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Support and Empower Families

Working with children and families who have experienced trauma is extremely sensitive and challenging, and there’s an incredibly high demand for professionals with those specialized skills.

Serve Your Neighbors for a Vibrant Community


What You’ll Get from Our Certificate in Behavioral Health and Trauma in Early Childhood

Help Create Momentum of Hope

This certificate provides a basic overview of the field of early childhood as well as the field of human services and equips students with the skills needed to work with children and families who are experiencing family violence, divorce or separation, parental incarceration, mental health issues, substance use, poverty, bullying, or physical, mental, or sexual abuse.

Do Cool Stuff, Not Just Homework

Forget about endless lectures. We’re talking interactive classes, workshops where you actually get to practice your skills in real-life scenarios, and projects that connect you with your community.


Program Costs

For the 2024-2025 academic year, non-health for-credit courses have a cost of $263/credit for in-state students.

Courses and Requirements

 

Gear Up for a Great Career

We’re here to help you build a skill set that’s in high demand. Whether you see yourself as a compassionate caregiver, a dedicated behavioral healgth specialist, or anything in between, we’ve got you covered.

Your Schedule, Your Rules

Juggling life, work, and study? No sweat. With a mix of online and on-campus options, you can fit your study into your life, not the other way around.

This certificate program is stackable into NECC’s associate degree in human services.


Where This Journey Can Take You

Imagine yourself as a:

  • Therapeutic Mentor
  • Memory Care Specialist
  • Family Partner
  • Children’s Behavioral Health Specialist

Why Us? Here’s the Real Talk:

We Get It

Our courses are designed with you in mind—modern, relevant, and engaging.

Learn from the Pros

Our instructors aren’t just teachers; they’re experienced pros who live and breathe these highly specialized skills.

Beyond the Classroom

It’s not just about getting a degree. It’s about building a network, finding your tribe, and getting the tools you need to chase your dreams.

We’ve Got Your Back

From the day you start until you land your first gig, our team is here to support, guide, and cheer you on.

  • Career Services
  • NECC Connect

Get Started

Feeling pumped? We thought so! Get all the deets on applying, or hit us up to chat more about why this could be the best choice you’ll ever make.

Program Info

Learning Outcomes
  • Explain the concepts of crisis intervention and prevention of illness that apply in Human Service practice.
  • Describe typical and atypical child development and behavioral health within a bio/psycho/social framework.
  • Identify symptoms of traumatic stress in children.
  • Understand the impact of trauma on child development in regards to cognitive, affective and behavioral health.
  • Articulate, both in written and oral form, basic evidence-based, culturally competent strategies supporting children and families suffering traumatic stress.
Transfer Opportunities
  • MassTransfer
  • Articulations

Program Pathway

A pathway is the most efficient sequence of courses semester-to-semester recommended for students to complete their degree. View the suggested pathway for the Behavioral Health and Trauma in Early Childhood Certificate.

Contact

Program Coordinator

Program Coordinator

Brian MacKenna-Rice

Office: C-304 M
Phone: 978-556-3331
bmackennarice@necc.mass.edu

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