Fall 2024

This course overviews intellectual disability, learning disabilities, and a variety of mental illnesses in childhood and adolescence, with specific focus on how those issues impact individuals and their family systems. Prevention and treatment approaches for these issues are discussed, including play-based and other therapeutic interventions, family-based methods, and school and community strategies.

This course overviews a variety of mental illnesses and relationship problems in adulthood, with specific focus on how those issues impact individuals and their family systems. Prevention and treatment approaches for these issues are discussed, including research-supported therapeutic approaches and family-based strategies.

This course addresses major issues facing older adults and their families, society, and how earlier life experiences influence our older adult years. This class will tackle questions such as: What opportunities and challenges do adults face as they age? What resources and barriers shape their lives? How do physiological, psychological, interpersonal/family, economic, and socio-historical factors affect the experience of aging? How do gender, social class, and ethnicity influence the experience of aging? How do government policies, community services, the healthcare system, and health interventions affect the lives and well-being of older adults?

The overall objective of this course is to guide and assist students as they conduct a thorough case study of an existing or proposed social service, educational or community program/agency. The course is designed to provide students with applied knowledge of program planning components as well as program evaluation techniques.

Techniques for the study of human behavior; implications for improving adult-child relationships, applying various theories of counseling.

Selected counseling skills and their applications. Designed for students needing basic skills in counseling as an adjunct to other primary occupational functions. Approved as: Interdisciplinary course in HDFS major--Advanced Complementary perspectives.

Theories and applications of leadership and communication applied to professional decision-making, planning and control in the workplace. Examination of personal and professional qualities essential for successful internship and career planning. Roles, responsibilities, and ethical standards for professionals will be examined.

This course is designed to provide you with an in-depth understanding of adolescent development, including the relationships between theory, research, and practice. We will examine various aspects of adolescent development, focusing on the major developmental milestones (such as identity, intimacy, and sexuality), transitions, strengths, and challenges of adolescents, as well as the contexts in which these occur. Additionally, this course will introduce you to the practice of working with adolescents and their caregivers, and provide opportunities for you to apply research and theory to specific issues of adolescent development (such as best practices for structuring out of school programs).

Growth, development, and socialization of the child within the family setting, from conception to the middle school years; observations of infants and preschoolers.

Family relationships can be rewarding, challenging, complicated, and more. This course overviews research from the family science field covering topics related to contemporary family life including gender roles, work/family balance, marriage, parenthood, divorce, blended families, family violence, and related topics.