Human Services
Human Services
Highland Community College offers a wide variety of courses in the Human Services field to help you pursue the career of your dreams. Whether you are interested in careers such as counseling, early childhood education, probation and parole, social work, child and family services, addiction treatment, or gerontology, Highland Community College has courses to help get you started in your education. We also offer small class sizes and a wide variety of services to aid in your success such as peer tutoring, professional tutoring, career planning and exploration, financial planning and FAFSA assistance, and transfer advising.
Childcare workers provide care for children when parents and other family members are unavailable. They attend to children’s basic needs, such as bathing and feeding. In addition, some help children prepare for kindergarten or help older children with homework. Social and human service assistants provide client services, including support for families, in a wide variety of fields.
Health educators teach people about behaviors that promote wellness. They develop and implement strategies to improve the health of individuals and communities. Community health workers collect data and discuss health concerns with members of specific populations or communities. Allied health aides help people with disabilities, chronic illness, or cognitive impairment with activities of daily living. They often help older adults who need assistance.
Social workers help people solve and cope with problems in their everyday lives. One group of social workers—clinical social workers—also diagnose and treat mental, behavioral, and emotional issues. Substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors advise people who suffer from alcoholism, drug addiction, eating disorders, or other behavioral problems. They provide treatment and support to help the client recover from addiction or modify problem behaviors.
Also See Sociology for Details
Social and human service assistants provide services in psychology, rehabilitation, and criminal justice. They assist other workers, and they help clients find benefits or community services. Probation officers and correctional treatment specialists monitor and work with probationers to prevent them from committing new crimes.
Available At These Locations
Human Services Courses
>> This course is approved by the Kansas Board of Regents for System Wide Transfer (SWT) among all Kansas public postsecondary institutions offering an equivalent course. Additional courses may also be eligible for transfer. Please visit the Highland Registrar to learn more.
GE This course is approved by the Kansas Board of Regents for the General Education Transfer among all Kansas public postsecondary institutions offering an equivalent course.
3 Credit Hours
Prerequisite: HMS100 or SOC104
This course provides a foundation in effective case management skills. The course covers interviewing strategies, data collection methods, documentation, and making appropriate referrals for service coordination. The course also examines ethical principles and multi-cultural issues directly related to effective case management.
3 Credit Hours
Prerequisite: PSY205
This course examines the physical changes in the human body and its functions that take place during the aging process. The course will also focus on recognizing the differences between normal aging processes and pathological processes.
3 Credit Hours
Prerequisite: HMS100
This course will cover all areas of child development and will focus on the skills and knowledge professionals need to help parents meet the changing needs of their infants, toddlers and preschoolers. The course will emphasize getting to know and being sensitive to the community where families live. In the course, students will complete a Home Visitor Child Development Associate (CDA) professional resource file and will also observe a program director, advisor, and a parent community representative in preparation for CDA credentialing.
3 Credit Hours
Prerequisite: HMS100 and HMS112
This course will cover the final steps necessary for requesting national Home Visitor Child Development Associate (CDA) credentialing. The course will include working cooperatively with community agencies providing family services, such as health care, mental health, nutrition, and social services. During the course, students will be observed conducting home visits and will complete parent opinion questionnaires, reflect on their professional development, and complete the direct assessment application for the Home Visitor CDA credential.
3 Credit Hours
Prerequisite: HMS100 or SOC104
This course provides an analysis of ethics in the helping professions, application of professional ethical codes, and decision-making models when standards are in conflict. The course will present ethical problems faced by professionals and will critically examine the decision making process.
3 Credit Hours
Prerequisite: Instructor Permission
This course is designed to provide the student with a hands-on experience in an approved human services agency. Students will review the process for setting up a placement, understanding professional requirements for an interview, and complete a series of critical thinking and reflective assignments. The student will complete 225 hours under the supervision of an agency professional and a college faculty member. The classroom component will include small group discussion and analysis of the practicum experience.