rather indicates completion of the required training. Acquisition of new knowledge and skills improves your ability to deliver services.

This program was created by the School's Institute on Trauma and Trauma-Informed Care.

Program Format:

• Enroll and start at any time that is convenient for you. The program is available 365 days a year.
• You have up to 12 months to complete the entire certificate program, although you may complete it in a shorter time frame.
• If you do not wish to take the entire certificate program, you may purchase any of the courses individually.

Organizations may choose to have staff watch courses as a group. When purchasing a course, the access and certificate of completion are assigned to the person making the purchase. If you want each person to receive a certificate for course completion and any applicable CEUs, please purchase the Additional Participant CE option. After purchase, those people are able to access the quiz, evaluation and save/print the certificate of completion. Please note the full course videos will only be accessible to the person who purchased the courses at full price. Purchase online self-study courses in the Certificate Program: Online Trauma-Informed Organization: Basics for All Staff category.

Access: After purchase, access to the online self-study courses never expire. It offers you two options: watch as a streaming video through your account and/or download the video and watch as often as desired. Both can be done at a time of your convenience.​​

Upon completion of the certificate program, your organization and staff will gain an understanding of:

• How a TIC approach in an organization seeks to ensure it is informed about and sensitive to trauma-related issues of both clients and agency staff. 
• The guiding principles of trauma-informed practice: safety, trust, choice, collaboration and empowerment. 
• How the guiding principles of TIC relate to the interactions between staff, and between staff and clients.  
• Ways this training process can create the foundation for an organization to take steps toward culture and service provision that supports trauma survivors and as well as employees.
• Resources and information about how a trauma-informed culture is applied at all levels of service, from the reception staff, to front line workers, up to management and administration and in specific service environments referenced in the elective courses (more elective courses are being filmed).

Coursework:

Preview Foundation Courses

Preview Elective Courses

CEUs: Continuing Education Units are listed in the credit tab of each course. Please check before you purchase to ensure the course provides the CEUs needed.

Final Certificate: 

When you have completed the required coursework please email sw-ce@buffalo.edu. We will verify completed coursework and email you the final certificate of completion within 2 weeks. If you would like a certificate of completion sent via US Mail, please indicate this in the email.

Questions? Email or call 716-829-5841.