HHS 201 Introduction to Health & Human Services (4) (S)
Acquaints the beginning student with the history, philosophy, values, concepts, language, directions, problems, and broad scope of health and human services. Offers exposure to various agencies and agency policies. Offered each fall.
HHS 210 Public Health (3)
Offers the student an overview of the history and current practice of public health in the U.S. and abroad and surveys the core components of public health. Offered each fall or on demand.
HHS 261 Human Sexuality (3)
An exploration of the diverse and often divisive issues surrounding human sexuality. Historical perspectives from Western cultures provide a basis for understanding the construction of gender in modern society. A review of other cultures punctuate diverse approaches to gender and sexual issues worldwide. The legal, moral and ethical issues related to sexual behavior and gender are studied along with the physical aspects of human sexuality and procreation. The disciplines of history, anthropology, sociology, psychology, health education, medicine, religious studies, women's studies and law inform the exploration. Multiple approaches to controversial issues are explored and debated, as well as myths and facts. Students are challenged to explore their own values, their genesis and the function those values serve in their lives. Offered fall of even-numbered years.
HHS 302 Planning, Administration & Legislation (3)
Builds skills in community organization, administrative and legislative process as intervention techniques. Each student is expected to design, develop and present a project using the method taught. Offered each spring.
HHS 307 Death, Dying, Loss & Grief (3) (V,W)
Focuses on contemporary and historical societal influences, cultural practices and spiritual beliefs in conceptualizing the experience of death. Students examine religious rituals related to the preparation of the body, the burial and the mourning process and examine the ethics surrounding end of life decisions and how death is determined from a medical and legal perspective. Current legal issues and instruments such as advance directives, wills and powers of attorney are discussed. Also addressed are current ethical controversies around life sustaining measures, physical assisted death and organ transplantation. The impact of loss throughout the life cycle is addressed, as a result of normal developmental transitions. Those losses are contrasted with loss as a result of suicide, violence and disaster. In addition we explore the needs of those identified as disenfranchised grievers such as partners of AIDS patients, families of suicide victims, women who have miscarried and young widows/widowers. Offered fall of odd-numbered years.
HHS 308 Gerontological Services (3)
Offers the student an overview of the history and current practice of gerontological services in the United States. During the 20th century, life expectancy increased almost 30 years in this country. An entire field of response has been created to help the elderly population with their needs and concerns. This course is a survey of the core components of gerontological services--financial, social, in-home, institutional and medical. Service delivery gaps and trends for the future will also be explored. Prerequisite: junior status. Offered in selected Winter Sessions.
HHS 309 Grief--Childhood & Adolescence (3)
Designed to teach students the theories which explain the different ways children react to loss and grief. The materials studied give the students a knowledge base upon which to build appropriate intervention skills to assist children living with loss and grief. Special attention is given to age, cultural, racial, religious and gender differences. The focus is on children experiencing the loss of a significant person in their lives. Some emphasis is on children suffering from life-threatening illness and their own potential death. Prerequisite: junior/senior status or consent. Three semester hours of psychology, sociology, or health and human services. Offered fall of even-numbered years.
HHS 310 Public Health (3)
Offers the student an overview of the history and current practice of public health in the U.S. and abroad and surveys the core components of public health. Offered each fall or on demand.
HHS 312 Chronic Diseases (3)
An in-depth review of current health concerns and chronic diseases. The course surveys specific conditions, policy related to these conditions, and prevention techniques. Public health prevention as well as the medical community's curative response are also examined. The public health model is promoted throughout the course. Prerequisite: sophomore status. Offered spring of even-numbered years.
HHS 318 Aging in the Media (3)
Explores aging through the context of popular media. The study begins with an overview of the major psychosocial theories on aging and explores how aging and older people are portrayed in a myriad of media. Students focus on film and view television programs, comics, and children's literature. This is a fun and innovative way to study the etic construct of aging through the Western (American and British) emic lens. Prerequisite: sophomore status or higher. Offered in selected Winter Sessions.
HHS 320 Overview of Health Care Administration (3)
Presents cutting-edge thinking on the management of health care organizations. Practical and conceptual skills are taught to help students focus on more efficient health care delivery in a multitude of settings. This course prepares students for entry-level health care management positions or for graduate education in health care administration (MHA, MPA, MBA, MPH, MSW). Prerequisite: junior status. Offered fall of even-numbered years.
HHS 321 Medical Group Management (3)
A comprehensive guide to the administration of an ambulatory care facility, for both the new manager and the experienced administrator. Prerequisite: PSY 201 or MBE 301 or consent.
HHS 335 Contemporary Issues (3)
Provides an opportunity for students to critically examine a variety of issues which are of concern to providers of services as well as consumers of services. The topics of concern may, by necessity, change from year to year. The course is useful to students majoring in disciplines from all three divisions. Students are expected to do independent work to supplement lectures and readings. Prerequisite: junior/senior status. Offered spring of odd-numbered years.
HHS 336 Human Growth and Development: Life Course Approach (3)
Designed to meet the needs of students who want to develop a strong foundation in human growth and development. Different biological, social, and psychological theories of growth and development are examined and will offer the student a multi-disciplinary perspective. Students will learn primarily about normal development--from conception to aged death. While normal development will be stressed, certain pathological processes will be examined as well. Note: Students who have taken a previous developmental course, or will as part of their intended major, may not take this class for additional credit. Prerequisites: junior status or consent. Offered each spring.
HHS 337 Advanced Developmental Psychology (3)
Identical to PSY 337.
HHS 338 Adult Development: A Biopsychosocial Approach (3)
Human growth and development, young adulthood through aged death, is designed to meet the particular needs of students in the health and human services. Focuses on the normal developing life process with attention to individual adjustments. Though related to the normal developmental processes and subsequent adjustments, the course examines how the normal process may cause behavior patterns which may be interpreted as pathological to the untrained observer. Students also become aware of abnormal responses to normal developmental processes as the individual proceeds through the normal changes associated with growth and development. Since it is extremely important for students to understand the interrelationship of physical, mental, and emotional development and the impact of one's culture, each developmental stage is examined from this perspective and considers the unique tasks and stresses of the different stages of life. Offered each spring.
HHS 343 Public Administration (3) (S)
Identical to POLS 343.
HHS 361 Human Sexuality (3) (V)
An exploration of the diverse and often divisive issues surrounding human sexuality. Historical perspectives from Western cultures provide a basis for understanding the construction of gender in modern society. A review of other cultures punctuate diverse approaches to gender and sexual issues worldwide. The legal, moral and ethical issues related to sexual behavior and gender are studied along with the physical aspects of human sexuality and procreation. The disciplines of history, anthropology, sociology, psychology, health education, medicine, religious studies, women's studies and law inform the exploration. Multiple approaches to controversial issues are explored and debated, as well as myths and facts. Students are challenged to explore their own values, their genesis and the function those values serve in their lives. Offered fall of even-numbered years.
HHS 380 Aging in America (3)
Provides an overview of current theories of aging. Attention is given to myths, healthy aging, positive strategies used to deal with the aging process, and the interrelationships between characteristics and needs of aging and aged people in America. "Aged" is defined as 65-120. Prerequisite: PSY 201 or SOC 100. Offered fall of odd-numbered years.
HHS 383 Emergency Management (3)
Focuses on planning for and responding to both routine events such as fires, drowning and accidents, and extraordinary major events, such as hurricanes or terrorist attacks. We discuss specific events and how they were planned for and responded to. We also look at strengths and weaknesses of these plans and responses. Prerequisite: sophomore/junior/senior status. Offered spring semesters on demand.
HHS 384 Drugs of Abuse (3)
An introduction to the complex issues surrounding both licit and illicit drugs. The most widely used/abused drugs are studied in some depth to include an overview of their pharmacology and the neurophysiology of the brain. The major classifications of drugs of abuse, their addictive potential and the continuum of use, misuse, abuse and addiction are addressed. The short and long term consequences of drug use are studied in addition to the dangers of drug interactions. Prerequisite: PSY 201 or 266 or consent. Offered most falls.
HHS 385 Substance Abuse & Chemical Dependency (3)
Examines the effects drugs of abuse have in our society. The course specifically looks at defining the problem and its effects on the abusing person, family, economy, legal system, health care, and the issues and impact of treatment and 12-step support groups. Offered most springs.
HHS 386 Peer Educator Training (3)
Provides preparation for students to become part of the college's Peer Educator Program. Students develop basic interviewing, individual assessment, and group skills. Students are expected to demonstrate competency with such skills in class through role-playing. Offered as needed.
HHS 390 Substance Abuse Counseling (3)
Provides the individual preparing for a career in working with individuals, families and groups with a portion of the academic background necessary for not only working with these populations around substance abuse issues but also for becoming certified as a substance abuse counselor. Prerequisites: HHS 384, 385. Offered as needed.
HHS 401 Direct Service Interventions (3) (W)
Overview of the direct methods used in health and human services: case work and group work. Introduction to the theory and practice of such methods as essential to the helping professions. There is a required experiential learning component. Students work in a direct service agency as a service provider for a minimum of 3 hours per week for the semester. Offered each fall.
HHS 402 Women on the Brink (3)
Challenges the student to explore the interaction of complex societal and psychological factors as they relate to America's most vulnerable women. Students study the history of women's role in American society and evaluate how current policies and institutions often maintain women as vulnerable and disenfranchised. The course is conducted in a seminar format on campus with a one-week residential component in a homeless shelter in a major urban area. Prerequisites: consent and one faculty/staff recommendation. Offered in selected Winter Sessions.
HHS 410 Homeless in America (3) (I)
Reviews the history of poverty and homelessness in America and society's response to it. Special emphasis is placed on the economic, cultural, social and political factors, which converge to create a climate in which poverty exists and is maintained. Current societal responses to poverty are studied with immersion experiences in the Hampton Roads area. Prerequisite: sr status. Offered in selected Winter Sessions.
HHS 450 Health & Human Services Data Collection and Data Analysis (3) (E)
Offers the student an overview of data collection methods as well as analysis procedures within the context of health and human services. Both positivistic and naturalistic paradigms are examined. Students are given an opportunity to develop skills in posing research questions, designing studies, collecting data, and analyzing, interpreting and reporting this data. Prerequisites: junior/senior status, successful completion of math requirement, and consent. Offered fall of even-numbered years, or as needed.
HHS 472 Health & Human Services Internship (12)
Serves as the capstone experience for the academic preparation. Students are placed in an agency, organization, company, or legislative setting which affords an opportunity for them to assume a preprofessional role where they can build skills and expand their expertise. For psychology majors, students must complete the core and the major requirements for the specific major. Prerequisites: HHS 201, 302, 338, and 401; PSY 337; POL 343; 21 semester hours of upper-level courses to support the emphasis with a minimum of 2.00 in each course; minimum grade point average 2.5; minimum of 45-60 semester hours of 300- and 400-level courses and approval of the internship committee. Corequisite: HHS 475. Offered each spring.
HHS 475 Health & Human Services Seminar (3) (I)
Offered concurrently with the internship. Assists students in relating theory and values to experience and in offering support, interpretation, evaluation, and guidance. Also, students are evaluated on their performance of work assignments, use of supervision and course work. Prerequisites: same as HHS 472. Corequisite: HHS 472. Offered each spring.
HHSCJ 383 Emergency Management (3)
Focuses on planning for and responding to both routine events such as fires, drowning and accidents, and extraordinary major events, such as hurricanes or terrorist attacks. We discuss specific events, and how they were planned for and responded to. We also look at strengths and weaknesses of these plans and responses. Offered spring semesters on demand.