About the Community Mental Health Certificate

Life offers gifts and challenges.  Challenges may lead to stress and affect our mental wellness and quality of life.  If you are interested in helping people or learning about a field of study that will prepare you for entry-level positions in behavioral and mental health, the Community Mental Health Certificate Program is the place for you. 

The Community Mental Health Certificate (CMHC) at CCSF (ÌìÓ鴫ý) is a 16 unit program based on the wellness and recovery model in mental health. The curriculum is designed to train a diverse group of front-line health workers to provide culturally responsive mental health and recovery services in San Francisco. 

It is comprised of courses that promote the development of skills needed to become gainfully employed as a mental health worker and enhance the knowledge base of those already employed. As part of your education, you will complete an internship with a local agency serving consumers of mental health services and family members. Students may also apply for the CMHC Scholarships and Vouchers to help with tuition, supplies, transportation, and child care.

Explore Potential Careers

Studying Community Mental Health can lead to a variety of different jobs or career paths including a Peer support counselor, community mental health worker, care manager, family advocate, and educator, systems navigator, intake worker, and more!

Program Information 

  • There are no prerequisites to admission into the program.
  • For admission in the Fall semester enroll in Health 102 – Helping Relationships: Recovery and Wellness.
  • If entering in Spring semester enroll in Health 103 – Community and Group Forums.

Please refer to next tab, required courses for detailed information about course schedule.

Program Prerequisites:

None

Program Courses:

First Semester (Fall)

Course #

Course Title

Prerequisites

Units

Offered semesters

HLTH 102

Helping Relationships: Recovery and Wellness

None

3 units

Fall (1st semester)

 

Second Semester (Spring)

Course #

Course Title

Prerequisites

Units

Offered semesters

HLTH 103

Community and Group Forums

None

3 units

Spring (2nd semester)

HLTH 104

Internship Prep and Professional Conduct

None

3 units

Spring (2nd semester)

 

Third Semester (Fall)

Course #

Course Title

Prerequisites

Units

Offered semesters

HLTH 88

Family Systems

HLTH 102

3 units

Fall (3rd semester)

HLTH 105

Profession Skills for Community Mental Health Workers

HLTH 104

2 units

Fall (3rd semester)

HLTH 105W CMH Internship Placement * 2 units Fall (3rd semester)

 

*HLTH 105W is a field placement. In order to register in this course, the student must receive approval from the community mental health program director or associate director. The student must also have successfully completed or be concurrently enrolled in HLTH 105. HLTH 105W involves 120 hours of field placement at an organization that offers mental health services.

Total Program: 16 units

Note: Students will complete a CMH Certificate Passport detailing an individual plan for completing the requirements of any CMH Certificate.