HSER 497 Human Services Capstone

This course follows the HSER 201 class, which provides a broad overview of the field of human services (HSER 270), which addresses ethics in professional helping, and HSER 301 and 415, in which the student develops practical skills of communication, intervention, and case management. While an internship completed at a human services organization (HSER 499) is strongly recommended to the student to facilitate career readiness, HSER 497 provides an alternative that allows for more flexible scheduling (approximately 25 hours versus 125 minimum hours at an approved agency) and a less formal approval process.

Textbook readings and lecture presentations

No details available.

Course Requirements Checklist

After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview.

The purpose of this quiz is to review important requirements. The student must acknowledge and agree to the requirements, including the experiential elements of the course. If the student is concerned about being able to fulfill the requirements, he/she should reach out to his/her professor immediately and consider postponing the course to a later time. 

This quiz must be completed to proceed in the course. Any questions should be directed to the professor.

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the discussion is an opportunity for the student to share his/her interests, experience in human services, and goals. The student will also report progress and obtain ideas/suggestions from peers regarding the experiential activities. The initial thread should provide 100-150 word responses to each prompt. The student will reply to each peer discussion thread in 100-150 words.

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the student will participate in a Discussion that focuses on one of the experiential requirements for this course. The student will complete the activity (volunteer hours, support group, community event) and then will post one thread of a narrated PowerPoint presentation regarding his/her experience. The PowerPoint must include 9 to 14 slides (as specified in the assignment) and be a maximum of 10-12 minutes in length. Each thread must cite at least 2 scholarly sources in APA format. The student will review and respond to peers’ submissions, providing observations or questions for discussion about this case in the next synchronous session of the course. Each reply will identify 3 observations or questions for discussion about each case in about 100 to 200 words. Note that the student may not post replies or receive credit for such without completing the initial thread satisfactorily. 

This exercise is intended to 1) provide an experiential learning opportunity for individual students, 2) provide an opportunity to develop and present a professional presentation about the experience,  and 3) enhance student preparation and provide material for the Live Class Session.

As this is an experiential course, the student is required to attend and participate in three experiential activities including: 1) 16 hours of direct service/volunteer activities with clients at a human services agency, 2) attend an open support group, and 3) attend a macro/community engagement/advocacy event. The student must complete all three activities to pass the course. No excuses or substitutions can be made for these activities.

This exercise is intended to 1) provide an experiential learning opportunity for individual students, 2) provide an opportunity to develop and present a professional presentation about the experience,  and 3) enhance student preparation and provide material for the Live Class Session.

As this is an experiential course, the student is required to attend and participate in FOUR 2-hour synchronous class sessions. The student must attend all four sessions to pass the course. No excuses or substitutions can be made for these activities. Course announcements provide detailed dates and times. 

This exercise is intended to 1) provide an experiential learning opportunity for individual students, 2) provide an opportunity to develop and present a professional presentation about the experience,  and 3) enhance student preparation and provide material for the Live Class Session.

The purpose of the 4 Live Session quizzes is primarily to verify attendance and full participation in the live sessions. The student must be 1) on time and present for the entire session, 2) fully active and participating in the session, 3) connected with full video and audio, and 4) professional in presentation, including a private distraction-free setting. The student will verify this participation and also respond to self-reflection questions demonstrating learning during the sessions.