With the need for social workers in schools skyrocketing in recent years, graduates from a Slippery Rock University program are prepared to meet the demands and support students in K-12 education.
Reagan Cerra, ’24, ’25M, is among the first students at SRU to complete a new certification for school social workers, designed to train professionals to address mental health, social-emotional well-being, and prevention and intervention in academic settings.
As Cerra was completing both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in social work at SRU, she knew that she wanted to be certified to practice social work inside public schools, but the certificate program at the University didn’t exist yet. She addressed her concern with Tami Micsky, associate professor of social work and head of the graduate social work program.
Micsky helped implement the 18-credit curriculum designed for Master of Social Work students to become eligible to apply for the Educational Specialist certification in School Social Work through the Pennsylvania Department of Education. Cerra was in the accelerated course of study for her master’s, so the school social work certificate becoming an official option came just in time for her.
“I was only officially enrolled in the courses I’d need in April, so I took those courses in the summer, and it worked out nicely,” said Cerra. The courses involved in the school social work certificate are necessarily cross disciplinary, with classes from SRU’s College of Education featured heavily in the courseload. The program is meant for various school employees, from teachers and social workers to physical therapists and nurses hoping to work in school settings.
While Cerra would have had a master’s in general social work before adding the school certificate, she would not have been able certified to work in schools without the school social work certificate.
“In 2026, school social workers will be required to have a certification through the state,” Micsky explained. “So, through our program, since it has the approval of the Pennsylvania Department of Education, they’ll finish with a school social work certificate that they can then use to apply for the state certification.”
Micsky and her colleagues in the graduate social work program are encouraging students pursuing their master’s in social work to also add on the school certification.
“If you ever want to work in a school, this is great, because you are definitely going to need that certification at some point,” Micsky said.
Cerra has now completed her master’s degree and is pursuing the state certification to be a licensed social worker. From there, she will be able to apply the vast and comprehensive knowledge she gained through her studies at SRU to make a difference in the lives of students throughout her career.
More information about the school social work certiciate program at SRU is available on the program’s webpage.
