Advanced Certificate in Solution-Focused School-Based Practice
Approximately 74 million children attend schools in the United States. 75%-80% of youth receive mental health services in schools. A mental health condition adversely impairs one in five children, yet less than half of these children will receive treatment.
The Advanced Certificate in Solution-Focused School-Based Practice is designed to help professionals integrate evidence-based, solution-focused, brief, trauma-informed practices across transdisciplinary educational teams in diverse, fast-paced school settings. At its core, Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) is a way of engaging in purposeful conversations that can be integrated into everyday interactions when supported by intentional practice and training. As an evidence-based approach, SFBT is well suited to school mental health and educational settings, where brief, collaborative, strengths-based conversations can strengthen relationships, foster hope, and support meaningful change.
Click here to read more about Solution-Focused School Mental Health.
The course structure includes an online, self-paced, text-based, and lecture-based course with exams. It consists of twelve chapters of written materials, 10 video lectures, 34 demonstration videos, multiple case examples, individual and group practice exercises, and solution-focused games and activities. These resources illustrate the practical application of solution-focused techniques across multiple tiers of support commonly employed within educational settings. The course further covers solution-focused educational plans, behavioral plans, solution-focused conversations in team meetings, various solution-focused games, and exercises applicable in diverse educational contexts, including school curricula, classrooms, group settings, families, individuals, and administrative and educational staff.
Upon completing this course, participants will successfully apply solution-focused conversational skills in educational settings, thereby making a positive impact on children and all the dedicated people involved in educating our collective youth.
The Advanced Certificate in Solution-Focused School-Based Practice is a certificate of course completion issued by the Institute for Solution-Focused Therapy. Recognition, sponsorship, accreditation, or approval by any continuing education accrediting or approving organization applies only to the continuing education credits associated with this course and does not constitute endorsement, approval, accreditation, or certification of the Advanced Certificate program itself.
Delivery Method
This is an asynchronous, noninteractive, self-paced online course consisting of required written course materials, recorded video lectures and clinical demonstrations, course section examinations, and a course evaluation.
Last Updated: July 2026
Target Audience: Social workers, psychologists, mental health counselors, educators, and medical professionals; appropriate for beginner to intermediate levels of knowledge.
Content Level: Beginner to intermediate
Prerequisites: No prior training in Solution-Focused Brief Therapy is required.
Registration deadline: There is no registration deadline. Enrollment is available on a rolling basis, and participants may begin the course immediately after registration.
System requirements: Participants need a reliable internet connection, a current web browser, speakers or headphones, the ability to stream video, and a device capable of opening PDF documents. The course may be accessed on a computer, tablet, or compatible mobile device.
Participant support and instructor communication: Participants may contact info@solutionfocused.net with questions regarding course content, registration, technical support, or certificates of completion. Questions are reviewed by the instructor or knowledgeable course staff, and responses are typically provided within 24 hours.
Registration: Register and pay online by selecting “Purchase Course” above. Access instructions are emailed immediately after successful registration.
Financial Disclosure and Commercial Support
The Institute for Solution-Focused Therapy and all instructional personnel involved in this continuing education program have no relevant financial relationships or conflicts of interest to disclose. This continuing education activity is presented solely for educational purposes and has received no commercial support. No product endorsements are expressed or implied.
Learning Objectives
- Identify how solution-focused conversations promote social-emotional learning and transdisciplinary collaboration with educators, mental health clinicians, and families in educational settings.
- Recognize core solution-focused skills, fundamental tenets, and trauma-informed elements of solution-focused conversations.
- Differentiate between solution-focused and problem-focused conversations, including shifts in paradigm, order, and language.
- Identify solution-focused language strategies, including naming “root verbs,” cultivating positive vocabulary, and using appreciative and hopeful language.
- Apply solution-focused amygdala whispering strategies in educational contexts to counterbalance intense emotions.
- Select appropriate solution-focused questioning techniques, including direct compliments, indirect compliments, coping questions, and amplification of positive differences.
- Identify solution-focused VIP mapping categories and their role in cultivating relationships in educational settings.
- Recognize solution-focused goal negotiation techniques, including the best hope question, imagining a satisfying week, and the miracle question within educational settings.
- Compare solution-focused scaling questions that activate agency to problem-focused ones that assess acuity.
- Select appropriate solution-focused techniques to “work the scale” to enhance agency and develop a plan in educational settings.
- Identify how solution-focused safety assessments differ from problem-focused risk assessments in educational settings.
- Choose appropriate solution-focused follow-up questions based on whether things are better, the same, or worse in an educational setting.
- Compare a solution-focused team meeting to a traditional problem-focused one within an educational setting.
- Identify the essential components of a solution-focused, individualized educational and behavioral plan in an educational setting.
- Evaluate recent solution-focused research in schools, including studies on children and families.
- Recognize how solution-focused conversations can be applied to anxiety, ADHD, substance use, and self-care in educational settings.
- Identify ten solution-focused games and practice exercises that can be applied within an educational setting.
- Analyze video case demonstrations that utilize solution-focused interventions to enhance school engagement with educators, youth, and families.
Course Components
This course consists of the following components. The program must be completed in order, and your Certificate of Completion will be issued only after all required components have been completed.
- Course Introduction
- Written Materials
- Recorded Video Lectures and Demonstrations
- Guided Practice Exercises
- Exam Instructions and Exam Preview
- Complete all course section examinations and achieve a passing score of 80% or higher
- Course Evaluation
- Certificate of Completion
Course Outline and Estimated Completion Time
Course introduction — 15 minutes
Written materials — 7 hours
Recorded video lectures and demonstrations — 9 hours 15 minutes
Guided practice exercises — 1 hour
Ten course section examinations (100 total multiple-choice questions) — 1 hour 15 minutes
Course evaluation — 15 minutes
Total instructional and assessment time — 19 hours
Because this course is self-paced, participants may take breaks as needed. Break time is not included in the 19 CE credit hours.
Course Assessment
Participants complete ten course section examinations consisting of a total of 100 multiple-choice questions designed to assess their understanding and ability to apply the course material. A minimum score of 80% is required to pass each section examination. Participants may retake any section examination as needed until a passing score is achieved. There are no graded assignments other than the course section examinations.
Certificate of Completion
Participants who complete all required course content, achieve a passing score of 80% or higher on all ten course section examinations (100 total multiple-choice questions), and complete the course evaluation may immediately download, save, and print their Certificate of Completion.
Continuing Education
19 CE Credit/Clock Hours are available for this course.
Please see our Continuing Education Information page for information about CE credits and clock hours, and our accreditations and approvals for psychologists, social workers, counselors, and marriage & family therapists.
The final authority for approving any continuing education activity rests with the state or province where the participant is licensed. Please contact your individual licensing boards to review continuing education requirements for licensure renewal. To receive continuing education hours, the participant must complete the entire course, engage in all activities, and complete the course evaluation.
Psychologists
The Institute for Solution-Focused Therapy, LLC, is approved by the American Psychological Association (APA) to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. The Institute for Solution-Focused Therapy, LLC, maintains responsibility for this program and its content. Psychologists completing this course receive 19 continuing education hours.
The Institute is also recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists (#PSY-0127).
Social Workers
The Institute for Solution-Focused Therapy, provider number 1831, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 9/22/2023 – 9/22/2026. Social workers completing this course receive 19 Clinical continuing education credits.
The Institute is also approved by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Social Work (#SW-0656), and by the Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy, and Mental Health Counseling.
Counselors
The Institute for Solution-Focused Therapy, LLC has been approved by the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7049. The Institute for Solution-Focused Therapy, LLC, is solely responsible for all aspects of the program. Counselors completing this course receive 19 clock hours. The Institute is also approved by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors (#MHC-0233), and by the Ohio Counselor, Social Worker, and Marriage and Family Therapist Board.
Occupational Therapists
The Institute for Solution-Focused Therapy, provider number 1831, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 9/22/2023 – 9/22/2026. Social workers completing this course receive 19 Clinical continuing education credits.
The Institute for Solution-Focused Therapy, LLC, is an AOTA-approved provider of professional development. Course approval ID #0000012466. This distance-learning–independent course is offered for 1.9 AOTA CEUs (19 contact hours). This introductory-level activity is designed to enhance foundational knowledge and occupational therapy service delivery. The assignment of AOTA CEUs does not imply endorsement of specific course content, products, or clinical procedures by AOTA.
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Policy Information
Once enrolled, you may begin your course at any time.
Cancellation Policy
Because this is an asynchronous, self-paced online course, participants may begin the course immediately upon successful registration and payment.
Participants may discontinue the course at any time. Refund requests are subject to the Institute’s Refund Policy. The Institute for Solution-Focused Therapy reserves the right to cancel, discontinue, postpone, or modify a course due to unforeseen circumstances. If this occurs, participants will be notified promptly and may be offered continued access, an equivalent course, an extension of access, or an appropriate refund or credit, as determined by the circumstances.
For complete information regarding enrollment and cancellation, please review our Policies, Terms, and Statements, including:
Instructor and Consultant