The Trauma Informed Care certificate program provides an in-depth exploration of the impact of trauma on health outcomes. Students will identify clinical and operational practices that may re-traumatize patients and lead to provider burnout, and develop realistic strategies for mitigating or resolving trauma history and compassion fatigue.
The Trauma Informed Care certificate program specializing in Adult care is offered as a stackable credential exclusively to students currently enrolled in the Doctor of Behavioral Health (DBH) degree program at Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies.
Learn more about the certificate below.
Benefits of this certificate include:
- Implement a Trauma-Informed Care (TIC) model in an organization
- Apply a Trauma-Responsive paradigm to your life
- Cultivate a transformative understanding of how Adverse Childhood Experiences can affect and influence health and behavior
- Learn from national experts in the field and network with peers
Certificate Description
This Trauma Informed Care certificate provides an in-depth exploration of the impact of trauma on health outcomes. Students will identify clinical and operational practices that may re-traumatize patients and lead to provider burnout, and develop realistic strategies for mitigating or resolving trauma history and compassion fatigue. Each student will develop and implement a comprehensive trauma-informed treatment plan for a patient case. Because patients are often unaware of the nature or degree of stresses that are responsible for their illness, this certificate will prepare students to detect and use clues that the patient provides to develop a more complete understanding of the patient’s struggles than they are able to perceive for themselves.
Trauma Informed Care Certificate Program Outcomes
- Consult effectively with the medical team as a behavioral health expert using knowledge of medical culture and acute, chronic, and comorbid conditions.
- Deliver evidence-based screening, assessment, and behavioral interventions appropriate for primary care and specialty medical settings.
- Design cost-effective population health approaches to treating chronic and comorbid conditions while addressing social determinants of health.
Program Completion
Completion of this program results in a transcript designation of certificate completion for Trauma-Informed Care in the student’s profession. This signals to prospective employers and professional organizations an advanced level of training in Trauma-Informed Care.
Marketplace Demand
The US healthcare system is the most costly in the world, and providers are under great pressure to systematically approach changing care delivery. CGI non-degree certificate programs provide specific training in patient- and family-centered care, quality measurement and improvement including redesign of primary care services and structures, population health and disease management designs, cost savings and return on investment analyses, and innovative financing approaches. With this incredibly unique skill set, CGI Graduates are in high demand in the healthcare marketplace.
Cummings Graduate Institute cannot assure employment or job placement to graduates upon program/course completion or graduation from the institution.
Graduate Employment Opportunities
The Cummings Institute cannot assure employment or job placement upon graduation, however our graduates will be prepared to work as behavioral health consultants, providers, and/or managers in primary healthcare settings, including hospitals and emergency departments, Primary Care Medical Homes, Federally Qualified Health Centers, Accountable Care Organizations, managed behavioral healthcare organizations, specialty mental health and substance abuse treatment settings, preventative care and disease management programs, and/or new business start-ups.
Curriculum & Training
The Trauma Informed Care certificate program curriculum delivers training that will prepare providers to implement patient-centered care, achieve medical cost savings, and reduce the healthcare provider burnout that is often a result from practices that have adopted the Triple Aim as an operational framework. Certificate program students additionally learn to address the Fourth Aim keeping healthcare provider and staff morale and quality of life in mind as we seek to improve patient experience of care, population health outcomes, and reduce the cost of care.
Students who enroll in and complete non-degree certificate programs must meet the same admission eligibility requirements as the DBH program, and may transfer coursework to a degree-seeking program of study should they decide to continue with their studies.
Graduates will be prepared to work as behavioral health consultants, providers, directors, and managers in primary healthcare settings, including hospitals, Primary Care Medical Homes, Federally Qualified Health Centers, and specialty medical settings.
Upon completion of the certificate program, graduates will:
- Develop and implement a comprehensive trauma-informed treatment plan for a patient case
- Detect and use clues that the patient provides to develop a more complete understanding of the patient’s struggles than they are able to perceive for themselves
- Consult effectively with the medical team as a behavioral health expert using knowledge of medical culture and acute, chronic, and comorbid conditions
- Deliver evidence-based screening, assessment, and behavioral interventions appropriate for primary care and specialty medical settings
- Design cost-effective population health approaches to treating chronic and comorbid conditions while addressing social determinants of health
Credit Hours
Student will earn one (1) unit for the Foundations course and one (1) to three (3) credits for each required course.
Number of clock and/or credit hours for the Trauma Informed Care certificate program
A total of twelve (12) credit hours will be required for graduation. Required courses will make up twelve (12) credit hours.
Maximum Timeframe
The Maximum Time frame to complete the certificate program is measured in calendar years for the Trauma Informed Care Certificate program. Students must complete the program within two (2) years and are only permitted to attempt 12 credits before program termination. However, if exceptions are granted by the Director of the DBH Program, students may complete their certificate program within three (3) years of enrollment.
Minimum Timeframe
The Minimum Timeframe to complete the program is measured in calendar years for the Trauma Informed Care certificate program. Students enrolling with no transfer credits must participate in the program for a minimum of one (1) year.
Trauma Informed Healthcare
| Foundations of Doctoral Study – 1 credit hour – required | ||||
| Course Number | Course Title | Credit Hours | Course Description | Pre- or Co- requisites |
| DBH 1000 | Foundations of the Biodyne Model | 1 | The focus of this course is on the Biodyne (Greek for “life change”) Model of brief, focused interventions across the lifespan developed by the renowned psychologist Dr. Nicholas A. Cummings and his daughter, psychologist Dr. Janet Cummings. Emphasis will be placed on the Biodyne assessment and intervention model rather than one-size-fits-all approaches to psychotherapy. This course will focus on use of the Biodyne Model of assessment and intervention for the DBH working in fast-paced primary care settings as well as other models of integrated healthcare delivery. Assessment tools for common chief mental health complaints and comorbid health conditions will be covered, and limitations of these assessment tools will be discussed. | Co-req:
DBH 9901 |
| Core Courses – 11 credit hours – required | ||||
| DBH 9901 | Biodyne Model I: The Biodyne Model in Integrated Care Settings | 3 | This course is an orientation to the program and to the essential skills needed to pursue a Doctor of Behavioral Health degree. Doctoral level skills, such as academic integrity, time management, effective use of the library, comprehending complex scholarly texts and research articles, and APA form and style in professional communication are also introduced. Students will learn to formulate ideas, search for and appraise text and online resources, and critically analyze and thoughtfully synthesize research findings. The student will become familiar with various writing and communication formats, and practice those appropriate to their degree and career goals. Special attention will be paid to the skill set needed to enter integrated care settings, the use of the Biodyne Model in these environments, and how to market oneself effectively as a new Behavioral Health Consultant. | Co-Req:
DBH 1000 |
| DBH 9017 | Solving Medical Mysteries | 1 | The purpose of this course is to learn how to successfully diagnose and treat physical illness caused by various forms of psychosocial stress. Because patients are often unaware of the nature or degree of stresses that are responsible for their illness, emphasis will be placed on learning how to detect and use clues that the patient provides to develop a more complete understanding of the patient’s struggles than they are able to perceive for themselves. A major part of the course will be selecting, assessing and treating a patient known to you who has medically unexplained physical symptoms. | Pre-req.
DBH 1000, DBH 9901 |
| DBH 9024 | Leading Edge Trauma Therapies for Integrated Care | 3 | This course will familiarize students with a spectrum of innovative trauma therapies that neurophysiological studies have documented to accelerate the treatment of pathologies related to traumatic stress. Course content provides an introduction to the following interventions: EMDR; somatic therapies, including sensorimotor psychotherapy (SP) and somatic experiencing (SE); Internal Family Systems (IFS), Applied Neurofeedback; and Psychedelic Assisted Psychotherapy (PAP). | Pre-req.
DBH 1000, DBH 9901 |
| DBH 9026 | Trauma-Informed Care | 3 | This course provides an in-depth exploration of the impact of trauma on health outcomes. Students will identify operational practices that may re-traumatize patients and lead to provider burnout, and develop realistic strategies for mitigating or resolving trauma history and compassion fatigue. Students will pitch ideas for healthcare systems who’ve set out to meet Triple Aim requirements as well as reduce provider burnout and compassion fatigue. | Pre-req:
DBH 1000 DBH 9901 |
| DBH 9028 | Intergenerational Trauma | 1 | This course provides an introduction to intergenerational and racialized trauma. Research in the field of epigenetics illustrates that the untreated effects of trauma suffered by one generation, whether individual or collective, are passed on to up to four subsequent generations. We will explore historical and current research on the transmission of trauma among specific oppressed populations including select ethnic groups and BIPOC. This course will teach DBH-Cs to recognize intergenerational transmission of trauma, understand the mechanisms of transmission as well as implications for integrated care, along with effective treatment strategies. | Pre-req:
DBH 1000 DBH 9901 Recommended Pre-req: DBH 9024 |
