OVERVIEW
The basic premise of this program is that there is a common core of attitudes, skills and knowledge that apply to a variety of settings in the human services. Individuals equipped with these competencies can make effective contributions to agencies involved in mental health, education, welfare, retardation, corrections and other areas.

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES
Many health and human services agencies are seeking individuals who have less than a baccalaureate degree, but are sophisticated enough to be effective workers.

This program is concerned with the preparation of individuals as mental health workers, psychiatric aides, social service workers, workers for developmentally disabled, and workers with the elderly. The availability of trained paraprofessionals in these areas could make such services available to the public more efficiently and effectively.

The goal of the program is to educate, in two years, a generalist worker who could move into a wide range of mental health and/or human services fields.

Human services paraprofessionals held several thousand government jobs during the 1990s. Government agencies employ a significant portion of the paraprofessionals to deal with such issues as poverty, crime, public assistance, population policy, social rehabilitation, community development, mental health, racial and ethnic studies, and environmental impact studies.

PROGRAM OF STUDY

GENERAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS    College Writing Skills (3)    Specialized College Writing and Research Skills (3)    Essential Computing I (3)    Finite Mathematics (3)    One approved course from six different Core categories (18)	30 sem. hrs.
HUMAN SERVICE AREA REQUIREMENTS A.   Nature and Need of Service -- 9 sem. hrs.        Select three of the following:        Principles of Sociology (3)        Contemporary Social Problems (3)        Sociology of the Life Cycle (3)        Introduction to Social Work (3) B.   Behaviors, Treatments and Strategies -- 9 sem. hrs.        Select three of the following:        Society and the Individual (3)        Work and Society (3)        Race & Ethnic Relations (3)        Human Diversity (3)        Introduction to Social Welfare Policy (3) C.   Electives in Field -- 6 sem. hrs.        Select two of the following:        Juvenile Delinquency (3)        Sociology of Marriage and Family (3)        Medical Social Work (3)        Child Welfare (3)        Aging and Human Services (3)	24 sem. hrs.
FREE ELECTIVES	6 sem. hrs.
TOTAL	60 sem. hrs.

psl 9/2006