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[Jennifer Curtis]

Through its Center for Research on Ending Violence (REV), Rutgers School of Social Work offers a Certificate on Interpersonal Violence and Trauma (C-IVT), formerly the Violence Against Women and Children Certificate (VAWC) Program, for Master of Social Work (MSW) students. The certificate program offers students the opportunity to develop knowledge, values and skills in the area of interpersonal violence and trauma, gain a transformative understanding of trauma and its impact, violence prevention and trauma informed culturally responsive approaches. The certificate prepares students for a career in direct clinical services, management and policy, and research. The program also provides competitive scholarships to students who have demonstrated sound academic standards, skill sets and distinct interest in the field of interpersonal violence and trauma. Students accepted for the certificate program will receive notation of completion of the certificate program on their transcripts, as well as a physical certificate.

Winter 2025 Study Abroad Program: Social Welfare, Healthcare Delivery, and Community Engagement in Sonagachi, Kolkata, West Bengal, India. C-IVT students can apply now to participate in the January 2025 Study Abroad Program, which may count as a C-IVT elective. Click here for more information and to apply. Applications are due October 1, 2024.

All advanced MSW graduate students can apply. Accepted students enroll in focused coursework within the MSW curriculum and are placed for a practicum in an agency of the student's choice that specializes in interpersonal violence and trauma, either in direct practice, management and policy or research roles.

Students may apply to the C-IVT certificate program while in their first year of the MSW program (regardless of part-time or full-time status). Students in the certificate must fulfill the following academic requirements:

Prior to the fall semester, there will be a mandatory orientation for all new C-IVT certificate students. Dates will be sent out well in advance of the event, but it is expected that all accepted students will attend. We offer virtual orientations for students from all campuses.

Students accepted into the C-IVT Certificate Program will receive one-on-one guidance in identifying an appropriate practicum placement that is related to interpersonal violence and trauma, including in the areas of domestic and sexual violence, child abuse and neglect, and human trafficking, in a variety of settings including hospitals, school settings, community mental health agencies, domestic violence and sexual violence service providers, and public offices. We make every effort to consider the student's choice of agency, topic and population that aligns with their current program goals and future career choices, prior to finalizing the placements.

Through the Center for Research on Ending Violence (REV), the Rutgers School of Social Work is pleased to offer three Verizon Wireless HopeLine Scholarships annually. These scholarships aim to prepare social work professionals to work in the area of interpersonal violence and trauma nationwide. Students committed to working on these issues are eligible to apply for this $2,000 scholarship to support their graduate work. Individuals selected to receive the scholarships are also provided with the opportunity to work at the Center for Research on Ending Violence as a research assistant.

Students selected as C-IVT Verizon Wireless HopeLine Scholars must complete the coursework and practicum requirements of the Certificate Program, as well as present an area of research at the C-IVT End of Year Colloquium. Please see below for previous Colloquium presentations:

I have the honor of being one of the 2019-2020 Verizon Wireless Hopeline Violence Against Women and Children scholarship recipients. Presently, I am doing my practicum learning placement at a residential facility that provides counseling services to adolescents ages 13-21. The population that we serve has faced various levels of trauma, abandonment, and violence. In my current course load, I am taking a class that focuses on LGBTQ history and best practices for social workers to provide LGBTQ affirming services. I am sure that this course will also allow me to better provide services to an additional underserved population.

Based on the courses the certificate program requires it has allowed me the opportunity to gain more knowledge on approaches for dealing with violence against women and children as well as the major historical impacts on the policies that will likely be impacting my clients.

My passion is to help eliminate stigmas in communities of color around the concept of mental health and violence. My ideal job upon graduation would allow me to provide counseling services to adolescents of color that have experienced any sexual or childhood trauma.

What made you want to get involved in the field of gender-based and/or interpersonal violence and/or trauma?
As a woman, feminist, and member of the LGBTQIA+ community, gender-based and interpersonal violence and trauma are issues that are close to my heart and to the work that I do. Interpersonal violence against women is not often talked about and many of the survivors struggle with guilt and shame from the residual trauma and victim-blaming that can occur. Internalized misogyny, homophobia, transphobia, and so on can create difficult webs for youths to extract themselves from. By working with youth to empower them, helping them feel confident advocating for themselves and others, and standing by them as an ally, I hope we can create a future where we are all respected equally.

What are some of the things you're currently working on (scholarly, volunteer, and/or professional) within the field that you are proud of?
I currently work for the Homeless Children's Playtime Project in Washington, D.C., a non-profit that offers trauma-informed play spaces for children who are experiencing homelessness in order to give them access to play, which can help them gain resilience and hope for the future. We are working to expand to all of the shelters in the district and to make it mandatory for family shelters to provide children's programming and distinct resources that will advocate and provide for children's unique needs when they are experiencing homelessness.

How can the Certificate Program help in attaining your future goals?
The certificate program gives me a chance to focus in on this field and work more intimately with survivors and their families. Working with youth who have experienced domestic or interpersonal violence requires a specific knowledge base that I believe I can best gain through the certificate program.

What would be your ideal job after graduating with your MSW?
After graduation, I hope to work with underprivileged youth and LGBTQIA+ youth. One of the main goals that I wish to accomplish is to increase the number of safe community spaces for youth and the resources that are available to them. Through art and play therapy, as well as other comprehensive services, I would hope to create an environment where youth feel safe and secure and can begin to advocate for themselves.

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The National Center on Domestic Violence, Trauma, and Mental Health promotes survivor-defined healing, liberation, and equity by transforming the systems that impact survivors of domestic and sexual violence and their families.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, NCDVTMH has continued to provide updates, resources, and tip sheets to support domestic violence and sexual assault advocacy organizations and coalitions in responding to the trauma, mental health, and substance use-related needs of survivors and their families, and to support the mental health and substance use fields in responding to domestic and sexual violence.

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Objective: This pilot randomized controlled trial evaluated a novel trauma-informed model of mindfulness-based stress reduction (TI-MBSR) as a phase I trauma intervention for female survivors of interpersonal violence (IPV).

Results: Relative to the control group, participation in TI-MBSR was associated with statistically and clinically significant decreases in PTSD and depressive symptoms and significant reductions in anxious attachment. Retention in the intervention was high, with most participants completing at least 5 of the 8 sessions for the intervention. Minutes of mindfulness practice per week significantly predicted reductions in PTSD symptoms.

Reviews of research studies or legal cases are welcome at Trauma, Violence, and Abuse: A Review Journal.

Unique Focus
Well respected and highly rated, JIV publishes research on all aspects of interpersonal violence from researchers around the globe. JIV is the first scholarly publication to require manuscripts to address issues of diversity in the work. Publishing research from a wide perspective, JIV is an excellent source for the latest research on interpersonal violence which informs practice, policy and future research.

* Please note: Methodology-related manuscripts include studies on the conduct of one or more steps in the processes of science, including the development of questions or hypotheses, techniques, design, measurement, data analysis or other aspects of scientific investigations focused on interpersonal violence. Methodology manuscripts must include a description of how the information presented contributes to or broadens the current state of the science in the field. Manuscripts, for example, that focus only on translating a scale(s) into other languages will not be considered for publication unless the findings meet one or more of the foci listed above. Simple replication or extension of findings may be appropriate for publication in JIV but not in the methodology section.

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