HUM Human Services Courses at Global Campus

This required core course examines cutting edge trends in the formation and execution of human services policy in public and private organizations. Selected topics include the current human services climate, forces driving policy formation and execution, and issues related to the future of human services policy. The topics selected will connect human service policy with culture, change theory, existing organizational strategies, and the process of change in future directions. Effective mechanisms to influence policy are emphasized. Major case study examples of human services policy are included in the learning process. Students will also engage in activities intended to help prepare them for the doctoral journey.

This course examines the theories and research underlying the political, economic, and social structures related to community groups and organizations within contemporary society. Students analyze methods of creating communities and social organizations that empower and support individuals to work together to initiate change, with or without the assistance of outside advocacy. Students develop skills to create and assess community action plans, incorporate persuasive language into client advocacy, and organize political action groups to seek opportunities for themselves and others. There is a focus on social and economic justice within the context of human services' ethics that supports and sustains the well-being of individuals and communities, especially among diverse populations.

This course will provide students with a comprehensive step-by-step approach to performance and quality management in human service organizations that provide services to underserved communities. Students will investigate the quality of service delivery, assess risks, and identify quality/outcome indicators associated with the efficacy of the programs provided by human service organizations. Additional focus will be placed on the areas of methodological, ethical, political, and organizational foundations that enable students to create a performance and management plan to improve service delivery that is supported by research evidence that stakeholders may use to enhance their programs’ effectiveness.

This course will apply a hands-on approach to understanding the unique needs of vulnerable and underserved populations in the human services field. Students will explore all of the following and select one to complete a practical project incorporating the study of and recommendations for specific needs of: military members and their families, veterans, homeless individuals and homeless families, immigrants, the geriatric community, medically underserved, chronically and severely mentally ill, single parents, the uninsured, economically disadvantaged children and families, those with human immunodeficiency virus [HIV], racial/ethnic minorities, incarcerated individuals and their families, or any other instructor approved demographic population.

This course explores the past, present, and future of various human services information technology modalities from the basics of computer literacy, telecommunications, networking, accounting and administrative applications, to security issues and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). With evolving changes in laws and policies, such as implementation of the Affordable Care Act, this course is recommended for those students interested in staying abreast of the latest in cutting-edge technologies that coincide with this and other legislative initiatives impacting the human services field.

This advanced seminar examines enduring issues in business and professional ethics and applying proven approaches to ethical professional practice and organizational operations in contemporary non-profit organizations. Topics will include social responsibility of for-profit organizations in support of non-profit organizations, program operating budgets vs. long-term financial stability, and ethical concerns related to governance and program priorities.