School Social Work Credentials

State law requires that all candidates for a credential must hold a Certificate of Clearance prior to the first day of directed practicum experience. This certificate verifies that an individual has met commission standards as established by law for “personal and professional fitness.” If you already hold a teaching credential issued by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (expired or not) you do not have to apply for the Certificate of Clearance. Click here for more information.

Basic Skills Requirement

To earn the Pupil Personnel Services Credential (PPSC) in School Social Work (SSW), candidates must complete 450 hours of supervised practicum under a supervisor with at least two years of post-MSW experience holding a PPSC in School Social Work. Practicum hours must be completed across at least two school settings or grade levels (e.g., preschool, elementary, middle, high school, district-level, or alternative schools) and provide experience working with diverse student populations, including English Language Learners, foster youth, students experiencing homelessness, students with disabilities, LGBTQ+ youth, and students with mental health needs.

To earn the Child Welfare and Attendance (CWA) authorization, candidates must complete an additional 150 hours of supervised school-based practicum focused on areas such as attendance, enrollment, discipline, educational records, parent engagement, and legal and ethical compliance. CWA training may be completed as part of the PPSC pathway but is not required for the core credential.

Effective July 2024, UCLA Luskin MSW foundation-year practicum placements no longer qualify toward PPSC requirements. Matriculated MSW students may complete PPSC requirements only through their specialized (second-year) practicum. This change does not apply to Post-MSW program participants.

School District Placement Sites 

We place in Los Angeles USD, Santa Monica-Malibu USD, East Whittier City USD, El Rancho USD, Long Beach USD, Pasadena USD and a few qualified agencies that contract with school districts.

This new option will allow applicants for any credential or permit that requires a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution to satisfy the BSR by submitting official transcripts showing conferral of a qualifying degree. Applicants will no longer be required to provide any supporting basic skills materials (such as exam scores, course descriptions or coursework evaluation forms) when the applicant has verified conferral of a bachelor’s degree or higher from a regionally accredited institution. As of June 29, 2024, all applicants may use this option to satisfy the BSR even if their application has already been submitted and is currently pending evaluation at the Commission.

In addition to all required MSW courses, PPSC/SSW/CWA UCLA students must take SW 202A, SW202B, “Child Psychopathology,” SW231A, SW231E “School Social Work,” SW290N and SW203C Education and the Law course. If additional University-Specific PPSC/SSW/CWA seminars are held, students are expected to attend. You will need 95 units to graduate with your PPSC if you are in the Child & Family Well-Being AOC*.

*More units may be required if you are in the other AOCs.

The post-MSW PPSC/CWA training is a total of $2,500. The training consist of five dates virtual sessions. Attendance is mandatory for all five sessions to successfully complete the training. To sign up for the training fill out the Google Form and submit payment.

The requirements are:

• Curriculum
• Certificate of Clearance
• Comprehensive Skills Evaluation
• Completion of Post MSW PPSC Training (must attend all sessions)

We do not have an admission process for the training. We just ask that participants submit the Google Form. Once all of the requirements are met students can submit paperwork to receive recommendation for PPSC/CWA. Participants do not have to complete all of the requirements prior to taking this class but all requirements must be met to receive a recommendation.

UCLA requires all participants to complete paperwork and submissions within 5 years after completion of the PPSC training.

For UCLA Students, it is 5 years post graduate for completion of paperwork and submission

ceive the PPSC with a specialization in School Social Work, the candidate must complete 450 hours of practicum practice under the supervision of someone who has two years post MSW experiences with the PPSC in SSW.  Through the Practicum and under the supervision of the Practicum Instructor, the student should acquire skills and knowledge in specified content areas. The distribution of hours should be decided in collaboration with the candidate, field supervisor, and university supervisor. The 450 clock hours of practicum practice must consist of the following:

• Candidate has completed fieldwork in at least two schooling levels (public pre-school, elementary schools, middle schools, high schools, district-level and alternative schools)
• Candidate has had a broad base of experience, including but not limited to: families and students identified for Free and Reduced Priced Meals, English Language Learners, Homeless, Foster Youth, Students in need of Special Education and Section 504 Plans, students who have been expelled from school, sexual minority youth (LGBTQ+), and students with mental health needs.

In order to receive the PPSC with an authorization in Child Welfare and Attendance (CWA), each candidate must complete a minimum of 150 hours of supervised school-based practicum experience engaging in practice in the following areas: student attendance, student enrollment and discipline, educational records, parent engagement, and legal and ethical compliance related to pupil services.

Please note, that you must have your Certificate Of Clearance before the accumulation of hours.

Participants may choose to complete the CWA (Child Welfare and Attendance) training as part of their PPSC (Pupil Personnel Services Credential) pathway, though it is not a required component of the core credential.

These are the steps to complete the COC process:

1. Fingerprinting/LS-41 form

https://www.ctc.ca.gov/credentials/fee-and-fingerprint

       2. Take form to fingerprinting service provider

https://oag.ca.gov/fingerprints/locations

       3. Apply for the COC

https://www.ctc.ca.gov/credentials/submit-online

       4. Submit application for COC

https://www.ctc.ca.gov/credentials/ctc-online-written-instructions

       5. Checking results (under “Credentialing information”)

https://www.ctc.ca.gov

We also accept CEU issued courses to replace DSM coursework not taken as part of your MSW training.

Once I complete training and fulfill requirements, where do I submit documents?

Please submit documents to the following site: here

We require the following documentation:

1. Proof of Certificate of Clearance
2. Comprehensive Skills Evaluation
3. Explanation of Standards

Please submit documents to the following site: here

We require the following documentation:

1. Proof of Certificate of Clearance
2. Comprehensive Skills Evaluation
3. Explanation of Standards

Once you submit payment and receive an automated receipt, you are confirmed for training. The professor will reach out with the syllabus two weeks prior to the start date. If you need a verification of enrollment letter, please reach out to PPSCredential@luskin.ucla.edu.

The purpose of the PPSC Standards Explanation is for you to gain a clearer sense of how

your course work and the activities you did during your fieldwork relate to the PPSC

standards. This is only required by UCLA Social Welfare.

Regrettably, students who are completing their degree at another institution and participating in the UCLA Post MSW Pupil Personnel Services Credential training are ineligible for the grant due to their non-UCLA admission/matriculation status. The California Student Aid Commission GSTG coordinators have verified that this group of students is not eligible for the grant.

Correction: PSA 24-07 Bachelor’s Degree as Demonstration of the Basic Skills Requirement

On June 29, 2024, Governor Newsom signed a budget trailer bill, SB 153 (Chap. 38, Statutes of 2024), that allow candidates to use their bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education as demonstration of the basic skills requirement, effective immediately.  This PSA provides information on this change.  Programs are asked to make adjustments to their processes and update their candidate materials as soon as possible to comply with this new statute.