Human Services General Practice Certificate of Achievement

The Human Services General Practice Certificate of Achievement prepares students to enter the field of human services in the areas of counseling theory and practice, substance abuse treatment, human development, child welfare, cultural competence, mental health, homelessness, community safety and prevention, domestic abuse, ethics, and prevention theory.  The program prepares students by building the skills and knowledge needed to improve the overall quality of life of communities and service populations. Individual, family, and group counseling skills and theory and case management techniques are explored and developed.  Students learn to apply strength based assessment and intervention techniques for individuals, families, and communities. Students will build critical thinking and technological skills, learn effective communication skills in helping relationships, and apply concepts of equity to program development, collaboration, ethics, and professionalism. 

This program conforms to the proposed guidelines for addiction studies within higher education prepared for the California State Department of Education and meets the accreditation standards set forth by the California Association for Alcohol/Drug Educators (CAADE).

A total of 60 students are expected to enroll per semester with 45-50 students per year completing the certificate with potential for annual growth in enrollment and completion.

Cabrillo College is seeking Chancellor's Office approval of the Human Services General Practice Certificate of Achievement. The Human Services (HSERV) program prepares students to enter the social work profession by building the skills and knowledge needed to improve the overall quality of life of communities and service populations. The General Practice Certificate of Achievement provides a general overview and prepares students to enter the field of human services in the areas of counseling theory and practice, substance abuse treatment, human development, child welfare, cultural competence, mental health, homelessness, community safety and prevention, domestic abuse, ethics and prevention theory.

Based on all available data, there appears to be an “undersupply” of Human Services workers compared to the demand for this cluster of occupations in the Bay region and in the SC-Monterey sub-region (Monterey, San Benito, Santa Cruz counties). There is a projected annual gap of about 4,003 students in the Bay region and 412 students in the SC-Monterey Sub-Region.

Approval of this program will benefit regional employers, fulfill a local community need, augment college enrollment, and support non-traditional and underserved minority students in a viable career and academic path. This program would give our students the knowledge and skills they need to complete higher level human services certificates or degrees or excel in the workforce. The goal is for certificate completers to be gainfully employed or continue with an associates degree. Working with employers to identify earning potential is promising, with potential for a starting salary of $32,000-$45,000/yr in jobs such as social and human service assistants, community and social service specialists, outreach specialists, care coordinators, program, and/or care coordinators.

The Human Services General Practice Certificate of Achievement is a 16-18 unit certificate focused on foundational skills in human services theory and practice. It can be completed in two semesters.

Course	Title	Units	Year/Semester (Y1 or S1)
HSERV50	Intro to Human Services	3.00	S1
HSERV51	Practices in Human Services	3.00	S2
HSERV52	Intro to Counseling and Case Management	3.00	S1
HSERV53	Techniques in Group Counseling	2.00	S2
PSYCH1/1H	Intro to Psychology	3.00	S1
HSERV55A	Human Services Practicum I	1.00-2.00	S1
HSERV55B	Human Services Practicum II	1.00-2.00	S2
HSERV56A	Alcohol and Drug/Human Services Practicum I	1.00-2.00	S1
HSERV56B	Alcohol and Drug/Human Services Practicum II	1.00-2.00	S2

The curriculum has been developed with input from local industry leaders and meets State and National standards for general human services. The program collaborates with other departments on campus such as psychology and sociology. 

Monterey Peninsula College is located within Cabrillo College's service area and offers a human service certificate and degree. Judith Cutting, Dean of Instruction of CTE and Workforce Development was contacted and has no issue with offering the General Practice Certificate of Achievement. Email: jcutting@mpc.edu According to the the LMI data, both Canada College and Contra Costa College have similar programs, but they are not in close regional proximity to Cabrillo College.