Child Advocacy Studies Undergraduate Certificate
The undergraduate Certificate Program in Child Advocacy Studies (CAST) is an interdisciplinary program requiring 17 credits of training in Child Advocacy Studies. The CAST certificate encompasses a group of courses focused on children, youth, and traumatic stress. The CAST certificate is appropriate for students who want to specialize in working in a variety of professional settings with children and adolescents, many of whom may have experienced trauma.
Most courses required by the Certificate Program in Child Advocacy Studies have prerequisites. Some students may satisfy prerequisites by virtue of their prior curriculum. When this is not the case, students are responsible for satisfying the prerequisites. All students must take at least one course outside their home department. All required courses must be taken in residence at UM-St. Louis.
| CAST/PSYCH 3290 | Traumatic Stress in Childhood and Adolescence | 3 |
| CAST 3295 | Service Learning Projects in Child Advocacy (or comparable course with CAST program director approval) | 2 |
| CAST 3798 | Foundations of Practice in Child Advocacy | 3 |
| CAST 4398 | Child Maltreatment: A Multidisciplinary Approach | 3 |
| CAST 4498 | Forensic Investigation of Child Abuse | 3 |
| CAST 4598 | Child Abuse Assessment and Intervention | 3 |
| Total Hours | 17 | |
Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of the program, certificate earners should be able to:
- Demonstrate the ethical behavior and values of their discipline in the context of traumatic stress.
- Integrate the current fund of knowledge about traumatic stress into their professional role.
- Generate effective responses to traumatic stress and child maltreatment using trauma-informed decision-making processes.
- Create trauma-sensitive relationships with diverse consumers.
- Use knowledge to increase consumer access to trauma-informed services.
- Formulate service strategies that reduce the impact of trauma and promote well-being.
- Interact effectively with professionals across multiple disciplines.
- Produce trauma-sensitive written and verbal communication consistent with discipline standards.
- Recommend trauma-informed policy changes within their work setting.