Early Outcomes of Completing National School Social Work Certification.

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]