Course descriptions index


Rural Human Services


RHS F110 Cross-Cultural Bridging Skills

1 Credit     Offered As Demand Warrants

Issues and impacts relevant to effective cross- cultural communication. Understanding barriers to effective cross-cultural communication in rural settings and development of effective cross-cultural communication skills from a Native perspective. Development of bridging and networking skills that integrate Native values and principles. Student must spend one week in intensive study at selected delivery site. (1+0)


RHS F115 Issues of Personal Development

2 Credits

Dynamics and impacts of personal development issues relevant to the delivery of rural human services focusing on understanding types, application and processes of personal development. Facilitating personal development through processes that integrate or reflect Native values and principles. Student must spend one week in intensive study at selected delivery site. (2+1)


RHS F120 Family Systems I

2 Credits

Survey of historical forces that exerted influence on Alaska Native families, the impacts of those forces and discussion of their contemporary effects from a Native perspective. Focus on developing options and strategies for developing healthy Native families as the foundation for healthy Native communities. Emphasis on developing the understanding and skills necessary to facilitate development and maintenance of healthy families through healthy individuals. Student must spend one week in intensive study at selected delivery site. (2+1)


RHS F130 Processes of Community Change

2 Credits

Contemporary foundations of rural social development and relevant issues from a Native perspective. Developing the understanding and skills necessary for facilitating positive individual, family and community development based on an ecological systems approach. Emphasis on developing the skills necessary to identify, develop and mobilize individual, family and community resources in rural Native communities. Student must spend one week in intensive study at selected delivery site. (2+1)


RHS F140 Alaska Native Values and Principles

1 Credit

Traditional Native values and principles, their applicability to today's world and issues relevant to their integration into today's lifestyles. Developing understanding and skills necessary for facilitating formulation of positive world views within Native individuals, families and communities. Explores the role of spirituality in a variety of Alaska Native cultures. Student must spend three days in intensive study at selected delivery site. (1+0)


RHS F150 Introduction to Rural Counseling

2 Credits

Identification and examination of issues relevant to the delivery of rural counseling services focusing on developing the understanding and skills necessary for the effective delivery of rural counseling services. Opportunities for development of basic rural counseling skills with emphasis on integration of Native values and principles and exploring strategies that facilitate positive individual, family, and community growth and development through enhancement of healthy lifestyles in rural Native communities. Student must spend one week in intensive study at selected delivery site. (2+1)


RHS F220 Family Systems II

2 Credits

The dynamics and issues relevant to personal healing and recovery from a Native perspective focusing on developing the understanding and skills necessary to healing and recovery in Native individuals, families and communities. Emphasis on achieving healthy lifestyles through self-understanding based on truth, grieving and positive proactive repositioning. Student must spend one week in intensive study at selected delivery site. (2+1)


RHS F250 Rural Counseling II

2 Credits

Differences and similarities between Native and Western counseling skills. Issues relevant to the development and delivery of basic rural counseling skills and services. Focuses on identifying and building on individual, family and community strengths as the foundation for development of intervention strategies. Addresses the importance of integrating Native traditional values and principles into intervention strategies and service delivery. Emphasis on developing and enhancing basic rural counseling skills and short- and long-term intervention strategies. Student must spend one week in intensive study at selected delivery site. (2+1)


RHS F260 Addictions: Intervention and Treatment

2 Credits

Dynamics, issues, impacts, treatment options and intervention strategies relevant to behavioral and chemical addictions. Understanding addictive processes and developing treatment options and intervention strategies from a Native perspective. Emphasis on development of treatment options and intervention strategies that integrate Native values and principles. Student must spend one week in intensive study at selected delivery site. (2+1)


RHS F265 Interpersonal Violence

2 Credits     Offered As Demand Warrants

Types, causes and impacts of interpersonal violence focusing on developing an understanding of interpersonal violence and development of treatment options and intervention strategies from a Native perspective. Emphasis on development of treatment options and intervention strategies that integrate Native values and principles. Student must spend one week in intensive study at selected delivery site. (2+1)


RHS F270 Networking, Negotiating and Conflict Resolution

2 Credits

The dynamics of networking, negotiation and conflict resolution from a Native perspective. Focusing on Alaska Native individuals, families and communities, identification, examination and discussion of issues relevant to developing effective communication skills. Emphasis on identifying and understanding issues impacting conflict resolution, focusing on developing and strengthening networking and negotiating skills relevant to the delivery of effective rural human service. Student must spend one week in intensive study at selected delivery site. (2+1)


RHS F275 Introduction to Recovery and Mental Illness

2 Credits     Offered As Demand Warrants

Overview of mental illness and recovery issues. Emphasis on issues for practitioners in small, rural communities in Alaska. Prerequisites: RHS F150 or instructor permission. Recommended: RHS F250, RHS F115. (2+1)


RHS F285 Case Management

2 Credits

Identification and discussion of issues, components, procedures, responsibilities, skills and processes for case management in rural settings with diverse populations. Emphasis 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 explored. Student must be willing and able to work independently outside the classroom and in the community. (2+1)


RHS F287 Rural Human Services Practicum

4 Credits

Personal and professional development, self-analysis and growth. Emphasis on developing the understanding and skills necessary to integrate Native healing theory and problem solving into the delivery of rural human services. Student must be willing and able to work independently outside the classroom and in the community. Taken as part of the final sequence of courses in the Rural Human Services certificate program, practicum provides students with 100 hours of supervised learning experience in an approved rural human service organization/agency. (4+0)


RHS F288 Directed Study: Resource Assessment

1 Credit

Identify and develop local, regional and statewide resources of benefit to the student's community. Focus on gathering information on resources and creating a human services resource directory relevant to the needs of individuals, families and communities. Emphasis on application of multicultural communication skills. Student must be willing and able to work independently outside the classroom and in the community. (1+0)


RHS F289 Directed Study: Community Development

1 Credit

Develop, implement and evaluate a village-based community development project through a supervised, professional experience. Focus on developing positive, effective, meaningful development projects that are culturally appropriate. Emphasis on developing a process that facilitates community ownership and responsibility for the project. Student must be willing and able to work independently outside the classroom and in the community. (1+0)


RHS F290 Grief and Healing

2 Credits     Offered As Demand Warrants

Exploration of the dynamics of grief and healing from an Alaska Native perspective. Special emphasis on Native values and principles focused on developing culturally relevant, understandings, awarenesses and professional skills. (2+1)