Geriatric Mental Health, Advanced Certificate
Student Learning Outcomes
The United States population is aging at an unprecedented rate, bringing a host of medical, psychological, and social concerns. Unfortunately, older Americans underutilize mental health services due to a combination of factors including lack of coordination among medical providers and service agencies, stigma surrounding mental health issues and their treatment, denial or undervaluing of psychiatric symptoms, barriers to access, and a shortage of trained providers. Additional educational opportunities are strongly needed to meet the increasing demand for skilled mental health professionals to work with the elderly.
The Brooklyn College Department of Psychology offers an advanced certificate program in Geriatric Mental Health. The program presents six graduate-level courses for a total of 18 credits, structured sequentially to provide background in geriatric mental health while developing students’ proficiency in the assessment and practice of psychotherapy with culturally diverse elderly populations. The part-time nature of the program enables graduate students and working professionals in fields such as mental health counseling, social work, clinical and counseling psychology, and public health to undertake the program. Individuals from these varied disciplines interact and share clinical perspectives and experiences within a training program that incorporates a range of philosophical, educational, and clinical paradigms. Classes are scheduled for the convenience of working professionals. Armed with a specialist designation in Geriatric Mental Health, our graduates are poised to provide high quality, cost-effective mental health care to older adults and to obtain attractive job opportunities and client referrals.
The advanced certificate program in Geriatric Mental Health provides students with the knowledge and skills to offer quality mental health services to older adults and their families. By offering rigorous academic coursework and clinical internship training, our graduates are prepared to work within a variety of settings including independent practices, community agencies, managed behavioral health care organizations, long-term care facilities, and medical hospitals. Please note that the advanced certificate program is intended to provide training for individuals currently matriculated in graduate programs at the masters or doctoral level or for individuals already holding a graduate degree in a mental health (or related) field. Thus, we are providing the opportunity for trained professionals to obtain a specialist designation to increase their level of skill, competitiveness in the workplace, and opportunities for career advancement.
The advanced certificate program in Geriatric Mental Health is consistent with Brooklyn College’s Strategic Plan (2011-2016), which recognizes a “long and proud history of providing outstanding, affordable education to students from diverse backgrounds...” The program supports Brooklyn College’s goal of preparing students for career possibilities as well as leadership opportunities. “…we must prepare our students for a broad range of career paths, advanced degrees, leadership opportunities, and responsible citizenship in a complex and interconnected world.”
