Human Services

Degrees and Certificates

Classes

SER 101 : Introduction to Social Welfare

This course provides an overview of social welfare in the United States from two perspectives — the development of major policies and practices from the colonial period to the present and the network of systems and services that constitute social welfare today. Students will explore the Human Service profession, the skills and values needed to succeed as a human services practitioner and gain an understanding of fundamental Human Service concepts including motivations for entering the field, roles of client and helper, serving the whole person, using an interdisciplinary approach, and empowering clients. Prerequisite: A passing score on the college's reading and writing placement tests or concurrent enrollment in ENG 092. Three lecture hours per week. Gen. Ed. Competencies Met: Global and Historical Awareness, Information Literacy, Multicultural and Social Perspectives.

Credits

3
Students who successfully complete this course will be able to: 1. Define social welfare and human services. 2. Analyze historical and contemporary societal forces that shape and influence social policies. 3. Describe the relationships between societal issues and the delivery of social services. 4. Reflect on personal values, beliefs, prejudices, and experiences regarding the social welfare system. 5. Explain the factors that lead people to need, seek and receive services. 6. Write an Annotated Bibliography using APA format. 7. Identify multiple career fields within the field of human resources. 8. Demonstrate essential oral and written communications skills

SER 102 : College Success Seminar for Human Services

This course facilitates a new Human Services major’s transition to college. Students become familiar with the college’s resources and make meaningful connections with faculty, staff, and support services. Students build a solid foundation of skills, tools, and competencies needed to be successful college students and in the Human Services Program (certificate and/or degree). As part of this course, students explore and utilize both technology and learning resources, identify and apply personalized study and critical thinking skills, develop academic career goals, and build financial literacy. 1 Credit

Credits

1
Students will be able to: 1. Identify and utilize college resources. 2. Apply personalized learning and study skills that will enhance their college success. 3. Formulate academic and career goals. 4. Create social relationships with students, faculty and staff. 5. Develop basic financial literacy.

SER 210 : Human Behavior and Social Environment

This course provides a conceptual framework for evaluating and understanding the correlation between human behavior and the social environment. There is a strong emphasis on the ecological perspective and the social systems theory. Life course, assets and resiliency-based perspectives are also utilized and examined. Theories, themes, and terms from the course will be applied to evaluating the impact of the social environment on human functioning with a focus on how these theories pertain to diversity, poverty, discrimination, and oppression. 3 credits. Prerequisites: A passing score on the college's reading and writing placement tests or concurrent enrollment in ENG 091 or ENG 092.

Credits

3
1. Synthesize bio-psycho-socio-cultural-spiritual influences on human behavior in the context of individual, family, and larger system environments. 2. Apply relevant traditional and alternative theories of HBSE, including social systems theory, the ecological perspective, life course theory, and the empowerment perspective, to individual and family, groups, organizations, and communities. 3. Identify the impact of racial, ethnic, cultural, religious, ability, socioeconomic, gender, sexual orientation, age differences, and historical contexts on the individuals, families, groups, organizations, communities, and the world. 4. Explain the ethical responsibility of social workers as it pertains to the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) code of ethics and greater society. 5. Critique one’s own self-awareness regarding the formation of one’s beliefs and biases regarding cultural competency, skills, knowledge, and values.

SER 212 : Special Topics in Mental Health

This is an introductory course consisting of a specialized lecture series presented by Human Services practitioners. The course is designed to develop the technical competence and the philosophical perspective needed for successful employment in the mental health and retardation field. It examines the field through a sociological perspective focusing on the history of treatment models and the experience of individuals in society up through contemporary times. Emphasis is based on environmental arrangements and teaching strategies that enhance a person's skills and enable an individual to function to the fullest potential. Pre or co-requisite: PSY 101, SOC 101, SER 291, or permission of the program director. Three lecture hours per week.

Credits

3
  1. Provide participants with a theoretical base of knowledge necessary to work in human services.
  2. Explore one’s own attitudes and beliefs which contribute to understanding individuals with neurological, emotional behavioral, and intellectual disorders.
  3. Provide participants with highly specialized information necessary to function effectively as human service workers.
  4. Provide participants with the technical competencies and/or certifications needed for employment in the human service field.
  5. Foster the principle of normalization as the pervading philosophy in programs for the mentally ill, mentally retarded, or disabled and to educate participants in its implementation.
  6. Increase participant’s awareness, understanding and knowledge of other races, genders, cultures, and people of handicapped status.
  7. Address the sexual and ethnic bias in the social services field in an attempt to reduce this bias in the students.
8. Give participants the tools and skills necessary to find, obtain, and maintain a satisfactory position in the field of human services.

SER 225 : Social Work Issues: Diversity and Oppression

Social Workers promote social justice and social change, are responsive to cultural diversity and address all forms of oppression and discrimination. This course introduces the student to the life-long learning process of (1) addressing issues of power and privilege and (2) developing culturally competent social work practices. We will explore issues related to working with diverse groups of people locally and globally with regard to gender, ethnicity, race, citizenship status, sexual orientation, gender identity, socioeconomic level, ability status, age, and faith. Emphasis will be placed on defining and developing skills for culturally competent social work generalist practice through students' self-reflection, experiential learning, and critical analysis of privilege and social inequalities. This course aims to ground students in a strengths-based/ empowerment model and to support students in their work towards a more socially just world. Prerequisite: SER 101. Three lecture hours per week. Gen Ed Competency met: Ethical Dimensions.

Credits

3
Students who successfully complete this course will be able to: 1. Define power, privilege, and oppression using historical trends and local and global comparisons. 2. Analyze key social justice issues relevant to the field of human services. 3. Describe ways to advance human rights and social and economic justice. 4. Analyze interactions among individuals, families, groups, communities and organizations. 5. Analyze personal values, beliefs, attitudes, and ethics regarding the intersectionality of course concepts and how these affect practice.

SER 251 : Generalist Practice in Human Services

This course examines the dynamics of the helping relationship and focuses on developing and practicing essential clinical skills utilized by human service professionals when working with individuals, families and groups. Students will examine social and cultural influences, theories, and diversity issues related to the interview and assessment process and apply human service knowledge and values while developing and practicing interviewing and assessment techniques in micro, mezzo and macro settings. Prerequisite: SER 101 and PSY 101 or concurrent enrollment in PSY 101. Three lecture hours per week. Gen Ed Competency met: Oral Communication

Credits

3
Students who successfully complete this course will be able to: 1. Demonstrate basic interviewing, assessment, and counseling skills necessary to build and maintain effective relationships with clients. 2. Practice effective verbal and non-verbal communications skills in a professional setting. 3. Demonstrate cultural competency when working with a variety of client populations. 4. Define the components of the professional relationship. 5. Conduct an effective helping interview. 6. Evaluate techniques for improving interviewing and assessment skills.

SER 260 : Supervision and Leadership in Human Services

This course is designed for current and potential supervisors, specifically in human services settings. Students gain a deeper understanding of self, strengthen time management and conflict management skills, assess different forms of leadership and supervision in human services settings, develop a strong knowledge base of how each human services supervisor fits into the organization, learn how to supervise within a team to better meet responsibilities to the agency, and understand the team process as an integral part of agency dynamics. Pre or co-requisite: SER 291 or permission of the program director. Three lecture hours per week.

Credits

3
Students will exhibit the necessary skills and knowledge to be in an effective supervisor position in human services. SER 60 is intended to supplement and enhance the existing human service experience.

SER 261 : Developmental Disabilities

This course is an introduction to the broad range of developmental disabilities, including mental retardation, autism, Down and Fetal Alcohol Syndromes, neurological and sensory impairments, and other emotional and behavioral disorders. Effective helping and intervention strategies for working with individuals with developmental disabilities is presented as well as the barriers to community integration and the impact on these individuals, their families, and support networks. Special attention is given to the exploration of societal attitudes toward people with developmental disabilities. Students examine their own biases and beliefs toward this population and the possible roles they may play as change agents in society. Pre or co-requisite: PSY 101 or permission of the program director. Three lecture hours per week.

Credits

3
Learning outcomes include: • Participant empowerment • Community service and networking • Advocacy • Vocational, Educational, and Career Support • Communication • Facilitation of Services • Community Living Skills and Supports

SER 290 : Pre-Internship Skills, Planning and Success

In this interactive workshop, students research and select an appropriate agency site for their required Human Services Field Experience. Pre-internship planning will cover resume essentials, interviewing skills, writing cover letters, professional email and thank you emails. Considerable attention is paid to examining one's own values and motivations, time commitment, transportation, managing expectations, determining preferred work style and setting, and selecting desired client population(s). Pre or co-requisite: SER 251 or SER 261 or permission of the Department Chair. One lecture hour per week. Gen Ed Competency met: Written Communication

Credits

1
Students who successfully complete this course will be able to: 1. Identify professional behavior in the workplace. 2. Clarify personal values and their relationship to long term career goals. 3. Identify approved human service agencies whose missions align with personal goals and preferences. 4. Demonstrate professional oral and written communication skills.

SER 291 : Field Experience and Seminar

This course allows students to complete their supervised on-the-job experience in the developmental disability field with their employer. Theories relevant to social services are tested in the reality of actual agency practice and are further analyzed in a classroom-based and/or Web-based discussion seminar. In this interactive online only workshop, students continue the internship with their employer agency to complete the 125 hour required placement started in SER-290-DDS. The student will work with the certificate program director and their employer's human resources office to arrange program updates and in-person interviews and student evaluations with internship supervisors as required. 3 credits. Prerequisite: SER 290 or permission of the program director.

Credits

5
Students who successfully complete this course will be able to: 1.Integrate theoretical knowledge with practical employer agency experience to identify potential management or administrative positions for advancement. 2. Identify the roles of human service providers and the clients who are served by them. 3. Examine personal values and beliefs in relationship with employer's service delivery system. 4. Explain long term career goals in response to internship completion results.