Human Services BS

It is important for human service practitioners to understand the relationship between practice and research. According to social psychologist, Kurt Lewin, the best practice is founded in research and the best research is grounded in practice. Acknowledging this insight, this course will engage students in an examination of research as it is employed in the human service field. The primary focus of this course is to teach students how to be critical consumers of research, able to read, evaluate, and apply research for human service practice purposes. A second purpose is to develop students skills for their future role as collaborators with researchers in generating knowledge from the field. This course can serve as a companion course for the program evaluation offering or a foundations course for students interested in pursuing graduate study or a preview course for those intending to take social or behavioral science research methods courses.

Full course description for Understanding and Using Research for the Practitioner

This course focuses on the knowledge and skills needed to appropriately identify, collect, analyze and report evaluative information to be used in making decisions about, and changes in, programs. Topics include approaches to program evaluation, the process of planning and conducting an evaluation, basic principles and practices of designing evaluation instruments, and methods for interpreting and presenting data with an emphasis on providing relevant information to decision makers. This course is appropriate for anyone in business, public, nonprofit or human services administration who is responsible for making decisions about service programs or for conducting evaluations.

Full course description for Program Evaluation

This course is designed to help students evaluate their readiness, prepare for and then select an internship site for Human Services. Examples of course topics include: examination of personal readiness, internship or career goals, review an array of possible internships and making an appropriate selection for practicum.

Full course description for Human Services Pre-Practicum Group Seminar

This seminar is designed to provide an opportunity for student interns and faculty to meet and discuss progress being made during internship, provide support and address problems and concerns. The seminar includes: lecture, discussion, and group work topics pertinent to the students' internship.

Full course description for Human Services Group Practicum and Seminar

This course, designed for students in human services fields who work with older adults and their families, and students considering gerontology as a vocation, is an overview of the field. Topics include understanding the physiological, psychological, and sociological aspects of aging, as well as the myths about aging, health and social needs of the aging, and community resources and programs.

Full course description for Aging in America: A Personal and Societal Journey

This course examines causes and underlying factors that account for violence in American Society. Students examine the extent, causes and challenges of violence in today's society. For those students who work in the human services field, this course prepares them to identify and critique methods and strategies for addressing violence. It may be taken alone or as the first of three core courses required for the community violence prevention minor. Prerequisite: Courses in psychology or sociology.

Full course description for Violence: Origins and Explanations

This course addresses how violence is responded to at various levels. It examines the role and development of personal skills and involvement in addressing violence, community intervention resources, systems responses such as punishment and rehabilitation in violence prevention, social change movement responses to violence, and international violence and the growth of human rights movements.

Full course description for Violence: Individual, Community and Global Responses

This course is designed to build skills in the practice of advocacy for those who work with issues of violence and who work across systems such as the police, courts, child welfare, and families. The course will cover individual, community, and systems advocacy, and the relation of advocacy to social reform issues and systems change.

Full course description for Advocacy in Violence Prevention

This course examines gender violence in its multiple forms from a global perspective. An introduction to the history of violence against women, current theories and research on the causes of violence in intimate relationships, past and current responses, and interventions and prevention models to address this worldwide problem will be discussed. Understanding the multiple approaches for addressing gender violence will provide students the knowledge to describe culturally competent intervention and prevention strategies.

Full course description for Gender Violence in Global Perspective

This course is designed as an introduction to the study of family violence across the lifespan. It will introduce students to history, current theories, research, and policies in the three areas of family violence: child maltreatment, elder abuse, domestic violence. You will examine the cultural, social and political roots of family violence, as well as the dynamics of abuse in the family and in intimate relationships. You will explore the effects of abuse at the individual, family, and community levels, and be able to identify abusive and controlling behaviors. The content of the course focuses on current theories, research and policies on domestic violence (battering, sexual assault, stalking), child maltreatment (physical and sexual abuse, emotional abuse, neglect) and abuse of vulnerable adults (elderly, non-elderly vulnerable populations). This course is an introduction to the topic. It will give students a basic overview of the issues across types of family violence…

Full course description for Family Violence Across the Lifespan

This course explores the connections between violence and disability. It investigates how models of disability affect the understanding of violence and abuse of people with disabilities as well as the response to such violence. The focus is on the lived experiences of people with disabilities who have experienced violence and abuse, and how systems and policies have aided or hindered successful interventions. The course also explores how being a victim of violence can affect a person's disability status and the implications of such a connection for policymakers, human services workers, and people with disabilities themselves. The course employs the socio-ecological model of violence prevention and challenges students to apply this model to case studies.

Full course description for Violence and Disability

This course introduces students to the major social and psychological theories employed in studying family processes and in studying how families function in society today. In addition, the course engages students in an examination of their own families. Key features of this course are that students do a modified social history and case study of their own families. Students demonstrate competence by applying the content of the course in their analysis of their own family's social/psychological analysis.

Full course description for The Family: A Social/Psychological Exploration

This course explores the dynamics and processes of family interactions and counseling from the viewpoint of a family counselor. Some of the major theories of family counseling are discussed, with particular emphasis on the theories of Virginia Satir. Evaluation is based in part on a final conference with the instructor. This course is designed for students seeking self-understanding, as well as for students pursuing careers in the human services.

Full course description for Family Counseling

This course familiarizes students with the diversity that exists in families. It is intended for students who want to gain a better understanding of the family, and for students specializing in psychology or human services related fields. Structural inequalities in society based on wealth, race/ethnicity and gender are presented as key determinants in the diversity of family forms and in differing experiences within families.

Full course description for Family: Racial, Gender and Class Dimensions

This course considers the impact of public choices on life within families. It is generally offered during the state legislative session in order to give students opportunity to participate in the legislative process. The policy issues covered vary from year to year. Topics may cover competing rights of children and parents, culturally-specific/friendly family policy, international family policy comparisons, and other family policy issues.

Full course description for Issues and Actions in Family Policy

Until recently, the worlds of family and work were seen as separate spheres. Today, people are aware of the many possible relationships between work and family in society. This course examines the challenges, issues and problems associated with a variety of contemporary work-family patterns including single-provider, dual-provider and single-parent families, and families who own their own businesses.

Full course description for Work and Family

This interdisciplinary course explores historical and contemporary aspects of children's status and roles in family and society, adults' relationships and functions in relation to children, and public policy affecting children in twentieth-century United States. Community and experience-based learning, including a student-designed project, augment class lectures and discussion.

Full course description for Children in U.S. Society

This course explores sexual values and behaviors as they are developed and expressed across the life cycle of the family in different social cultural contexts. Students will examine human sexuality in the context of family relationships and dynamics while also learning to identify and evaluate effective programs, strategies, and materials for sexuality education. The course focuses on such topics as family planning, pregnancy and childbirth, gender identity and roles, sexual function and dysfunction, sexual pleasure, sexual variation, sexual orientation, sexuality and disability, sexuality and chronic disease, and sexual development. The course content and practice skills will satisfy a requirement for Certified Family Life Educator (CFLE) credentialing.

Full course description for Sexuality and the Family

This course is designed as an introduction to the study of family violence across the lifespan. It will introduce students to history, current theories, research, and policies in the three areas of family violence: child maltreatment, elder abuse, domestic violence. You will examine the cultural, social and political roots of family violence, as well as the dynamics of abuse in the family and in intimate relationships. You will explore the effects of abuse at the individual, family, and community levels, and be able to identify abusive and controlling behaviors. The content of the course focuses on current theories, research and policies on domestic violence (battering, sexual assault, stalking), child maltreatment (physical and sexual abuse, emotional abuse, neglect) and abuse of vulnerable adults (elderly, non-elderly vulnerable populations). This course is an introduction to the topic. It will give students a basic overview of the issues across types of family violence…

Full course description for Family Violence Across the Lifespan

Disability Awareness provides opportunities for students in all fields of study to increase their awareness of the barriers, attitudes and successes relevant to individuals with disabilities in society as a whole. This course does not focus on specific medical definitions, conditions or types of disabilities. Instead, the course concentrates on a brief history of the treatment of people with disabilities, disability rights, etiquette, work, sports and art related to disabilities.

Full course description for Disability Awareness

Introduction to disabilities prepares students who desire to learn about and potentially work in the field of disabilities. Using a diversity model and social perspective approach, students learn about issues common to persons with diverse disabilities. Perspectives of disabilities that recognize disability as a culture and acknowledge the potential and capabilities of persons with disabilities are offered. Course materials include definitions, psychosocial considerations and societal perspectives.

Full course description for Introduction to Disabilities

Disability Rights: History and Current Trends traces the history, policies, and individual and group empowerment efforts that led to the formation of the disability rights movement. Key legislation including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Rehabilitation Act, and education acts are examined. Future trends in disability policies and civil rights are also explored. The challenges and struggles that persons with disabilities have fought to change in order to gain independence, respect, and opportunities are studied through American perspectives of disability history.

Full course description for Disability Rights: History and Current Trends

Community Resources and Services for People with Disabilities employs a two-fold approach to learning about resources that people with disabilities use. The course provides an overview of public and non-profit resources that provide services for a diverse range of disabilities. In addition to learning about resources, students critically examine agency functions including how well these resources promote independence and inclusion in society for people with disabilities. Advocacy skills that promote self-determination relevant to people with disabilities is also a focus in this course.

Full course description for Community Resources and Services for Persons with Disabilities

This course examines the historical perspectives, social policies, resources, and culture of persons belonging to the Blind, DeafBlind, or Deaf Culture. It is recognized that persons who are Blind, DeafBlind, or Deaf each have a unique history and culture. The course materials include major writings in comprehensive modules. These materials provide perspectives on the significant culture, civil rights movements, and empowerment of persons who are Blind, DeafBlind, and of the Deaf-World.

Full course description for Blind, Deaf Blind, and Deaf Culture, History and Resources

The aging of persons with disabilities is a new phenomenon due to improved health and advances that have increased their life-span. In addition, the aging of the baby-boomers is increasing the population of persons acquiring disabilities as they age. Is our society prepared to meet the needs of both groups? How can we prepare to assist all older persons in maintaining quality of life as they age? The need for collaboration across disability and aging networks to analyze these questions is a focus of this course.

Full course description for Aging and Disabilities

This course explores the connections between violence and disability. It investigates how models of disability affect the understanding of violence and abuse of people with disabilities as well as the response to such violence. The focus is on the lived experiences of people with disabilities who have experienced violence and abuse, and how systems and policies have aided or hindered successful interventions. The course also explores how being a victim of violence can affect a person's disability status and the implications of such a connection for policymakers, human services workers, and people with disabilities themselves. The course employs the socio-ecological model of violence prevention and challenges students to apply this model to case studies.

Full course description for Violence and Disability

This course, designed for those planning careers in human services administration, provides insight into some of the common problems and concerns of management in a human services agency. Students use actual case studies to focus on examples of organizational planning, community relations, the decision-making process and personnel management. Overlap: HSA 360 Health Care Management and Supervision I and HSA 362T Human Service Administration Theory Seminar.

Full course description for Human Services Leadership and Administration

This course aims to introduce common, and sometimes complex, processes used to fund nonprofit organizations and government entities. Students will understand the rationale behind third-party funding, through readings, demonstrations, and guests in the classroom. Working in teams and individually, students will produce a program plan, budget, and proposal. Whether the student is a professional or advocate, funding is essential to human services, health, education and many other sectors. The course will equip students from all disciplines with the necessary skills to sustain their programs.

Full course description for Program Planning, Budgeting, Proposal Writing and Funding

This course focuses on supervision principles, concepts and theories, including how to be a facilitating supervisor and assist others in their professional growth. Emphasis is on understanding how supervisors can teach counseling theories and techniques to those they supervise, as an integral part of the supervisory process.

Full course description for Supervision in Human Services

This course provides an overview of organization development principles necessary for any type of organization to effectively cope and react to inevitable change that will impact organizational effectiveness and survival. Addresses the theory and practice or organizational development including: initial diagnosis, entry, contracting, data collection, data analysis, action planning, approaches to implementing planned change, and evaluation of planned change effectiveness. Today, every manager, at any level, must be capable of dealing with certain change in a proactive manner.

Full course description for Organizational Development and Change

This course examines causes and underlying factors of interpersonal conflict in human interactions. The course covers principles and techniques to diagnose conflict, develops an understanding of issues causing conflict, differentiates between various types of conflict, explores the variety of forces and factors which push conflict in a productive or dysfunctional direction, and develops personal skills to influence outcomes to the inevitable conflict situations one encounters in one's personal and professional lives.

Full course description for Conflict Resolution

This course is for students who want to learn how to design training and teach adults in an organizational setting. Students develop an understanding of the role and impact of training in helping organizations reach objectives. Topics include adult learning theory, needs assessment, instructional design, media selection and how to present training content to different audiences.

Full course description for Organizational Training and Staff Development

Students confront complex ethical and moral issues in their professional and personal lives. In this course, students study and apply the cultural, social, legal, economic, theological and philosophical bases for making such decisions. Each student learns to articulate coherent arguments involving at least two divergent views of many current ethical issues confronted in human services today. Students select, research and present an individual project on a major ethical issue relevant to their professional interests in human services.

Full course description for Ethical Issues in Human Services

This course will explore working in community as a form of civic engagement and an arena of human service work. This is typically referred to as community practice. Community practice, whether by the volunteer or the professional, entails helping a community at-large solve its problems and achieve its goals. Insightful, grounded community practice enables helpers to impact the total milieu of peoples lives, improving the broader spectrum of peoples lives in ways that direct client-centered helping cannot. Through the theoretical component of the course students will examine different ideologies of helping and how those become expressed in various forms of community helping including: service, organizing and development, social change and empowerment, and advocacy. Through the experiential component of the course students will become familiar with the varied tools of this distinctive type of helping within a specific Twin Cities social movement. This course is presently designed…

Full course description for Working with/in Community

This course develops a number of theoretical approaches for working with youth. Issues raised are appropriate for counseling in individual and family settings. Concepts include the nature and meaning of adolescence, youth culture, youth alienation, sex roles, conflict and the generation gap.

Full course description for Issues in Adolescent Counseling

This course is designed to teach students to understand the family dynamics of the person who is chemically dependent and to learn skills which will help them to work with these families at a beginning level. Course topics include family relationships and chemical dependency, and treatment theories and counseling techniques for individuals and their family members.

Full course description for Substance Use and the Family

This course is designed to be an overview of the practice of Alcohol and Drug Counseling. It covers the main theories or models which explain what chemical dependency is. It also provides a survey of the practice of alcohol and drug counseling, including history, licensure requirements, 12 core functions, continuum of services, culture, evidence-based practices, laws, ethics and professionalism. An orientation to the Alcohol and Drug major will also be provided.

Full course description for Introduction to Substance Use Disorders

For the past 30 years helping professionals have deliberated about the role and integration of spirituality or religion in their practice. It is accepted that as clients race, ethnicity, and culture affect their thoughts, feelings, and behavior, so similarly do clients spiritual or religious orientations affect how they function in world and thus perceive and deal with their problems. This course is designed to introduce students to the issues related to spirituality and helping as well as to provide a framework for developing an ethical spiritually-sensitive practice that is cognizant of the significance of these orientations. Students will explore relevant knowledge, skill, and value competencies for success in this frontier of the helping field.

Full course description for Spirituality and Helping