Health and Human Services Skills Guide
High School Courses
- *Algebra
- *Biology
- *Psychology
- *Composition
- *Sociology
- Keyboarding
- Speech
Basic Skills in the Program and on the Job
Reading
Textbooks used in the program deal with complex, often abstract concepts and theories. Texts for first-semester courses are written at approximately the upper collegiate level. In some courses, the text is a central feature, whereas, in others it is used as a supplement.
In addition to their texts, students must read newspapers and magazines for current events reports, follow interview schedules, and interpret diagrams showing sequences of steps. Some projects may involve library research.
On the job, workers in the field must read the case notes of social workers or other professionals such as psychologists and interpret the relevance of this material to their own observations. Other reading material includes professional journals and texts, as well as policies and procedures for handling a client's problem. The latter are often detailed, complex legal or medical documents.
View more information on reading skills in the Human Services program.
Language
Excellent speaking and listening skills are essential in this program. Students not only interview professionals to gather information, but they also learn to interview others regarding problem areas in their lives. Other speaking activities include brief current events reports, lengthier project reports, and group dynamics exercises.
On the job, in addition to interviewing clients, workers will participate in staffings. They may also make public appearances to describe their agencies to community groups, testify in court, or present testimony to a legislative committee.
Complex writing assignments are also required in the program. Tests are typically short-answer and extended essays. For their written project reports, students must gather and logically organize information from multiple sources. They must also write several summary and reaction papers about theories presented in Survey of Mental Health Treatment.
To prepare for their on-the-job writing activities, students learn to write case notes, assessments, and finally social histories, which may be five to ten typed pages in length. Because such notes and reports are legal documents, accuracy in content, grammar, and mechanics is essential.
Composition I (ENG 105), Composition II (ENG 106), and one speech course--either Fundamentals of Oral Communication (SPC101) or Interpersonal and Small Group Communication (SPC 126) are required for the Associate in Science degree.
View more information on language skills in the Human Services program.
Math
In class and on the job, when students read numerical data in reports, they must be able to interpret graphs and recognize equivalent fractions and percentages. On the job, some income-maintenance workers will be required to use basic math to aid clients in preparing budgets. To complete the Associate in Science degree, students must take a college-level math course, typically Finite Math (MAT141), which has introductory algebra as a prerequisite.
View more information on math skills in the Human Services program.
Learning
High-level thinking skills are needed in this program. When they write case notes, students must learn to make accurate observations, draw logical inferences, and distinguish between the two. They may be required to create step-by-step sequences for their clients to follow. These activities are part of a cyclical problem-solving process which involves examining background data, following the logic of a client's comments during the interview, assessing the situation, setting goals and objectives, preparing an implementation plan, and evaluating the results. Within the program instructors prepare students to undertake these tasks independently when they move into the work place.
View more information on learning skills in the Human Services program.
Computer
Basic keyboarding and word processing skills are necessary as instructors require typed papers. Familiarity with data base programs would be helpful to students since most employers keep information on data bases.
View more information on computer skills in the Human Services program.
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