FACULTY

Lee Ann M. Eschbach, Ph.D., Chair

Paul Datti, Ph.D., Program Director
Elizabeth J. Jacob, Ph.D.
Ann Marie Toloczko, Ph.D.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The undergraduate program in Counseling and Human Services is part of the Department of Counseling and Human Services which is part of the College of Professional Studies (CPS). The Counseling and Human Services program has a multi-disciplinary perspective with special emphasis placed on the achievement of excellence in academic and professional competencies. The Counseling and Human Services program and the department are committed to the enhancement of human development across the lifespan. Through the interplay of counseling, skill development, social work systems, rehabilitation services, field work experiences, and internships, the program prepares students for work in a variety of settings (agency, school, etc.) as counseling and human service professionals who situate their work within cultural, family, and community (local, regional, national, and global) contexts. See CHS PROGRAM MANUAL.

The Counseling and Human Services program leads to a Bachelor of Science degree that prepares students for graduate studies or for entry-level positions in the field of Counseling and Human Services following graduation. In concert with the mission of the University to provide liberal arts foundation, the CHS program prepares students to develop the necessary skills for culturally competent human services delivery. Core requirements in the major emphasize values, knowledge and skills common to all fields of human services, while electives allow students to develop competence in assisting specific populations.

The CHS degree consists of a 131 credit curriculum including 49 credits from CHS major courses.  In addition to the University of Scranton’s requirements for graduation, students pursuing the CHS degree must maintain a minimum of C in all major and cognate courses for graduation. Students in the major are required to complete 6 credits of internship experience totaling 350 hours. All students must also complete a minimum of 80 service-learning hours (separate from the internships) in order to graduate.

PHILOSOPHICAL STATEMENT OF PROGRAM

The philosophy of the Counseling and Human Services program integrates the missions of the CHS Department, College of Professional Studies, and University of Scranton which embrace a tradition of excellence in training professionals grounded in theory and practice. The curriculum is designed to develop in students the self-awareness, knowledge, and culturally relevant skills necessary to work with a diverse clientele in a variety of settings and situations. The philosophical underpinning of the curriculum also focuses on the development of self-reflective practitioners, competent care givers, and community leaders. The conceptual framework of the CHS curriculum emphasizes the development of human services professionals who will be responsive to contemporary needs

The B. S. Program in Counseling and Human Services received full national accreditation in 2006 from the Council for Standards in Human Services Education (CSHSE). The Council for Standards in Human Services Education (CSHSE) and the National Organization for Human Services (NOHS) work side by side to shape the future of human services. While CSHSE is the standard setting and approval body, NOHS is the professional organization for students, educators and providers.

All students graduating with a degree in CHS are eligible to apply for the Human Services Board - Certified Practitioner credential upon graduation available via the National Organization for Human Services (NOHS) and the Center for Credentialing Education (CCE).

The undergraduate program in Counseling and Human Services strives to adhere to the training and ethical standards set forth by both the Council for Standards in Human Services Education (CSHSE), the National Organization for Human Services (NOHS) and the American Counseling Association (ACA).

The CHS program and faculty are also committed to making sure that the curriculum, field work and clinical training experiences adhere to the ethical guidelines provided by both NOHS and ACA. The ethical guidelines provide a framework and the theoretical underpinnings to train culturally competent human services professionals.

There are unique dimensions of the CHS major which allow undergraduate students to integrate interests and skills.  An overall strength of the B.S. Counseling and Human Services program is the congruence of its mission statement with the missions of the University, College of Professional Studies, and the Department of Counseling and Human Services. The program embraces the tradition of excellence that is part of the University community in promoting personal and professional development of its students in training human services professionals.

The sequence of courses focuses on understanding normal and abnormal human adjustment across the lifespan and on developing skill in interventions designed to maximize human adjustment and development. Core requirements in the major emphasize values, knowledge and skills common to all fields of human services, while electives allow students to develop competence in assisting specific populations.

The program allies itself to the commitment of the College of Professional Studies' mission to train students through a balance of theory and practice and community service learning experiences that are a vital part of the CHS curriculum. The Counseling and Human Services curriculum is designed to develop in students the values, knowledge, and skills necessary to become culturally competent professionals. New and ongoing curricular innovations such as the concentration in Rehabilitation Services and the Pastoral Studies Track provide Counseling and Human Services majors with more employment and graduate study options.

The Counseling and Human Services program offers students the opportunity to narrow their program focus by enrolling in the Concentration in Rehabilitation Services, the Combined Bachelors/Masters Program, and Collaborative Global Curriculum Initiatives: 

Concentration in Rehabilitation Services 

The Counseling and Human Services curriculum has expanded to offer a concentration in rehabilitation services to enhance the knowledge and practice for work with persons with disabilities in response to an increasing need for baccalaureate-level professionals in rehabilitation services. Through a concentration in rehabilitation services, students will be prepared to work in state and local agencies that are responsible for the vocational, mental-health, psycho-social, and developmental needs of persons with various types of physical and mental disabilities. Students can also pursue an emphasis on persons with addictions and substance-abuse. This concentration is for Counseling and Human Services majors only.

Combined Bachelors/Masters Program

Outstanding Counseling and Human Services majors are eligible for consideration in this program (please refer to the catalog sections on Special Programs or the College of Graduate and Continuing Education and to the Graduate Studies Catalog for specifics of the program). Community Counseling, Rehabilitation Counseling and School Counseling are graduate programs available for students of high academic quality and clear professional goals. Each graduate program is nationally accredited, and the Department of Counseling and Human Services is recognized regionally and nationally in Counselor Education.

Collaborative Global Curriculum Initiatives

The Department of Counseling and Human Services has been intimately involved in several innovative global initiatives which provide the undergraduate students with a wider vision of human services delivery. In conjunction with Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City, a collaborative graduate program in Community Counseling prepares bilingual, culturally-sensitive counselors to work with Spanish-speaking individuals, families, and communities.  Students study and work in Mexico City for a minimum of one semester. There are multiple opportunities for undergraduate students to engage in collaborative global initiatives, service learning and social justice programs.

According to the National Organization for Human Services (NOHS), the Human Services profession is dedicated to providing services to individuals and families in need of assistance. The goal of human services work is to enhance the quality of life for those who are served. Human service professionals perform a variety of roles. Some of these roles are:

• counselor to those who need support
• broker to help people use community resources
• teacher of daily living skills
• advocate for those who are unable to advocate for themselves
• mediator between clients and between clients and agencies
• caregiver to children, elders, and adults with disabilities  

The Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH), published by the Department of Labor, projects that opportunities for social and human service  professionals are expected to be excellent, particularly for applicants with appropriate postsecondary education. The number of social and human service jobs is projected to grow by 34%  for all occupations between 2006 and 2016-ranking the occupation among the most rapidly growing. Many additional job opportunities will arise from the need to replace workers who advance into new positions, retire, or leave the workforce for other reasons.

The OOH lists the following as examples of jobs available for those who have earned a human service degree:

Case Worker
Family Support Worker
Child Abuse Worker
Youth Worker
Social Service Liaison
Mental Health Aide
Residential Counselor
Behavioral Management Aide
Intake Interviewer
Group Activities Aide
Crisis Intervention Counselor
Probation Officer
Case Monitor
Community Outreach Worker
Parole Officer
Rehabilitation Case Worker
Child Advocate
Community Action Worker

Students who seek a B.S. degree in Counseling and Human Services are afforded the opportunity to design a program of study to fit their individual career goals and aspirations. Students who choose to complete the B.S. program in the traditional form will take the following major courses:

CHS 111        3.0  Introduction to Human Services
CHS 112        3.0  Human Services Systems
CHS 241        3.0  Case Management and Interviewing
CHS 242        3.0  Theories of Counseling
CHS 293        3.0  Research Methods in COUN and HS
CHS 333        3.0  Multiculturalism in COUN and HS
CHS 335        3.0  Administration in Human Services
CHS 340        1.0  Career Seminar
CHS 341        3.0  Group Dynamics
CHS 380        3.0  Internship in COUN and HS
CHS 441        3.0  Crisis Intervention
CHS 481        3.0  Advanced Internship in COUN and HS

Elective courses can be selected based on the student’s interests and/or career aspirations. Many students choose to select specific areas of counseling such as addictions and substance abuse, marriage and family, or special populations. Elective decisions are commonly made after exploration with the student’s department mentor or academic advisor in the College of Professional Studies (CPS) or College of Graduate and Continuing Education Advising Centers. Students in the traditional College are advised by the College of Professional Studies Advising Center. Adult learners are advised by the College of Graduate and Continuing Education Advising Center. CHS student mentoring is conducted by Drs. Paul Datti, Ann Marie Toloczko and Elizabeth Jacob-Kahn.

INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCES

Clinical Instruction

During the course of academic study, CHS students are also required to apply theory into practice throughout courses and via fieldwork and internships. This clinical training is accomplished in three ways: opportunities in the department’s David W. Hall Counseling Training Center, service learning community partners, and external site Internships.

The Counseling and Human Services curriculum features two required internships. The first 150-hour internship (CHS 380) is normally taken in the Spring semester of the student’s junior year. Students are also required to complete another 200-hour internship (CHS 481). Students must complete 350 hours of internship to meet the new accreditation guidelines provided by CSHSE. Internships are not offered during Intersession or Summer sessions. The 80 hours of service learning are separate and are necessary for all undergraduate students in the College of Professional Studies to meet graduation requirements.

Students have opportunities to experience working in community mental health agencies; hospital social work departments; hospice centers; children and youth agencies; residential treatment centers for children, adolescents and adults; substance abuse facilities (inpatient and outpatient); early intervention programs; and agencies that serve persons with disabilities.