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UNDERGRADUATE COURSES

HRS 119: Introduction to Human Services and Rehabilitation Studies

This course is an introduction to the theory and practice of Human Services and Rehabilitation Studies. The information presented in this course is intended for students in ALL majors so that they may become socially and humanly aware of the issues confronting individuals in need of assistance. This course will provide students with information about the history, legislative underpinnings, mission, purpose, and services provided to individuals across the lifespan by human and rehabilitation service organizations. This course will examine the major models and theories of helping individuals experiencing a myriad of issues for example, developmental, environmental, economic, political, social, behavioral, physical, psychological, learning, etc. Current issues in human service provision will also be covered with specific attention to disability and other types of diversity. Ethics and ethical decision making in the human services will also be covered. A service learning component is integrated in this course to provide students with the opportunity to observe and volunteer in a human and/or rehabilitation service setting. (Fall/Spring)
Staff/Three Credits

HRS 12: Psychological, Social and Developmental Aspects of Disability

The purpose of this course is to study disability within the context of human development. Lifespan development will be studied to provide a framework for exploring the implications of specific developmental, learning, communication, sensory and physical disabilities. The psychological processes involved in adjusting to disability will be presented along with various stage theories of adjustment to disability. Specific psychological, social, environmental, and political factors impacting individual's with disabilities will be studied. Students will gain an in-depth appreciation and understanding of what it means to have a disability. Cultural sensitivity and diversity issues related to disability will also be explored. The concepts of consumer involvement, consumer rights, and consumer choice related to individuals with disabilities and service systems will be studied. (Fall/Spring)
Staff/Three Credits

HRS 200: Addiction: Etiology, Assessment, Treatment and Rehabilitation

This course will provide an overview of addictions and addictive behavior. Topics such as the historical, psychological, social, societal, physiological, family and relationship aspects of addictions will be covered. The pharmacology, treatment, prevention, intervention, and rehabilitation related to substance abuse, alcohol dependence, eating disorders, gambling addictions, steroid use, etc. will also be explored. This course will introduce students to the different theories of addiction (e.g., biological, psycho-dynamic, social-learning, and socio-cultural) and the implications for successful intervention. An emphasis will be placed on understanding addictions from a socio-cultural, family, and relationship perspective. Ethical issues related to addictions and addiction counseling will also be discussed. (Fall/Spring)
Staff/Three Credits

HRS 210: Medical Aspects of Disability

The goal of this course is to assist students in developing sensitivity, appreciation and understanding of disability and health impairments. The course provides information about the medical aspects and characteristics of disabling conditions along with treatments and interventions aimed at ameliorating the resulting functional limitations. Students will study chronic diseases and disabling conditions that are commonly encountered in rehabilitation service settings. In addition to emphasizing the medical aspects and characteristics, treatment and intervention strategies will be covered. Basic medical terminology will be studied. This course will focus on disease, chronic illness and physical impairments. (Fall/Spring)
Staff/Three Credits

HRS 219: Rehabilitation Strategies and Interventions

This course explores the full range of rehabilitation strategies and interventions that occur across the lifespan of individuals with disabilities. Educational and rehabilitation strategies aimed at maximizing independence for people with disabilities will be covered. Early intervention, inclusion and transition services will be examined as critical educational strategies aimed at minimizing the impact of disability and enhancing independence. The course will provide critical knowledge and skills related to employment and independent living options for people with disabilities including related legislation. Supportive strategies for assisting and maintaining person's with disabilities in educational and employment settings will be addressed. Rehabilitation and assistive technology options will also be covered. (Fall/Spring)
Staff/Three Credits

HRS 225: Introduction to Human Communication and its Disorders

This course is an introduction to human communication across the life span with emphasis on the linguistic rule systems of pragmatics, semantics, syntax, morphology and phonology. An overview of normal and disordered speech, language, cognitive-linguistic, and hearing skills is provided. This overview includes etiologies, characteristics, assessment, and treatment using case studies, video and audio-taped examples, and hands-on materials. (Fall/Spring)
Staff/Three Credits

HRS 227: Hearing and Deafness

This course is an introduction to the study of hearing. The aural mechanism and the nature, cause, assessment, and rehabilitation of hearing impairments will be studied. Case studies will be utilized to assist in understanding hearing and deafness. (Spring)
Staff/Three Credits

HRS 228: Introduction to Sign Language

This course focuses on the use and study of American Sign Language (ASL), the language that is widely used by Americans with Deafness. This course will include basic ASL vocabulary, grammatical structures, and conversational basics. Students will also be introduced to the values, beliefs and behavioral norms shared by members of the deaf culture. (Fall)
Staff/Three Credits

HRS 305: Client Information and Assessment

This course is intended to provide the student anticipating a professional role in the human and rehabilitation services with an opportunity to develop awareness, understanding and skills related to the use of assessments and evaluation tools. Clients utilizing human and rehabilitation services are in need of professionals with skills in utilizing assessment results in order plan and provide appropriate interventions. This course will utilize a lifespan approach to provide an overview of common assessment and evaluation tools used in a variety of human service and applied settings such as schools, early intervention programs and rehabilitation agencies. (Fall)
Staff/Three Credits

HRS 320: Psychiatric Rehabilitation

As an introduction to psychiatric rehabilitation, this course emphasizes understanding of lifespan development with appreciation for the complex interaction of biological, social and psychological variables that influence human behavior. From this bio-psycho-social framework, the course will review major psychiatric and developmental disorders with attention to diagnostic and intervention strategies. Educational and vocational factors will also be covered. Students will gain an understanding and appreciation of the personal experience of psychiatric disability and recover, including an understanding of the core principles and motives of psychiatric rehabilitation. Prerequisites: HRS 119; HRS 121 (Fall/Spring)
Staff/Three Credits

HRS 329: Sign Language II:

This is a second level course that focuses on the use and study of American Sign Language (ASL). This course continues to increase ASL vocabulary and grammatical structures. This course will also continue the exploration of the deaf culture including developing culturally appropriate relationships with individuals who are deaf. Prerequisite: HRS 228 (Spring)
Staff/Three Credits

HRS 330: Interviewing Techniques in Human and Rehabilitation Services

This course is designed to provide students with a thorough understanding of the interview process. A strong emphasis will be placed on developing skills in applying and utilizing specific interviewing skills and techniques in human and rehabilitation service settings. Students will understand the impact of diversity, culture, and individual lifestyles on the helping process. The course will assist students to apply effective interpersonal skills in interviewing and communicating with persons with disabilities, their families, related professionals, and the general public. Client choice and consumer self-direction will be emphasized in interviewing and counseling situations. Students will be taught to incorporate cultural sensitivity into daily practice and interactions with clients. Ethical principles and decision making will be discussed and practiced. Prerequisites: HRS 119 (Fall)
Staff/Three Credits

HRS 340: Principles of Case Management

This course is designed to assist students in developing the necessary case management skills that are essential to the human and rehabilitation services fields. This course will provide students with the knowledge and skills needed to facilitate client movement from initiation of services to case service termination. Students will be exposed to case management practices across human service agencies. Efficient case documenting, case recording and time management approaches will be developed along with case planning skills that recognize individual client needs. Community resource utilization, goal development, action planning, advocating, service coordination and utilization of assessment information will also be covered. This is a skill-based course that aims to teach organizational principles, practices and processes to students thus enabling them to be effective in human and rehabilitation service delivery systems. Prerequisites: HRS 119 (Spring)
Staff/Three Credits

HRS 400: Individual in the Community: The Human Services

This course is a supervised 100 hour field placement experience in an approved human or rehabilitation service agency. This field placement will provide students with an opportunity to become oriented to the human and rehabilitation services by observing and participating in the provision of services to client groups. As students develop they will have the opportunity to use their skills and knowledge to provide services within a highly supervised setting. This field placement enables students to work with multi-disciplinary staff representing a variety of human service fields. Students will also participate in a weekly seminar that provides group supervision, instruction and discussion of the field placement experience. (Fall/Spring)
Staff/Three Credits

HRS 420: Family Aspects of Disability

This course was designed to provide students with knowledge of the complex challenges that families face when a family member has a chronic illness or severe disability. This course will focus on developing specialized skills and sensitivities for working with families in an attempt to encourage families to become a partner in rehabilitation. This course will attempt to provide students with a context and a philosophy for facilitating families in achieving a satisfactory quality of life following the advent of disability and/or illness. Furthermore, the course aims to teach professionals to assist family members in becoming a positive resource and support to the family member will the illness and/or disability. This course will present models of family assessment and family intervention. The course includes an analysis of relevant and critical issues to consider when working with families during the rehabilitation process. Specific attention will be given to the family life cycle and the effect of disability/chronic illness on the family. (Spring)
Staff/Three Credits

HRS 421: Loss and Bereavement Across the Lifespan

This course will address the topics of loss, grief, bereavement, aging, and the dying process from a humanistic perspective. The course will examine the role of spirituality, culture, gender, and developmental stage in responding to loss. This course will address the role that helping professionals and fellow human beings can play in facilitating and encouraging the natural, healthy, and healing expression of emotions related to loss. In this course, students will learn that grieving evokes strong emotions and strong emotions can be overwhelming if they are not spoken in the presence of someone who can accept and not judge. Therefore, students in this course will be taught how to be present with someone experiencing strong emotions related to loss and death, how to respond to feelings shared by others experiencing grief and loss, and how to encourage others to accept and cope with strong emotions related to loss and grief.

HRS 422: Community-Based Corrections: Rehabilitation of the Criminal Offender

This course will explore current and past approaches in the rehabilitation of the criminal offender in the community. This course will cover the theories and philosophies that have shaped community rehabilitation efforts geared toward the offender population. Legislated community sanctions, punishments, and deterrence control strategies will be explored in depth. (Fall)
Staff/Three Credits

HRS 485: Special Topics

Special topics courses are elective courses designed to address special issues, skills and knowledge needed in the human and rehabilitation services. These courses are designed for junior and senior level students as independent research and inquiry are required. (Fall/Spring)
Staff/Three Credits

HRS 485A: Special Topics: Anatomy and Physiology of Speech and Hearing Mechanisms

This course is an in-depth study of the muscular, skeletal and nervous systems as they pertain to speech, hearing and swallowing. This course covers the normal anatomy and physiology of the speech and hearing mechanisms with emphasis on respiration, phonation, resonance, articulation, hearing, swallowing and audition.

HRS 485B: Special Topics: Introduction to Counseling Children and Adolescents in Applied Settings

This course will provide students an overview of professional settings that employ counselors/helpers to work with children and adolescents. Settings such as public, private, and alternative schools, rehabilitation agencies, early intervention programs, and youth facilities will be covered. The role of professionals working in these settings will also be explored. The course will also provide an overview of a variety of issues associated with early childhood and adolescence. Basic guidelines for working with young clients will be covered in addition to an overview of specific techniques/interventions for counseling children and adolescents. The course will focus on the practical application of developmental theory with techniques geared toward early & middle childhood and early & middle adolescence. The course will also address effective intervention techniques for culturally and ethnically diverse youth, youth with special needs, and at-risk youth. Effective parental and family interventions will also be covered.

HRS 485C: Special Topics: Conflict Resolution

This course is designed to introduce students to the major theories, issues, and practices of conflict resolution. Specifically, the course will examine Mahatma Gandhi's (1867-1948) practices of Satyagraha and Martin Luther King's (1929-1968) non-violence resistance philosophy. Conflict resolution approaches and their application will be covered and practiced. This course will explore conflict resolution on three levels: globally, locally, and individually.

HRS 485D: Special Topics: Phonetics

This course is the study of sounds of the American English Language. Using the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), students will learn to analyze and transcribe the physical properties of American English, including the production of sounds, acoustics and perception of speech.

HRS 490: Internship in Human Services and Rehabilitation Studies

This course is a field-based, professional opportunity for students to apply the theories, strategies, interventions, and knowledge learned through the HRS coursework. Students will be applying their classroom learning in a professional human and/or rehabilitation service setting. The internship is an intensely supervised and supported experience as students are supervised by both a faculty and an agency supervisor. There are three phases to the internship experience: orientation, observation, and performance. Students will perform all aspects of the human and/or rehabilitation specialists job e.g., intake interviewing, assessment, action planning, service planning, case management and case closure. Students will complete a minimum of 400 hours on site during the fall or spring semester. The internship is a competency driven experience and specific skills related to the direct provision of services will be evaluated. Prerequisites: HRS 119; HRS 121; HRS 200; HRS 210; HRS 219; HRS 305; HRS 320; HRS 330; HRS 340 (Fall/Spring)
Staff/Twelve Credits
To view/print a copy of the Undergraduate Internship Agreement, please click here.

Did you Know?

Members of the Class of 2006 interned at more than 120 corporations, nonprofit organizations and schools.