Dec 21, 2024  
Catalog 2019-2020 
    
Catalog 2019-2020 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]


Fully Online Program

Human Services Counseling



 
As of Fall 2017, the Human Services and Chemical Dependency Counseling programs have merged into the Human Services Counseling program.  Students who began in Human Services or Chemical Dependency Counseling may complete their degrees in Human Services Counseling by taking equivalent courses in Human Services Counseling.  Please contact the Program Coordinators for more information or to establish a completion plan.

Important Information


Short Description


The A.A.S. in Human Services Counseling prepares students for a variety of career options in the related fields of human service, social work, and behavioral health counseling.  Students in the degree and certificate programs will be prepared for entry level career opportunities in a variety of helping professions, including child and youth care, elder care, and alcohol and drug counseling. This program also provides opportunities for working professionals to enhance or specialize their knowledge, skills, and abilities.

This program has two Areas of Concentration (AOCs): Behavioral Health Counseling, and Human Services Generalist. Courses in the first semester, and most of the second semester, are core classes. In the third and fourth semesters, students will take specialized courses for their AOC.

Students who elect the Behavioral Health Counseling track will be eligible for the Certified Supervised Counselor-Alcohol and Drug (CSC-AD) credential from the Board of Professional Counselors and Therapists.  

Type of Credential


Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.)

Program Code


720

Contacts and Additional Information


Program Coordinators:

Behavioral Health Counseling Area of Concentration (AOC) Coordinator:
Ted McCadden, D.Ed., LCADC
443-840-3783 or tmccadden@ccbcmd.edu

Human Services Generalist Area of Concentration (AOC) Coordinator:
Lisa Boone
443-840-4379 or lboone@ccbcmd.edu

Additional Information:

  • Statewide program (The Human Services Generalist Certificate is not designated as a Statewide program.)
  • The Human Services Counseling A.A.S. degree is offered both face to face and fully (100%) online.
  • Opportunities for Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) - see Portfolio, Departmental Exam, and DSST Examination. Several General Education classes also have PLA opportunities.
  • Articulation and Transfer Agreements

Semester Sequence


This is a suggested full-time schedule for a student who has completed any developmental course work and has no transfer credits. Refer to the College catalog for specific requirements in selecting General Education Courses .

Semester 2


Semester 3


Semester 4


Courses Needed for This Program*


General Education Requirements and Electives – 18-20 Credits


General Education Electives:


Choose courses in each category from the list of approved General Education Courses . One course must be a Diversity course.

  • Biological and Physical Sciences 3-4 Credit(s).
  • Mathematics (MATH 153  recommended) 3-4 Credit(s).

Program Requirements and Electives - 42 Credits


Program Requirements:


Students must take all degree core courses (21 credits) and elect a 21-credit Area of Concentration consistent with their career goals.

Program Electives:


The Behavioral Health Counseling AOC has no electives.

The Human Services Generalist AOC has 9 credits of electives. Any HUSC course can be taken as an elective; other courses may also be used, with permission of the program coordinator.

Total Number of Credits Required for Degree: 60*


Note


*Credit students who are new to college (no successfully completed transferable college credits from other institutions) are required to take ACDV 101 - Academic Development: Transitioning to College . This 1-credit course is designed to be taken in the first semester at CCBC. Students must provide an official transcript(s) from an accredited institution to document successful completion of college coursework for the ACDV 101 requirement to be waived.

Program Description


The A.A.S. degree program in Human Services Counseling is designed to prepare students to function as human services workers and counselors in a broad range of settings, such as residential and outpatient programs, detoxification units, group homes, elder care facilities, and medication-assisted treatment programs. Program graduates may also broaden their area of study to social work, counseling, human services, or psychology at the bachelor’s and master’s degree levels. Through the A.A.S. degree program, students will complete a core of courses in Human Services Counseling, and general college courses in writing, science, math and communications. Students will also specialize in an Area of Concentration appropriate to his or her career goals.  The A.A.S. degree program culminates in an internship experience in a work setting appropriate to the student’s career goals. This experiential counseling opportunity greatly enhances the student’s knowledge and skills.

This program has two Areas of Concentration (AOCs): Behavioral Health Counseling, and Human Services Generalist. Courses in the first semester, and most of the second semester, are core classes. In the third and fourth semesters, students will take specialized courses for their AOC.

Students who complete the Behavioral Health Counseling Area of Concentration meet the educational requirements required by the State of Maryland for certification as an Alcohol and Drug Counselor at the Associates Degree level.  The credentialing process includes a combination of a college degree in a health or human services counseling field; course work specific to chemical dependency counseling; an internship experience or substantially equivalent work experience as defined by the Board; and passing a state-approved examination. Both the degree requirement and specific alcohol and drug course work are met by the completion of this degree.

Program Outcomes


Upon completion of the program, students will be able to:

  1. utilize a variety of counseling skills and abilities to function effectively as counselors in a variety of settings;
  2. assess and document a client’s current status and apply basic therapeutic techniques;
  3. develop, prioritize, and implement a plan to address a client’s presenting problem;
  4. conduct themselves professionally and ethically as counselors in culturally-diverse settings; and,
  5. express themselves professionally, both verbally and in writing, to a variety of audiences, including clients, other professionals, and external monitoring agencies.

This program will prepare students with the knowledge, skills, and abilities for a wide variety of entry level jobs, providing credentials where indicated (eligibility for certification by Maryland Board of Professional Counselors and Therapists or Child and Youth Care Practitioner, for example).

Additional Outcomes - Behavioral Health Counseling AOC


Upon completion of the Behavioral Health Counseling Area of Concentration, students will be able to:

  1. apply the core functions of Behavioral Health Counseling with diverse clients in a variety of work settings;
  2. accurately assess, diagnose, and provide a treatment plan for people with behavioral health needs, within the counselor’s scope of practice;
  3. demonstrate treatment interventions appropriate to clients’ needs, diagnoses, desired treatment outcomes, and cultural experiences;
  4. recognize the impact of psychoactive substance use in all facets of the individual’s experience, including the physical, social, and familial impacts; and,
  5. work within ethical guidelines and the professional expectations of the fields of counseling.

Additional Outcomes - Human Services Generalist AOC


Upon completion of the Human Services Area of Concentration, students will be able to:

  1. demonstrate standards of professional conduct including oral and written communication;
  2. assess and document a client’s current status utilizing basic counseling skills;
  3. collaborate as an active member of a multi-disciplinary case management team that implements the individualized treatment plan;
  4. explore the differing career paths available within the human services fields; and
  5. work within ethical guidelines and the professional expectations of the fields of counseling.

Other


This program has been granted accreditation by the National Addiction Studies Accreditation Commission (NASAC) through 2024.