Course Description:

Students will address the multiple roles that enable individuals to connect family, career and community responsibilities.  The project-based course addresses the following topics: family, career and community roles and responsibilities; the changing workplace; career decision making and planning; job finding procedures; interpersonal relationships; team work; critical thinking skills; workplace ethics and attitude; technology; time and information management; workplace health, safety, and legal matters.  This course introduces students to the world of work and how it operates.

Course Outline:

Soft Skills Necessary for Success in the Human Services Profession

Review Character Development (Trust, Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, Caring, Citizenship)

Development of service (volunteer) attitude and skills human service careers require

Role Play and Authentic Participation

Review how to balance work, family and volunteer demands

Changing view toward community involvement

Impact of age

Impact of life happenings (health, children, personal decisions)

Impact of work demands

Community Support for Individuals and Families

Formal Community Resources (SRS, WIC program, Head Start…)

Informal Community Resources (Churches, Neighborly Attitude…)

Determining need of individuals and families

Children, Youth, Young Adults, Adults, Parents, Senior Citizens

Intervention warning signs (when should professionals be brought in)

Human Service Careers

Career Areas

Social Work, Therapy, Counseling, Volunteer Coordinator, Nutrition Educator, Personal Trainer, Geriatric Work, Youth Coordinator (Girl Scouts, 4-H…) related careers (www.careercluster.org)

Educational requirements of entry, skilled and professional levels of each area

Professional organizations linked with each area

Considerations of each career area

Professionalism and ethics

Technology use

Legal requirements

Safety issues (personal)

Diversity and Disability Acceptance

Global impact on human service careers (working with different cultures as employee and as a

service provider)

Family impact

Cultural differences within family structures

Disabilities of family members

Practice respect for those who are different than ourselves

                Gender, age, culture, ethnicity, disability

Conflict Resolution at the workplace

                Solve problems all can accept

                Follow decision making process that allows input from those affected

Skill Application

                Practice skills in an actual human service career area

                Implement job interview/application process

                Follow codes and rules (attire, policies, and regulations)

                Complete documents as required (on job and for course; electronically and hard copy)

                Document experience through a portfolio using a variety of media