Older Adults
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, gerontological social work is one of the fastest growing occupations. Through this sub-concentration, students learn about the aging process and its impact on the well-being of individuals and their families; theoretical concepts; practice skills for preventive, rehabilitative and supportive services; public policy; and personal and societal attitudes and values that can affect older adults. Graduates are prepared for direct service roles with seniors and their caregivers in geriatric health and mental health centers, hospitals and long-term-care facilities, multipurpose senior centers, welfare planning bodies and retirement communities. Students in this sub-concentration may apply for a stipend from the Geriatric Social Work Education Consortium (GSWEC).

Public Child Welfare
This sub-concentration provides professional preparation for culturally competent child welfare practice. Students gain a broader understanding of the practice methods and continuum of services that protect children and preserve families. Course work focuses on strategies for productive change in service delivery systems. Students must be enrolled in the Families and Children concentration or the Community Organization, Planning and Administration (COPA) concentration and complete a field internship in a public child welfare agency. Students in this sub-concentration may apply for a stipend from the California Social Work Education Center (CalSWEC) or the Inter-University Consortium.

School Settings
School social workers address concerns about a child's adjustment in school and assist students, parents and school personnel with problems that hinder academic success. This sub-concentration offers credential-directed training in school social work for students who intend to provide social work and child welfare services in a California public school. Students must be enrolled in either the Families and Children or Mental Health concentration and complete courses on school social work and a field internship in a public school setting to be eligible for the Pupil Personnel Services (PPS) credential.

Systems of Mental Illness Recovery
Designed for students in the mental health concentration, graduates are prepared for practice with severely and persistently mentally ill clients. This population, composed of both children and adults, requires practitioners with highly developed clinical knowledge and skills in assessment, case management, psychosocial rehabilitation and crisis intervention. Specialized field placements have been developed to enable students to work in the most creative and advanced practice sites available.