Course Descriptions

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This course provides an introduction to the field of Human Services. Students will learn about the roles and functions of the human service professional, including counseling services, the helping process, delivery models, the range of populations and needs served, and the ethical responsibilities of Human Services professionals. Particular emphasis is given to the socio-cultural, historic, political, and economic context in which the profession and human service delivery systems have evolved.

Hours:
3



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This course will introduce students to ethical decision-making and skill development within the helping professions. Professional roles and stresses in human service work will be analyzed through an ethical lens and explored in the context of social issues and case studies that arise when helping others. Students will also examine the impact of context, culture, diversity, and moral and ethical codes on real-life applications of ethical principles.

Hours:
3



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This course provides a foundation in effective case management skills and provides an orientation to the field practicum expectations and requirements. HSDA 2200 covers interviewing strategies, data collection methods, documentation, and making appropriate referrals for service coordination. This course also examines ethical principles and diversity issues directly related to effective case management.

Hours:
3



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Introduces students to the historical context of diversity and social justice and their relationship to human services delivery systems, with a focus on oppression and privilege as manifested in societal systems and forces that influence their development and continuation. Diversity and Social Justice introduces the human services student to the wide range of individuals who may be recipients of services and care in agency settings. We will acknowledge and explore the statuses and conditions that promote or limit human functioning. The course will cover topics including socioeconomic class, racial and ethnic inequality, sex, gender, sexual orientation, religious differences, physical and mental disabilities, chemical dependencies, aging, and delinquency/crime.

Prerequisite/Corequisite:
Prerequisite: SOCI 1160 with a grade of C or higher

Hours:
3



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This course introduces students to the theory of human development with an emphasis on service delivery to individuals, including interpersonal communication skills, professional strategies, the relationship of interpersonal systems to larger systems and an understanding of cultural factors (including nationality, religion, spirituality, gender, race, etc.) as they relate to developing a working relationship between the human service helper and clients.

Hours:
3



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This is a course in learning how to lead out-patient groups. Psychotherapeutic techniques used in small groups and large-group interventions are covered to demonstrate group processes. This course includes reviews of the current research, legal, and ethical issues associated with paraprofessional and professional practice in the human services field.

Hours:
3



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This course focuses on organizing, advocacy, and social change in relation to community development. Students will explore how communities develop and change. Particular emphasis will be placed on theories of social change and practical tools for creating directed social change within a community context. Important themes include diversity, community organization, power, empowerment, and transformative social change through local and global activism.

Prerequisite/Corequisite:
Prerequisite: HSDA 2100 with a grade of C or higher, or permission of instructor

Hours:
3



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This course is designed to provide the theoretical foundation as well as knowledge and skills to prepare students to pursue administrative roles in various human service organizations including non-profit organizations and government agencies. Topics for inquiry include organizational management, supervision, legal issues, risk management, recruiting and managing volunteers, constituency building, and other advocacy techniques.

Prerequisite/Corequisite:
Prerequisite: HSDA 2100 with a grade of C or higher, or permission of instructor

Hours:
3



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This course is a multidisciplinary survey of the nature of conflict and models of conflict resolution, including mediation, negotiation, and collaborative problem solving, particularly as they relate to leadership and human services.

Hours:
3



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This course is designed to provide students with an understanding of how ethical theory is applied to everyday situations by those involved in health, policy, administration and other areas of bureaucratic responsibility within the field of human services. Particular emphasis is placed on the philosophical basis of ethical theory, including the virtue-ethics of Aristotle, natural law theory as expressed by Thomas Aquinas, the rational egoism of Hobbes, the deontology of Kant and the utilitarianism of Mills.

Hours:
3



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This course is a survey course in applied data management. Students will gain the necessary knowledge and skills to appropriately obtain, organize, analyze, evaluate, and disseminate information in order to facilitate the delivery of effective human services.

Hours:
3



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This course teaches students about effective program planning and development. Special emphasis is placed on the systematic analysis of service needs and selection of appropriate intervention strategies; program planning, development, implementation, and evaluation; and effective fundraising techniques, proposal writing, and fiscal management.

Prerequisite/Corequisite:
Prerequisite: HSDA 3150 or permission of instructor

Hours:
3



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This course involves the practical application of knowledge and experiences gained in HSDA 2200. Students will work with the course instructor to integrate prior skills and knowledge through experiential learning. Students are expected to complete 150 hours of Service Learning hours at a single designated agency during the semester. Service-learning courses must be taken sequentially. Course grading will be Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory.

Prerequisite/Corequisite:
Prerequisite: HSDA 2200

Hours:
3



Notes:
Service learning courses must be taken sequentially.

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This course will be an in-depth examination of a specialized topic in the human services field. The content and requirements of this course will vary depending on the instructor and the subject of the course. The course is repeatable for a total of 9 credit hours.

Prerequisite/Corequisite:
Prerequisite: HSDA 2100 with a grade of C or higher

Hours:
3



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This course focuses on the conditions that promote or limit human functioning within the context of the life course. Particular emphasis is placed on the historical, cultural, psychological physiological, biological and social contexts of aging across the life course.

Prerequisite/Corequisite:
Prerequisite: HSDA 3100 or SOCI 1101 with a grade of C or higher, or permission of instructor

Hours:
3



Cross-listed
GERO 4100 View Course in Catalog

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This course provides an overview of the theories and research related to successful aging. Topics might include religion, creativity, work, and leisure in relation to the life course.

Prerequisite/Corequisite:
Prerequisite: HSDA 2100 or SOCI 1101 with a grade of C or higher, or permission of instructor

Hours:
3



Cross-listed
GERO 4110 View Course in Catalog

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Introduces students to services available for older adults and to careers in the field of aging services. Content includes theoretical and practical issues, advocacy, barriers to services, as well as exposure to opportunities for service and employment. This course also offers a survey of current resources for an aging population, including the family, private, local, state, and federal programs, with a focus on multicultural impacts and advocacy.

Prerequisite/Corequisite:
Prerequisite: HSDA 2100 with a grade of C or higher

Hours:
3



Cross-listed
GERO 4120 View Course in Catalog

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Focuses on differential communication skills, including communicating with clients, families, and caregivers. Also covered are discussions of health literacy and ways to improve the health literacy of clients and caregivers and communications research including verbal, non-verbal, and written communications and application of findings for excellence in communications skills. This course will provide the necessary intervention knowledge, theory, and skills to effectively communicate with older adults in facilitating maximum autonomy and functioning. The course will meet the needs of students who are training to be human services professionals such as caregivers, services brokers, advocates, and teachers.

Prerequisite/Corequisite:
Prerequisite: HSDA 3120 with a grade of C or higher

Hours:
3



Cross-listed
GERO 4130 View Course in Catalog

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An introduction to helping families cope with decision making in old age, including advance directives (health care surrogates, proxies, power of attorney for health care), health care decision making, hospice care, and other issues (i.e. living alone, driving, finances). This course will introduce the lifespan development and the final stages of death and dying. Students will compare and contract historical and modern attitudes toward death and dying found in literature, rituals, religion, philosophy, film, medical-legal issues, and in the process clarify their attitudes and values.

Prerequisite/Corequisite:
Prerequisite: HSDA 3170 with a grade of C or higher

Hours:
3



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Introduces students to and provides an understanding of the factors influencing public policy development and key legislation that impacts older adults' economic and health status. The students will become familiar with public policy frameworks, needs assessment tools, and evidence-based policy development. Students will study the impact of media, advocacy, and effective utilization of coalitions on changing public policy. The students will be challenged to think strategically and to understand the key elements of a direct action advocacy campaign. Students will understand the future public policy challenges to develop and address a rapidly growing and changing older adult population.

Prerequisite/Corequisite:
Prerequisite: HSDA 2100 with a grade of C or higher

Hours:
3



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This course involves the practical application of knowledge and builds on the experiences gained in HSDA 3201. Students will work with the course instructor to integrate prior skills and knowledge through experiential learning. Students are expected to complete 150 hours of Service Learning hours at a single designated agency during the semester. Service learning courses must be taken sequentially. Course grading will be Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory.

Prerequisite/Corequisite:
Prerequisite: HSDA 3201 with a grade of C or higher

Hours:
3



Notes:
Service learning courses must be taken sequentially.

View Course in Catalog

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This course involves the practical application of knowledge and experiences gained in HSDA 4200. Students will work with the course instructor to integrate prior skills and knowledge through experiential learning. Students are expected to complete 150 hours of Service Learning hours at a single designated agency during the semester. Service learning courses must be taken sequentially. Course grading will be Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory.

Prerequisite/Corequisite:
Prerequisite: HSDA 4200

Hours:
3



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This course is an introduction to qualitative research methodology and design. This course will provide the student with knowledge and skills in information and data management.

Prerequisite/Corequisite:
Prerequisites: SOCI 2000 and MATH 1401

Hours:
3



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An examination of human services organizations in relation to other systems, with an emphasis on organizational theory, influencing systems and outcomes, and the roles of human services professionals in organizations. This course is designed to present the student with an advanced-level view of the public and private sectors when it comes to the administration of human services. We will examine the importance of corporate culture and philosophy on organizational theory. We will examine the importance of culture and the significance of various limits put on policy in several directions, i.e. environmentally, economically, and socially. Also examined are the importance of public law and legal processes and the complexity of intergovernmental and intersectoral relations. This course provides to the human services graduate an in-depth view of the administrative structures in both the public and private sectors. It looks at the three branches of government within our system: the Executive, the Legislative, and the Judicial and their various roles in the administrative process. We will look at the effect the legal system has on the administration of public services. Finally, we will examine how public policy is developed and implemented in-service systems and the financing and budgeting components involved.

Prerequisite/Corequisite:
Prerequisite: HSDA 2100 with a grade of C or higher

Hours:
3



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The purpose of this course is to provide an in-depth understanding of data analysis and applications in social scientific research. In this context, the course will expose you to the theoretical and mathematical foundations of the technique. The primary focus will be on the use of SPSS for analysis. it will also provide information on useful extensions of techniques that help the researchers deal with issues of non-linearity and simultaneity in cross-sectional data.

Prerequisite/Corequisite:
Prerequisite: MATH 1401 with a grade of C or higher

Hours:
3



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This course is an applied course in program planning, evaluation, and funding. The purpose of this course is to give students the necessary knowledge and skills to appropriately assess client needs, develop and implement suitable interventions, and obtain assessment data on the effectiveness of the interventions that can be used to improve the intervention's effectiveness. This is an active learning course.

Prerequisite/Corequisite:
Prerequisite: HSDA 3190 with a grade of C or higher

Hours:
3



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This course focuses on information management skills, which include obtaining, organizing, analyzing, evaluating, and disseminating information. The course introduces students to the organization and mechanics of technical and professional communications, both visual and verbal. Emphasis is placed on gathering and evaluating information; planning, organizing, and writing; designing visual aids; editing, and using multi-modal forms of communication.

Prerequisite/Corequisite:
Prerequisites: ENGL 1102 and HSDA 3190 with grades of C or higher

Hours:
3



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This course provides an integrated interdisciplinary approach to analyzing and addressing global/international human service and social issues needs and provides students with the necessary skills to work with globally diverse populations.

Prerequisite/Corequisite:
Prerequisites: HSDA 2100, HSDA  3110, HSDA 3120, and SOCI 1160

Hours:
3



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The 40 hours of training consists of mediation skill set instruction and a practicum in civil mediation as required by the Georgia Office of Dispute Resolution (GODR) which is designed to teach the various steps of general mediation.  This course lays the foundation for all specialty mediation trainings such as domestic, juvenile, special education, personal injury, EEOC, community disputes and many more venues which employ alternative dispute resolution methods. This course provides students with an integrated interdisciplinary approach to analyzing and addressing social conflict necessary for addressing conflict resolution needs. Students are required to have a minimum of 60 hours of academic credit with a 2.5 minimum GPA.

Hours:
3



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This course provides an introduction to the profession of social work, including the various fields of practice and current issues facing the profession.

Hours:
3



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