Program Curriculum

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Human Services Certificate and AAS Degree
Certificate: (37 semester credit hours)
AAS Degree:  (70-72 credit hours)
A Certificate and Associate of Applied Science degree offered by the Allied Health and Affiliated with the Council for Standards of Human Service Education.

  Level One Human Service Technician Certificate

The Human Service Technician Level One certificate will provide students an opportunity to gain entry level skills to enter fields such as psychiatry, psychology, human services, rehabilitative therapy, social work, child welfare, health, family services, criminal justice, substance abuse, therapeutic recreation, education, and homelessness, among others. It will also train students to observe patients and record information, conduct patient interviews, implement treatment plans, employ problem-solving techniques and develop an awareness of elements relative to a multi-culturally diverse population. Certificate completers will participate in external learning experiences in a variety of context and will be required to complete a supervised practicum or clinical. Effective communication, interpersonal and time management skills will be emphasized throughout the program.

Criminal Background Checks: Most clinical facilities require criminal background checks be completed prior to allowing students to participate in clinical training at their facilities. Applicants conditionally are accepted into the Human Services Program will be required to complete a criminal background check. Final acceptance into the program is contingent upon a satisfactory background check, which will be completed by an approved agency and will be at the applicant’s expense (anticipated cost is $ 52.00). Students will only be allowed to take 12 semester credit hours prior to the completion of the criminal background check. Information regarding this process should be obtained from the Director of the Human Services Program.

Clinical/Practicum Site Requirements: Many clinical/practicum sites require drug screens for students completing their field experience within the clinical/practicum sites. Prior to the start of clinical/practicum, drug screens and criminal background checks will be required.

Students should be aware that certain criminal histories may prevent them from participating in the practicum experience. Students deemed ineligible for clinical/practicum due to original history will be dismissed from the program and dropped from the program courses.

Students will be required to have a negative drug screen through the college approved agency. The estimated cost is $ 40.00. Students may be required to submit to additional drug screens as required by the Human Services Program or the clinical/practicum sites as warranted.

Course	Course Title	Semester Hours
Summer I
SCWK2321	Orientation to Social Services	3
		3 semester hours
First Semester
MRKG 1301	Customer Relations	3
DAAC 1319	Intro to Alcohol and Other Drug Addictions	3
CHLT 1209	Community Ethics	2
CHLT 1302	Wellness & Health Promotion	3
CMSW 1309	Problems of Children and Adolescents	3
PSYT 1329	Interviewing and Communication Skills	3
		17 semester hours
Second Semester
COSC 1300	Introduction to Computing	3
DAAC 1317	Basic Counseling Skills	3
CHLT 1340	Community Health Advocacy	3
GERS 1342	Aging and Mental Health	3
PSYT 2335	Family Systems	3
PMHS 2260*	Clinical - Psychiatric/Mental Health Services	2
*Capstone Course-requires approval of instructor.		17 semester hours

Human Services AAS Degree

The Human Services AAS degree will prepare students for careers in a variety of fields such as psychiatry, psychology, human services, rehabilitative therapy, social work, child welfare, health, family services, criminal justice, substance abuse, therapeutic recreation, education, and homelessness, among others. Job titles might include human service worker, case management aide, social work assistant, community support worker, mental health aide, community outreach worker, life skills counselor or gerontology aide. Working conditions may vary considerably. Some may work in offices, clinics and hospitals, while other graduates may work in group homes, shelters, day programs or may spend their time in the field, visiting clients. Human service assistants may provide direct and indirect client services. Students will be trained to observe patients and record information, conduct patient interviews, implement treatment plans, employ problem-solving techniques, handle crisis intervention matters, use proper case management and referral procedures and develop an awareness of elements relative to a multi-culturally diverse community population. Graduates will have a strong background in the appropriate cores of psychology and sociology; will participate in external learning experiences in a variety of context and will be required to complete a supervised practicum or clinical. Effective communication, interpersonal and time management skills will be emphasized throughout the program. The AAS degree is designed to facilitate a transition from WCJC to a university with little or no loss of transfer credit giving the student an opportunity to obtain an advanced degree in fields such as psychology, human services, social work, and sociology.

Criminal Background Checks: Most clinical facilities require that a criminal background check be completed prior to allowing students to participate in clinical training at their facilities. Applicants conditionally accepted into the Human Services Program will be required to complete a criminal background check. Final acceptance into the program is contingent upon a satisfactory background check, which will be completed by an approved agency. Students will only be allowed to take 12 semester credit hours prior to the completion of the criminal background check. The cost of the criminal background check will be at the applicant’s expense (anticipated cost is $ 52.00). Information regarding this process should be obtained from the Director of the Human Services Program.

Clinical/Practicum Site Requirements: Many clinical/practicum sites require drug screens for students completing their field experience within the practicum sites. Prior to the start of clinical/practicum, drug screens and criminal background checks will be required. Students should be aware that certain criminal histories may prevent them from participating in the practicum experience. Students deemed ineligible for clinical/practicum due to original history will be dismissed from the program and dropped from the program courses.

Students will be required to have a negative drug screen through the college approved agency. The estimated cost is $ 40.00. Students may be required to submit to additional drug screens as required by the Human Services Program or the clinical/practicum sites as warranted.

The AAS degree requires 250 hours of practicum field experience at an approved practicum site within the community.

Consideration for acceptance into the Human Services Program is based upon the submission and/or evidence of the following:

1. All students who are accepted into the Human Services Program must purchase liability insurance through WCJC prior to practicum at a cost of approximately $ 35.00.
2. Students need also be aware most practicum settings will require evidence of current immunizations (possibly diphtheria-tetanus, Hepatitis B, measles, mumps, rubella, varicella, and a TB test – results for the TB test will require follow-up). The needed immunizations are specific to practicum settings.
3. A grade of “C” or better must be obtained in all curriculum specific to the Human Services Program. A grade-point average of 2.5 is required in all other general education courses in the Human Services Program degree plan.