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National certification has been available for most school professionals, including teachers, school counselors, and school psychologists, for a number of years. It provides opportunities for candidates to demonstrate that they have met the highest standards in their profession. Because school social workers play an important role in schools, the School Social Work Association of America (SSWAA) developed a national certification for school social workers as a means for school social workers to demonstrate excellence and recognize their contributions to youth, families, and schools. The purpose of this qualitative study was to determine the major reasons why school social workers pursue national certification. The initial group of candidates for certification consisted of thirty-six school social workers. Findings of this study indicated that the primary motivations for pursuing national certification included opportunities for achieving personal and professional growth, advancing the profession, demonstrating leadership, and expanding professional networks. This article suggests ways that school administrators, school social work researchers, and SSWAA can contribute to the sustainability of national certification for school social workers and support practitioners in pursuing national certification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes the development of national certification for school social workers. The need for national certification emerged in the late 1990s, but many steps were required to establish this credential. These steps included developing a national practice model, documenting competencies outlined in this model, developing performance indicators that clearly describe what the competencies look like in practice, and creating a process for application. Although work began in 2003, national certification for school social workers did not launch until 2021. Now that national certification has become a reality, there is more work to be done. This article will describe those next steps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The School Social Work Association of America's national certified school social worker (NCSSW) credential was launched in April 2021. Because the certification is so new, it has not yet been evaluated. Without information on the benefits of the NCSSW credential, it is difficult to promote the certification, to help the certification grow, or to establish the credential as a national standard across the United States. During a focus group, four participants who had completed NCSSW certification were asked a series of questions; responses were analyzed using Atlas.ti. The focus group was recorded using Zoom, and a transcription was created with the participants de-identified. Participants reported positive outcomes as a result of certification, but additional research will be needed. Although the results are limited and cannot be generalized, they provide a foundation for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]