Human Services Practitioner (HSD)
2018-2019
Type: Career, Degree (AS)
Open Admissions
Division: Health And Human Services
The Human Services Practitioner Program provides the academic work and field experience for successful careers in human services, as well as a strong foundation for transfer to four-year colleges and universities. This program is unique in that students may choose to specialize in either Mental Health or Gerontology. Students are encouraged to build upon their unique abilities to work collaboratively with individuals, families, and agencies. The program fosters the development of the skills necessary for practitioners in human services through active learning strategies, clinical field placements, community research projects, and case studies. Upon graduation students are qualified for entry level positions such as mental health counselor, residential case manager, outreach worker, gerontology assistant, crisis intervention worker, life skills counselor, family advocate, and community organizer. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that human service careers are among the fastest growing occupations in the United States.
The following certificates may be applied to the Human Services Practitioner Associate Degree Program: Mental Health Certificate, Gerontology Certificate, Gerontology Activities Specialist, Youth Worker Certificate, Certified Nursing Assistant Certificate, Family Development Credential.
Students interested in participating in an academic program that involves working with children, the disabled, or the elderly, or which includes a clinical affiliation, internship, or field placement with a private or public healthcare provider, may be required to undergo criminal background checks, including a national as well as local check (i.e. Massachusetts Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) and Sex Offender Record Information (SORI)). Depending on the contents of these criminal background check(s), a student's participation in an academic program that involves working with children, the disabled, or the elderly or which includes a clinical affiliation, internship or field placement with a private or public healthcare provider may not be allowed, and therefore may impact a student's ability to complete program requirements. Furthermore, please note that eligibility to participate in the program and/or clinical affiliation, internship or field placement as a result of screening requirements, such as criminal background checks, is not a guarantee of eligibility to sit for professional credentialing examination(s) or employment upon graduation.
First Year
Fall
| CMP101 | Composition 1 | 3 |
| HUS101 | The Human Services Worker | 3 |
| MEH105 | Introduction to Mental Health Work | 3 |
| PSY102 | Introduction to Psychology | 3 |
| PSY112 | Introduction to Gerontology | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 15 |
Spring
CMP102-150
| Composition 2 Elective | 3 |
| HUS102 | Helping Skills in Human Services | 3 |
| HUS130 | Life Changes and Crisis: Adaptation and Intervention | 3 |
| HUS137 | Field Placement & Seminar 1 for Human Services Practitioner | 3 |
| | |
| IDS205 | Community Problems and Social Issues | 3 |
| OR | |
| SWG203 | Advocacy for Elders | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 15 |
Second Year
Fall
| BIO108 | The Body in Health and Disease | 3 |
| HUS104 | The Field of Human Services: An Overview | 3 |
| HUS132 | Group Dynamics & Techniques | 3 |
LA-ELECTIVE
| Liberal Arts Elective | 3 |
| PSY210 | Abnormal Psychology | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 15 |
Spring
| HUS108 | Pharmacology for Human Services | 3 |
| HUS138 | Field Placement & Seminar 2 for Human Services Practitioner | 3 |
| HUS139 | Field Placement & Seminar 3 for Human Services Practitioner | 3 |
OPN-ELECTIVE
| Open Elective | 3 |
| | |
| MEH206 | Advanced Helping Skills | 3 |
| OR | |
| SWG104 | Nutritional and Health Aspects of Aging | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 15 |
Requirement Notes
HUS130: MEH104 , and SWG208 may be substituted for HUS130
IDS205: ECE101 may fulfill this requirement when applying courses from the Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health Certificate(BHC)
BIO108: BIO211 and BIO212 may be substituted for BIO108.
HUS132: SWG102 may be substituted for HUS132.
Liberal Arts Elective: PSY114 may fulfill this requirement when applying courses from the Child & Adolescent Behavioral Health Certificate(BHC)
Open Elective: HUS112, HUS114, HUS116 or a combinations of HUS112A, HUS114A, and HUS116A may fulfill this requirement when applying courses from the Child & Adolescent Behavioral Health Certificate(BHC).
Program Note
Communication and Mathematics proficiency required to graduate.
See guided pathway sheets for advising information specific to your area of focus.
Total Credit Hours: 60
Program Student Learner Outcomes
- Identify the variety of career pathways within the field of human services.
- Demonstrate an understanding of cultural competence; provide ethical and culturally sensitive care.
- Demonstrate development of entry level human service worker interpersonal skills.
- Identify, evaluate and utilize effective verbal, nonverbal and written communication skills.
- Understand and apply effective, evidence-based counseling and theoretical approaches with individuals, families and groups.
- Develop critical thinking skills to address issues in human services
- Properly use basic human service terms, concepts and data.
- Utilize a strength based, resilience and humanistic perspective.
Occupational Skills required
- Active listening
- Empathy
- Intercultural competency
- Actively seeking to help people
- Social perceptiveness
- Oral communication
- Documentation
- Ethical decision making
- Complex problem solving
- Judgement and decision making
Experiential Learning Required in Program
- HUS 137 Field Placement & Seminar 1 for Human Services Practitioner
- HUS 138 Field Placement & Seminar 2 for the Human Services
- HUS 139 Field Placement & Seminar 3 for the Human Services
Experiential Learning Optional in Program
- HUS 132 Group Dynamics & Techniques
- HUS 130 Life Changes and Crisis: Adaptation and Intervention
- MEH 206 Advanced Helping Skills
Most Common Linked Occupation Title – All Education Levels
- Counselor and Case Manager
Most Common Linked Occupation Title – Associate’s or Less
- Social and Human Services Assistant
Average Annual Growth (10-Year Projection)
- US - 1.8%
- Boston MSA – 2.1%
- Essex County – 2.1%
- Boston MSA Average Entry-Level Wages (2016) – $24,600
- Boston MSA Median Wages (2016) – $32,200
Top Transfer Institutions
- Lesley University
- Salem State University
- Merrimack College
- Southern New Hampshire
- Springfield College