HUMAN SERVICES
Job readiness   Online Option
CONTACT PERSON: Lisa Hoynes • Schafer Hall 319D • 224-5611 • Lisa.Hoynes@bsc.nodak.edu

The Human Services program provides training and knowledge in basic helping skills and an understanding of service delivery and program administration needed for entry-level employment in public, private and volunteer human service agencies.

"Human Services" is a term used to include all the professional disciplines that share a common goal of serving people. This program will prepare students for employment in agencies, schools, businesses and centers that value paraprofessionals who bring to the job a combination of college course work and human services field experience.

Human Service graduates assist professionals in all kinds of positions where people help people. These include community and social welfare agencies, mental health and social service agencies, group home settings, community organizations, day care centers and nursery schools, elementary and secondary schools, and home health aid and geriatric services. The human service worker may provide case management, needs assessment, advocacy, service delivery, crisis intervention, as well as program planning and continuation.

People seeking a career in human service should recognize that to be successful they must be emotionally stable, creative and flexible. Human service workers will have to be able to work with diverse groups of people and individuals with a wide variety of ages, social and cultural backgrounds and life situations.

This program is designed to be flexible to meet current and future market demands so that the students may choose courses most appropriate to their interests and career goals. In addition to pursuing the curriculum for a Human Services generalist, students may specialize in eligibility worker or criminal justice.

Students will complete a coordinated set of courses emphasizing human service theory, subject matter knowledge, and professional skills necessary for their careers. In addition, they will gain practical field experience through an internship. Courses will be offered on-campus and online to provide maximum flexibility and accessibility. The candidate for the Associate in Applied Science must complete 60 semester hours with a cumulative grade point of 2.0.

While not designed as a transfer program, with careful course selection, graduates could complete the appropriate prerequisites to go on to four-year colleges.

BSC also offers a two-semester Program Certificate in an Eligibility Worker program.

ELIGIBILITY WORKER CERTIFICATE
Job readiness   Online Option
CONTACT PERSON: Lisa Hoynes • Schafer Hall 319D • 224-5611 • Lisa.Hoynes@bsc.nodak.edu

Eligibility workers are an indispensable part of the human services support system. As the first contact for people seeking public assistance, they make important decisions about food, health care, education, job training, and other social services that people need.

Eligibility workers must be adept at interviewing and gathering necessary information to determine qualifying services. Because they serve as advisors to clients, good communication skills are needed to explain eligibility requirements and program details. Within their job, an eligibility worker must be organized and accurate, exhibit care and concern, and show respect for an applicant's need for privacy and confidentiality.

BSC's Eligibility Worker program emphasizes core courses that provide the knowledge and skills most applicable to students preparing for this entry-level position. The program offers on-campus or online study. Students seeking a Program Certificate are required to complete 30 credit hours and to maintain a 2.0 cumulative GPA.