The Added Authorization and Certificate: Emotional Disturbance program is for credentialed teachers, school psychologists, licensed marriage and family therapists (LMFT), licensed clinical social workers (LCSW) and school social workers. "Anyone who wants a broader picture of students with emotional disturbances in the school setting," said Program Director Lisa Keith, Psy.D.
The two-semester program provides a basic overview, theoretical and practical foundations, information on prevalent diagnoses and behavioral strategies. All six courses offer a physical, social, emotional and spiritual approach. Classes are in the evening and available to teachers remotely. "It's almost a mini counseling program for teachers," Keith said.
FPU's program offers a needed service since teacher education courses provide no in-depth training for those who work with emotionally disturbed students. At the same time, one in five students in the United States have a mental illness and 38 percent of those do not get medical care, according to Keith. Students with emotional disturbances may be diagnosed with bi-polar disorder, high anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, depression or schizophrenia.
Only a handful of similar programs exist in California, and FPU offers a major difference—instead of focusing on making students behave, students are shown how to be constructive members of the class and society. "If the child could change their behavior to not be sick, they would do that," Keith said. "Our goal is to restore these children to the community. We're helping children out of love for them as individuals, not as problems for the school."
For more information, call 559-453-2016 or go to grad.fresno.edu/programs/emotional-disturbance-ed-added-authorization-and-certificate