Social & Human Services

Provides an overview of the social and human services field from the perspective of the individual human services worker. Explores societal conditions, assumptions, and needs that impact delivery of services. Includes discussion of areas of knowledge, professional values, and skills. Examines the characteristics of the human services agency, including professional roles, career opportunities, and challenges.

Introduction to social welfare policy, social justice, and systems. Emphasis on social welfare policies, systems, and services designed to respond to social issues: public welfare, child welfare, mental health, chemical dependency, aging, poverty, health, disabilities, and corrections.

Intro to beginning-level interviewing and counseling skills in multicultural settings. Demonstration of human services values and knowledge of diverse populations' needs through counseling techniques: developing relationships; identifying problems, solutions, and goals; and evaluating progress.

Introduction to group work, including group processes, communication patterns, group and individual goal-setting, leadership, and decision-making. Includes group participation, role-playing, and simulations.

Introduction to the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to practice care navigation for the benefit of the client. Focus on human services and healthcare systems, social determinants of health, health literacy, chronic illness, risk and protective factors. The first of two courses leading to a certificate in care navigation.

Intro to crisis intervention and trauma-informed care techniques for the beginning mental health/human services professional. Students will develop assessment techniques and interviewing skills with populations experiencing mental health concerns, physical health concerns, substance abuse, sexual assault, intimate partner and domestic violence, bereavement, suicide, and other crises.

Explores both the grief and loss experiences in the context of the helping professions. Analyzes models and types of grief and loss. Researches resources and interventions for clients in the social and human services. Examines transitions, situations, and circumstances that result in grief and loss, as well as cultural responses to them.

Examines U.S. society and the diversity within it, as well as the effects of societal structures on clients. Topics include an overview of general principles of cultural diversity and cross-cultural services delivery to individuals from many diverse backgrounds.

This class provides an introduction to suicide assessment and prevention. Students will be introduced to topics such as signs and symptoms of suicidal/self-harm behavior, facts and myths about suicidal behavior, conducting an assessment interview, risk factors and protective factors, the treatment of suicidal individuals, the contagion effect, and self-care for those working with suicidal/self-harm individuals.

Introduction to misuse of and addiction to psychoactive drugs. Includes history, theories, current research, and treatment practices, and the nature of successful recovery as well as prevention concepts.

Overview of mental health and co-occurring disorders. Identification of referral processes, treatment options, barriers unique to this population, services available to the co-occurring disorder consumer in the context of culture, race and ethnicity

Explores the WA Administrative Codes, federal codes, and professional codes of ethics that apply to human services and substance use disorder professionals. Examines ethical theory, ethical decision-making, and ethical practice in a multicultural context. Meets educational requirements for courses for Substance Use Professional included in WAC 246-811-030.

Examines the roles of human services and substance use disorder professional case managers. Students explore all aspects of case management, including service coordination, screening, ASAM Criteria, assessment and treatment planning.