HUS 2540 - Building Stronger Families and Communities

College of Social and Behavioral Sciences

Credit(s): 3
Contact Hours: 47
Effective Term Fall 2016 (520)

Course Description

This course provides an understanding of the essential role that human service professionals play in facilitating healthy families and communities. The effects of poverty, inequality, unemployment, child abuse, substance abuse, and domestic violence are included. The course provides strategies for empowering families to move to effective parenting; developing healthy life-styles; promoting self-esteem and self-worth; assuming responsibility; problem solving skills; resolving conflicts; identifying alternatives; and making healthy choices.

Learning Outcomes and Objectives

  1. The student will understand the role of human services professionals is to facilitate the empowerment of individuals, families and communities by:
    1. demonstrating an awareness of community resources.
    2. demonstrating team building strategies.
    3. recognizing and helping individuals to recognize the causes and effects of low self-esteem.
    4. effectively advancing conflict resolution through non-judgmental, non-directive techniques.
    5. advocating goal setting.
    6. knowing the importance of caring, respect, and interpersonal skills.
    7. demonstrating the ability and commitment to identify strengths in individuals, groups and families.
    8. demonstrating the skills and creativity needed to help individuals to become more aware and confident of their abilities.
    9. helping families to enhance their communication, trustworthiness and resiliency.
    10. effectively working with parents to promote goal setting.
    11. applying skills needed to increase self-awareness, self-worth, and acceptance.
  2. The student will demonstrate an understanding of Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs and developmental stages by:
    1. recognizing Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory.
    2. recognizing Erikson's eight stages of development.
    3. recognizing moral development theory.
    4. recognizing personality development theory.
    5. recognizing the genetic and environmental factors that impact development.
  3. The student will demonstrate an understanding of the effects of poverty and inequality by:
    1. recognizing symptoms of abuse and maltreatment.
    2. describing the effects of poverty.
    3. recognizing the effects of racism and sexism.
  4. The student will understand the dynamics that stymie family growth and development by:
    1. examining the residual effects of abuse.
    2. examining the factors related to the development of self-esteem in children.
    3. recognizing addiction patterns that impact family development.
    4. reviewing the effects of media on children and families.
    5. recognizing ways in which individual behavior is influenced by cultural norms and expectations of family, friends, and other groups in which membership is held.
  5. The student will demonstrate an understanding of current changes within major institutions of society by:
    1. describing the changing role of the family.
    2. recognizing the growing function and increased need for education.
    3. identifying current economic and political issues.

Criteria Performance Standard

Upon successful completion of the course the student will, with a minimum of 70% accuracy,demonstrate mastery of each of the above stated objectives through classroom measures developed by individual course instructors.

History of Changes

C&I 12/10/96 DBT 1/21/97 Effective Session 19971; C&I 12/1/98 DBT 12/14/98 Effective Session 19991; SCNS Number Change effective Sess 19891 Reformatted by Mr 9/24/01. 3 Year Review 2003. Effective 20072(0390). C&I Approval: 11/13/2007, BOT Approval: 12/17/2007, Effective Term: Spring 2008 (390).
C&I Approval: 11/20/2015, BOT Approval: 03/15/2016, Effective Term: Fall 2016 (520)

Related Programs

  1. Community Health Worker Certificate (CHW-CT) (595) (Active)
  2. Social and Human Services (HUS-AS) (640) (Active)
  3. Youth Development Professional (YDPF-CT) (520) (Active)