Human Services - Associate Degree

Students gain skills that lead to success in college, employment, and life. Students should take this course in their first semester. (Pre-requisite: None.)

Examine the evolution of the human services field. Distinguish the various types of human service agencies and occupations available in the field. Demonstrate the qualities of the professionals. Assess boundaries and ethical issues commonly found in the human services profession. Apply reflective practitioner techniques.

Analyze foundational skills in the counseling relationship. Analyze the stages of the helping processes and the roles professionals play in the processes. Analyze the importance of establishing therapeutic relationships. Apply basic counseling techniques. Apply interviewing and counseling skills through mock counseling sessions and personal experience reflections. Examine issues of boundaries and ethics. (Prerequisite: High school GPA greater/equal to 2.6; OR ACT Reading score greater/equal to 16 AND English greater/equal to 18; OR Next Gen Reading score greater/equal to 250 AND Writing score greater/equal to 260; OR "preparatory course(s)"; OR successful completion of English Comp 1 with a C or better. Contact academic advisor at 920-498-5444).

Learners develop knowledge/skills in planning, organizing, writing, editing. Students will also analyze audience/purpose, use elements of research, format documents using standard guidelines, and develop critical reading skills. (Prerequisite: High school GPA greater/equal to 2.6; OR ACT Reading score greater/equal to 16 AND English greater/equal to 18; OR Next Gen Reading score greater/equal to 250 AND Writing score greater/equal to 260; OR "preparatory course(s)", contact academic advisor at 920-498-5444)

Explore the bio-psych social dynamics of substance use. Examine treatment approaches, models, and screening criteria. Examine substances of abuse, history of SUDs, and their impact on the individual and society.

This course will introduce the student to the importance of emotional intelligence in the human services field. Emotional intelligence works to increase the student’s emotional self-awareness, self-regulation, core values internal motivation, increasing empathy, and building skills for interpersonal effectiveness needed to be an effective human service worker. Students will utilize these basic skills in the human service field to adapt and manage their responses to various situations. Apply reflective practitioner techniques.

An introduction to theory and practice of group dynamics and processes. Includes ethical considerations, effective group leadership, and stages of group development. Also includes demonstration of group facilitation skills, clinical documentation, co-facilitation strategies, reflective practitioner techniques, and group formation. (Prerequisite: 10-550-206, Intro to Interview. & Counsel.)

Evaluate the ethical codes of the helping professions. Examine professional boundaries related to the helping professions. Incorporate ethical standards into decision making processes. Examine ethical considerations related to professional standards for the helping professions. Examine ethical considerations related to state and federal regulations for the helping professions. Examine the ethical considerations related to professional self-care. (Prerequisite: 10-550-206, Intro to Interview & Counsel.)

This science of psychology course is a survey of multiple aspects of behavior and mental processes. It provides an overview of topics such as research methods, theoretical perspectives, learning, cognition, memory, motivation, emotions, personality, abnormal psychology, physiological factors, social influences, and development.. (Prerequisite: Cumulative GPA of 2.6 or greater OR satisfactory reading and writing assessment scores OR 10-831-107, College Reading and Writing 1 with "B" or better OR Corequisite: 10-831-102, English Comp Prep).

Provides an overview to the history, diagnosis, treatment strategies, legal and ethical considerations, and documentation of mental health conditions. Focus is on understanding the mental health conditions that co-occur with substance use disorders.

Introduction to case management techniques and processes. Incorporates intake assessment techniques, service planning techniques, referral processes, coordination of care, and discharge processes determined by a multidisciplinary team approach. Includes client self-determination and autonomy. Incorporates clinical documentation requirements and processes. (Prerequisite: 10-550-206, Intro to Interview & Counsel.)

Developmental Psychology is the study of human development throughout the lifespan. This course explores developmental theory and research with an emphasis on the interactive nature of the biological, cognitive, and psychosocial changes that affect the individual from conception to death. Application activities and critical thinking skills will enable students to gain an increased knowledge and understanding of themselves and others. (Prerequisite: Next Gen Rdg score greater/equal to 250 AND Writing score greater/equal to 237; OR ACT Rdg score greater/equal to 16 AND English greater/equal to 15; OR 10-831-107, College Reading and Writing with a "B" or better).

Provides a broad understanding of family systems theory and practice relevant to the human services field. Focus is on evaluating the communication and interaction patterns and applying interventions and strategies. (Prerequisite: 10-550-206, Intro to Interview & Counsel.)

Study of Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. Students will differentiate between stages of dementia and Alzheimer's disease. By analyzing normal brain processes and how these diseases affect brain function, students gain insight on best practices in responding to the needs of this population and their caregivers and loved ones.

Examine issues often found in families that are affected by child abuse and neglect. Explore the social, environmental and biological components of child maltreatment. Determine the laws, agencies and procedures that are specific to child maltreatment. Define the role played by the helping professional in response to child maltreatment, including mandated reporting of abuse. Assess boundaries and ethical issues commonly found while working with child maltreatment. Apply reflective practitioner techniques.

This course focuses on developing effective listening techniques and verbal and nonverbal communication skills through oral presentation, group activity, and other projects. The study of self, conflict, and cultural contexts will be explored, as well as their impact on communication. (Prerequisite: Next Gen Rdg score greater/equal to 250 AND Writing score greater/equal to 237; OR ACT Rdg score greater/equal to 16 AND English score greater/equal to 16; OR preparatory course-contact an academic advisor at 920-498-5444)

Complete a minimum of 144 hours of occupational experience in an agency of learner's choice. Collaborate with agency-appointed supervisor to define the individual learning objectives to be obtained during the internship. Provides the learner with opportunities to strengthen skills and to experience the full range of responsibilities assumed by a professional in the human services field. Utilize supervision by agency and field experience instructor. Facilitate the learner's transition into the work world. Assess boundaries and ethical issues commonly found while working in the helping field. Apply reflective practitioner techniques. (Prerequisite: 10-520-101; Intro. to Human Services, 10-550-210 Boundaries & Ethics in the Helping Prof, 10-550-206 Intro to Interview & Counsel, 10-550-202 Foundations of Case Mgmt., 10-550-204 Group Facilitation, 10-550-203 Overview of Mental Health Dis, 10-520-103; Emotional Intelligence.)

Examine the concept of advocacy as it relates to the human services field. Identify various populations that students will work with within the human services field. Develop and practice strategies for communication and advocating for people. Explore belief systems, social pressure, moral problems and decision making as it relates to various child and adult populations. Apply reflective practitioner techniques.

This course introduces the study of diversity from a local to a global perspective using a holistic, interdisciplinary approach that encourages exploration and prepares students to work in a diverse environment. The course introduces basic diversity concepts, examines the impact of bias and power differentials among groups, explores the use of culturally responsive communication strategies, and compares forces that shape diversity in an international context. (Prerequisite: Next Gen Rdg score greater/equal to 250 AND Writing score greater/equal to 237; OR ACT Rdg score greater/equal to 16 AND English greater/equal to 15; OR 10-831-107, College Reading and Writing with a B or better.)

Ascertain fundamental building block skills in Motivational Interviewing. Apply the Spirit and basic Motivational Interviewing interventions in therapeutic sessions. Evaluate performance through real play counseling sessions and personal experience reflections. Recognize ambivalence and motivation to change. Determine differences between sustain and change talk. Apply collaborative goal setting. Determine client direction using focus techniques. Apply reflective practitioner techniques. (Prerequisite: 10-550-206 Intro to Interview & Counsel.)

Prepares the student to develop sustainable literacy, analyze the interconnections among the physical and biological sciences and environmental systems, summarize the effects of sustainability on health and well-being, analyze connections among social, economic, and environmental systems, employ energy conservation strategies to reduce the use of fossil fuels, investigate alternative energy options, evaluate options to current waste disposal and recycling in the U.S., and analyze approaches used by your community to promote and implement sustainability. (Prerequisite: Next Gen Reading score greater/equal to 250; OR ACT Reading score greater/equal to 15; OR preparatory courses-contact an academic advisor at 920-498-5444)

All college students, regardless of their college major, need to be able to make reasonable decisions about fiscal, environmental, and health issues that require quantitative reasoning skills. An activity based approach is used to explore numerical relationships, graphs, proportional relationships, algebraic reasoning, and problem solving using linear, exponential and other mathematical models. Students will develop conceptual and procedural tools that support the use of key mathematical concepts in a variety of contexts. This course may be used as the first of a two part sequence that ends with Quantitative Reasoning as the capstone general education math requirement. (Prerequisite: Next Gen Arith score greater/equal to 250 AND Rdg score greater/equal to 250; OR ACT Math score greater/equal to 15 AND ACT Reading score greater/equal to 16; OR prep courses-contact an academic advisor 920-498-5444).

Complete a minimum of 144 hours of occupational experience in an agency of learner's choice. Utilize supervision by agency and field experience instructor. Collaborate with agency-appointed supervisor to define the individual learning objectives to be obtained during the internship. Provides the learner with opportunities to strengthen skills and to experience the full range of responsibilities assumed by a human services professional. Focuses on demonstrating competency of professional skills. Apply reflective practitioner techniques. (Prerequisite: 10-520-151 Internship 1)