The Professional Educator Standards Board (PESB) oversees the approval process for the following courses:
- Professional transitions to public schools
- Suicide prevention training
Who is required to take these courses?
- Professional transitions to public schools – School nurses, school occupational therapists (OTs), school physical therapists (PTs), school social workers, school speech language pathologists (SLPs) or audiologists, and behavior analysts are required to take this course for initial ESA certification.
- Suicide prevention training – School nurses, school counselors, school psychologists, and school social workers are required to take this course when renewing an initial, continuing, residency, or professional certificate. This requirement begins September 1, 2020, for renewal of initial and residency certificates. This requirement is already in place for renewal of continuing and professional certificates.
Learn about the course approval process for providers
Professional transitions to public schools
Providers wanting to offer a new ESA professional transitions to public schools course must submit a course proposal to the Professional Educator Standards Board (PESB). Courses require re-approval every five years, and will remain approved until June 30 of the year they are scheduled for re-approval.
Course outcomes
Courses will be a minimum of fifteen hours, and must support candidates in meeting the following outcomes:
- Demonstrate an understanding of school and special education laws and policies (national, state, and local) and their application to decision-making processes in the educational setting;
- Understand and demonstrate knowledge of working within the culture of the schools, creating an environment that fosters safety, health, and learning for the students;
- Demonstrate knowledge of appropriate resources in the school setting;
- Demonstrate knowledge of collaboration with team members which may include parents, teachers, administrators, and others to support learning outcomes for all students;
- Demonstrate knowledge of how to support the outcomes for all students through strategies such as scientifically based practices, collaborative teaming, and ethical decision making;
- Use professional standards to inform professional growth planning;
- Demonstrate an understanding of the use of human, community, and technological resources.
Approval process for new courses
- Complete the ESA professional transition to public schools course proposal form and submit it to PESB at least 60 days before the PESB Board meeting at which they would like your proposal to be considered.
- A separate proposal form must be completed for each course that you are applying to offer.
- PESB convenes a staff review team to review the course proposal form and completes a course review rubric.
- The review team provides you with feedback, and an overall recommendation of the course proposal.
- If the review team recommends approval of the course proposal, the recommendation is presented at the board meeting, listed as a consent agenda item. The Board always has the option to take an item off the consent agenda.
- If the review team does not recommend approval of the course proposal, you have the option to either present at the board meeting on the full agenda, or
revise the course proposal and re-submit it for a subsequent board meeting.
Due dates
Course proposal forms are due at least 60 days in advance of the PESB meeting to which you wish to bring your proposal for consideration. For upcoming proposal due dates, see below.
Board meetings | Course proposal form(s) due |
May 20-21, 2021 | March 19, 2021 |
July 15-16, 2021 | May 14, 2021 |
Sept. 16-17, 2021 | July 16, 2021 |
Nov. 18-19, 2021 | Sept. 17, 2021 |
Re-approval process
The re-approval process will be completed every five years, and follow the same steps as the approval process. Providers must submit a separate proposal form for re-approval to PESB for each course offered prior to June 30 of the school year indicated.
School year | Course | Provider |
2020-21 | Courses for all roles | Northwest Washington ESD 101 |
Course for school nurse role | Washington State University College of Nursing | |
2021-22 |
Rehab 576 (Occupational Therapist) Rehab 578 (Occupational Therapist) Rehab 582 (Occupational Therapist) Rehab 502 (Physical Therapist) Rehab 517 (Physical Therapist) |
University of Washington |
2022-23 |
TSCOCW 536C (social worker) TSOCW 542 “Social work in schools” |
University of Washington-Tacoma |
SOCW 588 “Social work in schools” | University of Washington-Seattle | |
SOWK 555 “School social work” | Walla Walla University | |
2023-24 |
COMD 405 “Speech-language pathology and audiology in the Schools” COMD 599 “Independent Study” (SLP or Audiologist) COMD 539 “Speech-Language Pathology or Audiology in Schools” CMSD 550S “Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology in the Schools” SOWK 559 “School Social Work and School Law” |
Eastern Washington University |
2024-25 | Initial ESA Certification | Puget Sound ESD 121 |
SHS 471 (Speech-language pathology or audiologist) SHS 550 (Speech-language pathologist or audiologist) SHS 590 (Speech-language pathologist or audiologist) |
Washington State University | |
CSD 580 plus CSD 553 or CSD 555 (Speech-language pathologist or audiologist) | Western Washington University | |
2025-26 |
Foundations for School Nursing SPHSC 550 (Public School Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology) |
University of Washington – School of Nursing |
Introduction to School Nursing | Pacific Lutheran University Center for Continued Nursing Learning | |
Initial ESA Certification Course | NEWESD 101 |
Resources
Suicide prevention training
Providers wanting to offer a new suicide training prevention course must submit a course proposal to the Professional Educator Standards Board (PESB). Courses require re-approval every five years. Courses will remain approved until June 30 of the year they are scheduled for re-approval.
Course standards
PESB uses the Department of Health (DOH) course standards for the three-hour suicide prevention training course content, which include:
- Content must be based on current empirical research and known best practices.
- Training must reflect sensitivity and relevance to the cultures and backgrounds of the relevant client or patient populations.
- A minimum of seventy minutes of the course must address screening for suicide risk. Content must include:
- When and how to screen a client or patient for acute and chronic suicide risk and protective factors against suicide;
- Appropriate screening tools, tailored for specific ages and populations if applicable; and
- Strategies for screening and appropriate use of information gained through screening.
- A minimum of thirty minutes of the course must address referral. Content must include:
- How to identify and select an appropriate resource;
- Best practices for connecting a client or patient to a referral; and
- Continuity of care when making referrals
Course approval process
- Complete the suicide prevention training course proposal form and submit it to PESB at least 60 days before the PESB board meeting at which you would like your proposal to be considered.
- A separate proposal form must be completed for each course you are applying to offer.
- PESB convenes a staff review team to review course proposal and completes rubric.
- The review team will provide feedback, and an overall recommendation of the course proposal. Feedback and recommendation will be included in board meeting materials alongside with the proposal form.
- If the review team recommends the course proposal, the recommendation is presented at the board meeting as a consent agenda item. The board always has the option to take an item off the consent agenda.
- If the review team does not recommend the course proposal, you have the option to either present at the upcoming board meeting on full agenda, or
revise the course proposal and re-submit it for a subsequent board meeting.
Due dates
Course proposal forms are due at least 60 days in advance of the PESB meeting to which you wish to bring your proposal for consideration. For upcoming proposal due dates, see below.
Board meetings | Course approval form(s) due |
May 20-21, 2021 | March 19, 2021 |
July 15-16, 2021 | May 14, 2021 |
Sept. 16-17, 2021 | July 16, 2021 |
Nov. 18-19, 2021 | Sept. 17, 2021 |
Re-approval process
Re-approval process will be completed every five years, and follow the same steps as the approval process.
Courses remain approved through June 30 of the school year indicated, meaning providers will want to apply well in advance of that date. We encourage providers to apply for re-approval in the fall of the school year indicated. Please submit a separate course proposal form for each course listed below.
School year | Course | Provider |
2020-21 | Networks for life: an educator’s role in youth suicide prevention: | Northeast Washington ESD 101, ESD 105, ESD 112, Capital Region ESD 113, Olympic ESD 114, Puget Sound ESD 121, ESD 123, North Central ESD 171, Northwest ESD 189 |
The signs of suicide prevention program training: trusted adult training training developer: screening for mental health | Northeast Washington ESD 101, ESD 105, ESD 112, Capital Region ESD 113, Olympic ESD 114, PUget Sound ESD 121, ESD 123, North Central ESD 171, Northwest ESD 189 | |
2021-22 | Response | Debrah Tressel |
2022-23 | SafeTALK |
Forefront: Innovations in Suicide Prevention Ace Bulger |
QPR for school health professionals | QPR Institute | |
2023-24 | Suicide prevention and intervention | K. Callaghan (ESC) |
Suicide prevention training | JoAnna Rockwood, Intuit Educational Services | |
2024-25 | Crisis connections | Jennifer D. Winslow |
Connect suicide prevention intervention training |
National Alliance for Mental Illness New Hampshire (NAMI NH) Elaine de Mello, LCSW |
|
2025-26 | Youth Mental Health First Aid |
ESD 105 ESD 113 |
QPR for school health professionals |
ESD 105 ESD 112 ESD 113 |
|
Networks for Life: An educator’s role in youth suicide prevention |
Olympic ESD 114 ESD 123 |
|
SOS Signs of Suicide | ESD 123 |
Resources
Suicide Prevention Training course proposal (document)
Suicide Prevention Training review rubric (document)