Frequently Asked Questions/ Office Hours

1) Where is the office located?
The Child Abuse and Family Violence Institute office is located on the basement of the King Hall Building, wing B, room 109B.

2) What are your office hours?

Summer 2018 Office Hours
(323) 343-4696

Monday
 By appointment only*
Tuesday
 By appointment only*
Wednesday
By appointment only*
Thursday
By appointment only*
Friday
Closed

*To make an appointment, contact the student assistant 

Please call before you visit to ensure that we are available to assist you. 
For updated office hours, click here
 

3) How do I apply?
Students can call our office to request information on the Certificate Program to be sent via postal mail (We will need your current address etc.; if you choose to leave a message, please speak slowly and clearly). We can also send you an application in email. In that case, we need an email address, clearly described. You may come to our office and pick up an application. Applications are placed on the inside office door and the outside door as well. If you have any questions, student assistants cover the office for approximately 20 hours per week, and will be there to help you. Student Assistants’ hours may change each term. It will be posted quarterly on our inside and outside doors. State supported university students (undergraduates and graduates) may apply. There are some special restriction for graduate level students, such as taking all 4000 level courses. The University is no longer admitting students who are only pursuing a Certificate, so the Certificate must be pursued in the context of a degree. Students may take the Certificate program as a separate program through the Open University. In that case a student must make an application through both the Institute office (see above) and by contacting the CSULA Open University at: /exed/ Email: [email protected]

4) What are the required courses? Check GET for most recent class offerings.

5) How many hours do I need in total for my field placement?
You need a total of 120 hours or 4 units in the quarter system, only 90 hours or 3 units in the semester system.  Students may take 1 or multiple units in any semester(s), each unit requiring 30 hours for a total of 90 hrs.  for 3 units. Generally each section of HHS 4950 corresponds to the number of units it carries (e.g. HHS 4950 sec. 02 is 2 units). Please register for the sections taught by Dr. Friend.
*** Social Work students see #11***; you may be able to count all hours and units from their SW 4950 internship.

6) Do I have to do the internship hours all in one quarter?
No, the hours can be spread out into different semesters. One way to do this is to register for 1 unit in one semester and one or two in another.  You must end up with a total of three. If you do not finish the hours you registered for within the quarter, you can obtain an incomplete by filling out an incomplete contract. In that contract, you determine your own plan for completion within one year. Please note that you have to fill out the contract before the end of the semester in order to get an incomplete submitted as your grade. We have these forms in the Child Abuse and Family Violence Institute office.

7) Can my intern hours be done in the summer?
You may be able to do the hours in the summer, but you would have to register for HHS 4950 in the previous Spring. You would need to get interviewed by a placement supervisor in Spring to assure that this arrangement for Summer would be workable. There are additional requirements you would need to meet in order to make this happen. It would require meeting with the Director or Student Assistant for more details.

8) What is EPIC? Why do I need to register at EPIC and where is it located?
EPIC (Educational Participation In Communities) engages students directly in the fight against urban poverty and social inequity through off campus field placements in human service agencies and on campus volunteer opportunities in student-run service projects. You need to register in order to do your field placement because EPIC has agreements that address liability issues with Juvenile Court sites. EPIC is located in the lower level of the Career Center. Please call (323) 343-3380 to obtain their hours of operation. Registering with them will take approximately 10 minutes. Certificate students are then asked to send us an email, confirming that this requirement was met, with a CC to the person who registered them at EPIC.

9) What Field Placements are currently available?
· Free Arts
· Children’s Law Center
11) Can I use my hours through social work (SW 4950) course and placement internship for the HHS 4950 course and placement internship?
***The Certificate Program will accept the SW 4950 course and placement internship for the HHS 4950 course and placement internship if the following summarized conditions are met:

• The SW 4950 placement provides the intern with at least 120 quarter / 90 semester hrs of experience with family violence and/or child maltreatment cases. The Field Instructor needs to agree (see below).
• Student must provide a copy of:
  •                         Evaluation – signed by supervisor (SW 4950 evaluation is acceptable) showing the hours                         completed
  •                         1pg paper – typed, identifying what you learned at the SW 4950 placement internship       and identify how it is consistent with the certificate program’s purpose.

Expanding on the above summary:

• Only SW students who are currently or will be enrolled in SW 495 are eligible. Student must have a placement that deals with child abuse or family violence.

• The SW 4950 Field Instructor needs to be asked and agree to provide the student with cases that have these elements: child maltreatment and family violence.

• The student must provide a copy of his/her SW 4950 evaluation and hours performed for one quarter, signed by the supervisor at the SW 495 placement. This is the Student Field Work Evaluation Form (SW4950) filled out from that internship. The evaluation must reflect acceptable, passing performance, as well as the number or hours in placement.

• Social Work students may request performance credit. The decision to waive this is at the discretion of the CAFVI director.
  • Social Work students must submit a 1 page paper typed identifying what they learned at the SW 4950 internship and identify how it is consistent with the certificate program’s purpose (see application and syllabus).

12) Do I have to pay for this certificate program?
Yes, according to the personnel at the Associate Registrar Office: "In order to comply with Academic Policy found in the Faculty Handbook, effective beginning Fall 2011 quarter (September 22nd, 2011), students completing a certificate must pay a $25 application fee and follow the guidelines outlined on the application."

13) I have completed all the required courses needed for the certificate, now what?
There are three other things that need to be done after all required courses are completed AND you are approaching graduation. First, see question 12 above, it stated you need to pay $25 and fill out an Application for Certificate with the Cashiers Office and bring that form back to us.  The Cashier’s Office has the form and we do as well.  The second thing we need of you is to fill out the form, “Credit Certificate,” that you can get in the office that states all the classes you have taken for the Certificate Program. And lastly we ask that you also bring us a copy of your unofficial transcripts with the grades of the required courses taken highlighted.

14) How long does it take to receive the Certificate?
The coursework can be completed in a year, but that requires attending classes when offered. The process of receiving the Certificate may take 2-3 months after it is requested. Students are required to initiate the request, as they are the only ones who can track their academic classes.