Course Descriptions

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RHS-110 Cross-Cultural Bridging Skills
RHS-115 Issues of Personal Development
RHS-120 Family Systems I
RHS-130 Processes of Community Change
RHS-140 Alaska Native Values and Principles
RHS-150 Introduction to Rural Counseling
RHS-220 Family Systems II
RHS-250 Rural Counseling II
RHS-260 Addictions: Intervention and Treatment
RHS-265 Interpersonal Violence
RHS-275 Introduction to Mental Illness and Recovery
RHS-285 Case Management
RHS-286 Grief and Healing
RHS-287 Practicum
Communication Requirement
Computation Requirement

Detailed Description

RHS-110 Cross-Cultural Bridging Skills (1 Credit)

Identifies and examines issues and impacts relevant to effective cross-cultural communication. Focus is on understanding barriers to effective cross-cultural communication in rural settings and development of effective cross-cultural communication skills from a Native perspective. Special emphasis placed on development of bridging and networking skills that integrate Native values and principles. [return to top]

RHS-115 Issues of Personal Development (2 Credits)

Explores and discusses the dynamics and impacts of personal development issues relevant to the delivery of rural human services. Focus is on understanding types, application, and processes of personal development. Special emphasis placed on facilitating personal development through processes that integrate or reflect Native values and principles. [return to top]

RHS-120 Family Systems I (2 Credits)

Surveys the historical forces exerted on Alaska Native families, examines the impacts of those forces, and discusses their contemporary effects from a Native perspective. Focus is on developing options and strategies for developing healthy Native families as the foundation for healthy Native communities. Special emphasis placed on developing the understandings and skills necessary to facilitate development and maintenance of healthy families thorough healthy individuals. [return to top]

RHS-130 Processes of Community Change (2 Credits)

Examines and discusses contemporary foundations of rural social development and relevant issues from a Native perspective. Based on an ecological systems approach, this course focuses on developing the understanding and skills necessary for facilitating positive individual, family, and community development. Special emphasis placed on developing the skills necessary to identify, develop, and mobilize individual, family, and community resources in rural Native communities. [return to top]

RHS-140 Alaska Native Values and Principles (1 Credit)

Explores and discusses traditional Native values and principles, their applicability to today's world, and issues relevant to their integration into today's lifestyles. Focus is on developing understandings and skills necessary for facilitating formulation of positive world views within Native individuals, families, and communities. Special emphasis placed on developing an understanding of and appreciation for spirituality as a value and its role in the life processes of Alaska Natives. [return to top]

RHS-150 Introduction to Rural Counseling (2 Credits)

Identifies and examines issues relevant to the delivery of rural counseling services. Focus is on developing the understandings and skills necessary for the effective delivery of rural counseling services. With special emphasis on integration of Native values and principles, this course provides opportunities for development of basic rural counseling skills and also provides opportunities for exploring strategies that facilitate positive individual, family, and community growth and development through enhancement of healthy lifestyles in rural Native communities. [return to top]

RHS-220 Family Systems II (2 Credits)

A continuation of RHS-120 Family Systems I, this course explores and discusses the dynamics and issues relevant to personal healing and recovery from a Native perspective. Focus is on developing the understandings and skills necessary to healing and recovery in Native individuals, families, and communities. Special emphasis placed on achieving healthy lifestyles thorough self-understanding based on truth, grieving, and positive proactive repositioning. [return to top]

RHS-250 Rural Counseling II (2 Credits)

Examines and discusses the differences and similarities between Native and Western counseling skills and identifies and examines issues relevant to the development and delivery of basic rural counseling skills services. Focusing on identifying and building on individual, family, and community strengths as the foundation for development of intervention strategies, this course addresses the importance of integrating Native traditional values and principles into intervention strategies and service delivery. Special emphasis placed on developing and enhancing basic rural counseling skills and short- and long-term intervention strategies. [return to top]

RHS-260 Addictions: Intervention and Treatment (2 Credits)

Explores the dynamics, issues, impacts, treatment options and intervention strategies relevant to behavioral and chemical addictions. Focus is on understanding addictive processes and developing treatment options and intervention strategies from a Native perspective. Special emphasis placed on development of treatment options and intervention strategies that integrate Native values and principles. [return to top]

RHS-265 Interpersonal Violence (2 Credits)

Examines the types, causes, and impacts of interpersonal violence. Focus is on developing an understanding of interpersonal violence and development of treatment options and intervention strategies from a Native perspective. Special emphasis placed on development of treatment options and intervention strategies that integrate Native values and principles. [return to top]

RHS-275 Introduction to Mental Illness and Recovery (2 Credits)

Provides an overview of mental illness and explores the process of recovery as it applies to people who experience mental illness. Looks at how practitioners diagnose and support people with mental illness and how they can help facilitate the process of recovery. Service approaches explored include medical treatment, counseling, psychiatric rehabilitation and peer support. [return to top]

RHS-285 Case Management (2 Credits)

Identifies and discusses issues, components, procedures, responsibilities, skills, and processes for case management in rural settings and with diverse populations. Special emphasis placed on case management processes unique to rural and village Alaska and to the fields of mental health, addictions, and interpersonal violence. Oral and written communication skills essential to effective case management are explored. [return to top]

RHS-286 Grief and Healing (2 Credits)

Examines the types, causes, and impacts of grief and explores various models of the grief cycle. Focus is on developing an understanding of grief and grieving cycles from a Native perspective. Special emphasis is placed on development of healing strategies that integrate Native values and principles. [return to top]

RHS-287 Practicum (4 Credits)

Designed to be taken as part of the final sequence of courses after Training Session 3 of the Rural Human Services Certificate Program, the practicum provides students with 100 hours of supervised learning experience in an approved rural human service organization or agency. Focus is on placing students in supervised experiential learning experiences that expose them to opportunities for personal and professional development, self-analysis, and growth. Special emphasis is placed on developing the understandings and skills necessary to integrate Native healing theory and problem solving into the delivery of rural human services. [return to top]

Communication Requirement (2-3 credits)

Students must also demonstrate competency in communication by taking one of the following courses recommended by placement test: ENG 111 (Introduction to Academic Writing); DEVS 104 (University Communications); CIOS 160 (Business English) or other approved course. [return to top]

Computation Requirement (2-3 credits)

Any math course at 100 level or above; or ABUS 155 Business Math; CIOS 116 Business Math Using Calculators; DEVM 105 (Developmental Math); or other approved course. [return to top]