Rational paper

AOSRequirements1 xSHASHARATIONALE1 x

 It does not really have to be 8 pages, it can be less. As long the assignment requirements are fulfilled. 

Students

in this Area of Study (AOS), Community & Human Services (CHS), are required to take at least one course to meet each one of the 6 categories below.

COMMUNITY & HUMAN SERVICE

Area of Study Requirements

1. Knowledge of human behavior:

Students should identify and demonstrate an understanding of human behavior within the context of various social, developmental, global, economic, political, biological and/or environmental systems. These studies should cover theory, historical and developmental perspectives.

· For example, studies could include human development, fire-related human behavior, child development, deviant behavior, stress in families, or cognitive psychology

2. Knowledge of service delivery:

Students should identify and analyze systems, institutions and policies that are relevant to the delivery of services in their field of study.

· For example, studies could include history of social welfare, human service management, introduction to social welfare, fire-prevention organization and management, introduction to human services, early childhood program

· administration, the United States health systems, managed care, social policy, and/or community organization

3. Skills

Students should acquire skills in assessment, intervention and evaluation with individuals, families, groups and/or communities in their field of study. Additionally, students should demonstrate digital and information literacy as appropriate to their field.

a. For example, studies could include case management, documentation in human services, observation and assessment in early childhood programs, counseling theory, working with survivors of rape and sexual assault, fire investigation and analysis, creative arts therapy: working with special populations, health informatics, family intervention, and/or crisis intervention

4. Ethics

Students should articulate and evaluate the code of ethics and/or the professional standards within their field and apply them to practice situations within their field. Students should identify and examine possible conflicts between their own values and professional expectations.

a. For example, studies could include human service ethics, introduction to ethics, ethical dilemmas in criminal justice and ethics in health care.

5. Diversity:

Students should demonstrate recognition of the range of human diversity, as well as examining the impact of their own power, privilege and oppression on work with individuals, families, groups and communities. Human diversity may include, but not be limited to race, ethnicity, gender, class, socioeconomic status, age, culture, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, sexual identity, geographic differences, and/or ability. 

a. For example, studies could include sex and gender in a cross-cultural perspective, contemporary global issues, economic issues in health services, crime and punishment in American life, exploring human diversity through film, exploring poverty and resiliency and disabled in America.

6. Application and Integration:

Students should plan to demonstrate the application of knowledge, values and skills related to their field. This can include practical applications included in studies, prior learning assessment, and/or relevant volunteer or work experience.

For example, studies could include applications of fire research, survey of social science research methods, social policy analysis, management of health services, developing infant toddler programs, interviewing skills and techniques, protecting America: Cases and controversies, observation and assessment of children, risk analysis, family intervention, crisis intervention, managing bioterrorism and delivering human services.

Concentration Courses/Studies

Select 6 Advanced level Studies directly related to your OWN declared concentration
.

MY COMMENTS

· You need to add the 2 areas indicated below to your AOS discussions (Ethics; Skills)

· Most of your discussions are rather skimpy (too “thin.”)

Try to relate what you learnt in the course(s) to the stated expectations of the AOS. Give as much detail in discussing each one as you can! (See attached AOS Requirements.)

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Sasha G. Avril

Degree: Bachelor of Art

Area of Study: Community and Human Services

Concentration: Children and Family Services

Degree Program Rational

Introduction:

My desire is to obtain a Bachelor of Arts in Community and Human Services with a Concentration in Children and Family Services at SUNY Empire State College. Empire State College offered the major and the flexibility I was looking for.

I graduated in 2015 from Hudson Valley Community College in Troy, NY, with an Associate in Independent Studies. In 2016, I had the opportunity to work in a residential facility Berkshire Farm Center for Youth for 2 years. Then, I worked in a group home setting at Parson Children and Family Services for 4 years. For the last 2 years, I worked at NYS Office of Children and Family Service as a Child Protective Specialist. It makes me fulfilled to work with the public and helping the public. In my line at work, I have gain experience with building and unifying relationship within family. I have helped children/ adolescents come up with goals and planned to help remodify their behaviors and gain social skills. I work for the State Central Register. In my position I interview and gather information from the public and deem if the information suits a child abuse report. The public contact me via phone calls, letters, fax, and emails. Then I send these child abuse report to the local county of New York so the counties can start an investigation. I also contact law enforcement and necessary agencies that must be contact for the welfare of the children. With my bachelor’s degree, I will be able to move forward in my career and continue working to assist children and families in need.

A. AREA OF STUDY COURSES

The credits that I have transferred from my associate degree as well as the courses found within my degree plan is designed to help further my education and allow me to succeed in in the future in moving forward in my career.

I. Knowledge of human behavior

To fulfill the requirement in knowledge of human behaviors I transferred my credits from Hudson Valley Community College in General Psychology and Child Psychology. This course focused on factors that influence the developmental of individuals throughout their lifespan. I gained an understanding of human behavior in variety contexts such as developmental phases and need of services for children in relations to their family and community.

II. Knowledge of service delivery

The course Delivery in Human Services included in my degree plan, provided me with intervention strategies, professional and ethical dilemmas. SHASHA: Add more in your discussion

III. Diversity

This course Diversity in Human Services will critically analyze power differentials including race, class, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, ability, and how these forces overlap and influence practice. I encounter individuals and families that are at poverty level. It is important to understand diversity so you can study and learn ways how families and individuals survived and the injustices they feel.

IV. Application and Integration

The course that fulfills the criteria for Application and Integration is Family Intervention. This course has taught ways to help families communicate and function. This course taught me how to interact with different families’ cultures communication patterns and how they function. Also, I learned the strategies and techniques of major family theories and therapeutic models to helps students understand how the family function as a system.

SHASHA AOS includes:

Ethics:
You have Professional Ethics in DPlan

Skills

You have Family Intervention in DPlan

B. CONCENTRATION STUDIES:

Children and Family Services.

For my concentration studies I continued to learn and to grow my skills for my future career. Some of these courses are Case Management, Counseling children of adolescent, Investigation for Protective Services, Understanding Mental Illness in Children and Adolescents, and at-risk interventions.

Case Management

By taking this course I gained an understanding of case management models, including the varying roles, processes, and skills utilized by case managers. I understand the process of case management, including assessment, planning, implementation, and termination. In my career I can collaborative process that assesses, plans, implements, coordinates, monitors, and evaluates the options and services required to meet the client’s health and human service needs.

Counseling Children and Adolescents

This course has taught about different approaches to working with children and adolescents who need counseling. It is important to be able and talk to and understand these children and adolescents and what they are going through. I have been able to guide and understand youth in many different levels. In my career this course will help me provides aid to youths, who have experienced trauma, and/or who are experiencing a dysfunctional or stressful home environment.

Investigation for Protective Services

This course has taught me skills of interviewing in the human services setting, different interviewing practice and techniques. With the techniques I learned from this course provides, I can complete a successful interview and able to gather information that I need to fulfill my job and help my clients. I am applying to investigation and assessment of the individuals needs for further information on any of these services,

Understanding Mental Illness in Children and Adolescents

This course explores mental illnesses diagnosed in children and adolescents and recognized the social and environmental contexts in which they manifest. I learned how to distinguish between the common disorders and identify challenges of assessment of children and adolescents, and how media stigmatized mental illness. This course will have helped me in a career do to I have enhance my knowledge of mental health and mental illness and develop an understanding of the mental health continuum.

Intervention with at risk youth

In this course I learned the conditions and circumstances that place young people at risk. Students will examine the position of youth at risk in their own communities and propose policies and programs, as well as prevention and intervention strategies aimed at supporting and protecting at-risk youth. In my career I have learned to identifying protective and risk factors in youth may guide the prevention and intervention aspect.

Family Intervention:

This course has provided an overview of theories, assessment tools, and interventions for working with families. I have learned and studied identify the major theories in working with families. I can demonstrate observational and assessment skills. This course is a great aspect for my career, because I am applied to propose a variety of interventions and diversity as an important factor in family intervention. In my career I will be able to improve troubled relationships with your partner, children, or other family members. By address specific issues such as marital or financial problems, conflict between parents and children, or the impact of substance abuse or a mental illness on the entire family.

Child and Family Policy

This course uncovered the linkages between family functioning and public and private policies in the United States. This course also helped identify historical and modern policies developed to address child/family issues and problems. I have learned to explore the extent to which policies have been based on the principles of risk and protection and contemplate the ways in which social policies have impacted children, youth, and families across diverse personal and service domains such as but not limited to these topics include polices relevant to health, poverty, disability, education, child welfare and protection, and juvenile justice. I have also learned to analyze evidence-based policy solutions to problems affecting contemporary children and families. Understanding polices, values, polices, child/family issues and problems is a great tool for my career.

Understanding Mental Illness in Children and Adolescents

This course explored mental illnesses diagnosed in children and adolescents and recognizes the social and environmental contexts in which they manifest. I have learned how to distinguish between the common disorders and identify challenges of assessment of children and adolescents. This course has taught me to be able to differentiate typical developmental stages of children and adolescents with psychopathology. This course has taught me to student will be able to describe the concepts of risk factors and resiliency when assessing at-risk youth and children for prevention and interventions.

C. General Learning

English Composition:

This course is designed to help students improve their writing ability through concentration on the writing processes: pre-writing, writing and revision. Other things I have learned is writer for particularly audience, diction, and correctness. I learned research techniques and library orientation. This course helped me develop strong communication skills and gain important insights about quality writing.

Sociology:

This course helped me learned how to study of human social interaction with emphasis on societies, groups, organizations, social networks, and communities as the units of analysis. Topics covered include culture, social structure, socialization, sex roles, groups and networks, organizations, deviance and social control, inequality and social stratification, race and ethnic relations and social institutions. I will be able to prepare reports containing research findings, that analyze and interpret data to increase the understanding of human social behavior.

Social Psychology:

I have learned how the situations of individuals are in influence how we think about, influence and relate to one another. Topics will include beliefs; judgements; behavior and attitudes; gender and culture; conformity and obedience; persuasion and group processes; prejudice and aggression; attraction; intimacy; and liking. This course not only help me analyzing the environment, societal norms, and relationships play in shaping the minds of people.

Child Psychology:

I have learned from the course the human development from conception through adolescence with emphasis on theories and methods of psychology. Topics include cognitive, social emotional and personality development of individuals within social, historical, and cultural contexts. I work with children and be able to administer tests, conduct research and engage in therapy sessions with individuals, families, and groups.

General Psychology:

The course covers the following: introduction to psychology, research methodology, biological psychology, sensation and perception, consciousness, learning memory, thought and language, intelligence, human development, motivation and emotion, personality theories, abnormal psychology, health psychology, and social psychology. I have learned human behavior in every aspect this course has taught me. In my career I will be able may help patients with various types of mental health conditions, such as relationship issues, emotional troubles, and behavioral problems.

Conclusion:

Applying to SUNY Empire State College was one of the easiest decisions I had made in a long time. I knew this program was right for me. I am happy with the progression I have made and the skills I have developed. Having the opportunity to work toward completing my Bachelor of Art in Community and Human Services with a concentration in Children and Family Services, will give me the ability to take my career to a higher level. It would help me fulfill my goal in being able to provide the best services to my clients and the public. With the help of SUNY Empire State College and this degree plan I can further my career.