INTRODUCTION

This handbook contains policy statements and important forms you will need as you pursue your baccalaureate degree in Human Services. Although most of the information you will need while at Old Dominion University is included in this handbook, you are also required to read relevant policies outlined in the University Catalog 2004-2006. Note that you must complete all forms by the date indicated on the form.

The purpose of this handbook is to help you become familiar with the Human Services program. Please note that important information regarding internship is included in the Human Services Internship Handbooks, one for students planning to intern through the main campus and the other for those students planning to intern at a distance through one of our TELETECHNET sites.

The mission of the Human Services program is to equip its students with the skills, knowledge, and attitudes which will enable them to function well in the demanding and ever-changing profession of human services. This mission is closely aligned with that of Old Dominion University: advancement of knowledge, pursuit of truth, and responsible citizenship. It is the unique character of the human services profession, however, which gives the Program a special way of understanding these values; citizenship, and service, for the human service worker is primary. Service delivery is action-oriented, and professional workers are first and foremost practitioners. A key aim of the Program, therefore, is not only to prepare workers with research-based knowledge and generic competencies but also to help them develop those attitudes of reflectiveness, commitment, perseverance, empathy, and compassion which will serve them well in their practice.

All Human Service faculty are available for consultation so students will have continuous support and assistance in identifying personal and career goals. Students graduating from Old Dominion University's Human Services program have achieved the competencies required for immediate employment in many human service occupations.

Internship experiences and an on-line data base offered by the Career Management Center (CMC) gives students in the Human Services program an opportunity to identify areas of potential employment in human services. For specific help or to discover if paid internships exist, contact the CMC representative Nash Montgeomery by e-mail or phone at 757-683-4388. The Program utilizes a variety of internship sites in numerous human service counseling settings. Internship experiences also allow potential employers insight into the competencies of graduating students. More information can be obtained about the internship in the various Human Services Internship Handbooks.

OBJECTIVES

The program leading to the Bachelor of Science with a major in Human Services prepares students for entry level positions in a wide variety of community services settings. Human Services’ workers must have a critical body of knowledge and set of skills in order to help clients function effectively in their lives. This program also prepares students seeking to continue their education either at a masters or doctoral level in Counseling, Psychology, Social Work or other related fields. To achieve these goals, the program offers a curriculum which includes the following core components: interpersonal relationships; social and cultural foundations; the nature of the helping relationships; group theory and process; career and lifestyle development; appraisal, research and program evaluation; and a variety of field placement opportunities.

The objectives of the human services internship are:
Objective 1: To set priorities, complete tasks, organize work and manage time effectively.
Objective 2: To appropriately integrate basic human services helping skills.
Objective 3: To begin to assess individual differences among clients in order to develop individualized treatment plans to meet those needs.
Objective 4: To demonstrate effective communication strategies and skills.
Objective 5: To increase awareness of their own needs and attitudes which affect their helping, including cultural influences, and begin to appropriately utilize self in the helping process.
Objective 6: To demonstrate an understanding of ethical and legal issues in human services work.
Objective 7: To demonstrate knowledge of the NOHS Code of Ethics by incorporating them in practice.
Objective 8: To demonstrate appropriate professional work etiquette. Apply specialized skills and maintain workplace norms as appropriate to the human service profession and the student’s specific internship site requirements.
Objective 9: To select, implement, monitor, and begin to evaluate intervention strategies for generalist practice with diverse populations.
Objective 10: To recognize, develop and utilize strategies of managing resistance and overcome barriers to change in clients.
Objective 11: To display knowledge of the legal, administrative, and financial challenges facing clients while identifying effective advocacy strategies to overcome such constraints.
Objective 12: To demonstrate knowledge about the career-related concerns of the client and the ability to mobilize resources, make referrals, and identify supportive services necessary to assist that client in reaching his or her goals.
Objective 13: To examine one’s own values and resolve personal value conflicts in relation to the values and ethics of the human services profession and those expressed in the policies and implementation of agency programs and services.
Objective 14: To understand and utilize the agency’s chain of command when recognizing an ethical violation.
Objective 15: To utilize theory and research to guide and evaluate practice by collecting and analyzing information for assessment and evaluation as an ongoing process from initial contact through termination.
Objective 16: To demonstrate knowledge of the formal and informal supports available in the community while assisting clients to identify and access these supports.
Objective 17: To demonstrate awareness of the impact of diversity and oppression on human services intervention and commitment to practice which is sensitive to differences among people.
Objective 18: To demonstrate skills of practice with diverse populations (e.g., age, gender, and sexual orientation, disabilities, racial, ethnic and cultural differences.)
Objective 19: To demonstrate the ability to match specific supports and interventions to the unique needs of the clients.
Objective 20: To understand the tasks and apply the skills involved in the termination process.
Objective 21: To demonstrate the ability to utilize continued professional development.

The program leading to the Bachelor of Science with a major in Human Services prepares students for entry-level positions in a wide variety of community services settings. Students in the program learn the roles and functions of the human services worker; characteristics of human growth and development; characteristics of human services agencies; theories and skills of human services; and how ethical issues, legal issues, and multicultural issues affect the work of the human services worker. Graduates are prepared to assist clients in coping successfully with developmental tasks of normal growth and in solving problems caused by personal, social, and environmental stress.

Course work in prepartion for internship includes the following:

• Interpersonal Relations. Students will learn concepts and theories of interpersonal relationships. Development of skills necessary for effective communication will be stressed.
• Introduction to Human Services. Students will learn about human services, the helping process, and the role and function of the human service professional. Students will be exposed to local and state human services facilities.
• Research and Evaluation. An introductory course on research and evaluation methods. Students will learn how to interpret research and how to apply research findings to practical situations in human services.
• Human Services Methods. Presents theories and techniques used by human services professionals in a variety of settings.
• Career Development and Appraisal. Focuses on career development throughout the life span with emphasis on vocational theories, interventions, assessments, and socio-economic factors.
• Diversity Issues in Human Services. Serves as an introduction to multicultural helping. The influence of socio-identities (e.g., race, ethnicity, religion, gender, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, disability) on individuals’ functioning, concerns, and the helping process will be explored.
• Field Observation in Human Services. Students will visit and examine human services systems such as mental health, substance abuse, criminal justice, rehabilitation, and professional associations to facilitate decision-making in selecting an internship and to gain a complex understanding of the human service field. 
• Program Development, Implementation, and Funding. This course presents models and practices of developing, implementing, and evaluating human service programs. The course includes an introduction to grant writing and fund raising. 
• Psychoeducational Groups. This course combines lectures and experiential learning about psycho-educational groups. Principles and practices for developing psychoeducational groups are emphasized.
• Addictions: Theory and Intervention. Examines the etiology, risk factors and treatment of alcoholism and other addictions.
• Interventions and Advocacy with Children. This course provides an overview of how human service professionals assist children in a variety of settings. Emphasis will be placed on advocacy, supportive work, and short-term crisis intervention.
• Family Guidance. A study of the family as a system and an introduction to a variety of issues confronting the family, including child abuse, spouse abuse, and others who produce more than usual stress in the family. Available community resources for helping families will be examined.

The internship is the capstone learning experience of the Human Services Major. Internship training is a partnership between faculty and supervisors in the field. Students should experience the full range of requirements for your field, with an emphasis on professional human services duties. This is essential to the integration of theory into practice. Students are not allowed to take more than one additional course in the semester in which HMSV 468 is taken.

Students electing to major in Human Services should meet with their Human Services Academic Advisor to review the curriculum requirements and complete appropriate documentation for degree seeking admission. It is the student’s responsibility to submit transcripts for any coursework taken elsewhere while enrolled at Old Dominion University.

Admission:

Students must have completed 28 semester hours of course work with a grade point average of 2.0 or above.

Continuance:

Students must meet all University requirements.

Exit:

Students must satisfy program, University requirements and have a grade point average of 2.0 in the major.

Students must have a junior standing or the permission of the instructor before taking HMSV 341, 343, 344, 448, or 491.

Either College Algebra (MATH 102M), Introduction to Mathematics for Critical Thinking (MATH 104M), Precalculus I (162M), or Elementary Statistics (STAT 130M) needs to be taken prior to Program Research & Evaluation (HMSV 342).

Program Research & Evaluation (HMSV 342) or College Algebra (MATH 102M), Career Development & Appraisal (HMSV 344), Diversity Issues in Human Services (HMSV 346), and Field Observation in Human Services (HMSV 368) must be completed prior to taking Program Development, Implementation, & Funding (HMSV 440W).

Introduction to Human Services (HMSV 341) must be taken prior to or concurrently with Diversity Issues in Human Services (HMSV 346).

Human Services Methods (HMSV 343) must be taken either prior to or concurrently with Psychoeducational Groups (HMSV 444).

Interpersonal Relations (HMSV 339), Introduction to Human Services (HMSV 341), Human Services Methods (HMSV 343),  and Diversity Issues in Human Services (HMSV 346) must be successfully completed  with a minimum grade of "C" prior to taking Field Observation in Human Services (HMSV 368).

A student must have completed 12 hours in human services to register for Addictions: Theory and Practice (HMSV 447) or for Intervention & Advocacy with Children (HMSV 448). 

Internship in Human Services (HMSV 468)is a 12 credit field placement. For the best internship experience possible, it is recommended that all human services coursework be competed prior to taking HMSV 468 (internship). Internships must be approved by the Internship Coordinator for the program. A minimum grade of "C" or better in HMSV 339, 341,  343, and 368 is required, as is a GPA of 2.0 in all human services courses and as a gummulative GPA. Deadlines to apply for internship are noted in the Internship Handbook.

Students meet with their Academic Advisor on a regular basis to aid students in developing and evaluating their academic and career plans. Site Directors/Academic Advisor provide services to enhance students’ academic success. Students work with their Site Director/Academic Advisor to select courses appropriate to the educational and career goals they are considering.

Policy on Technology:
* Students enrolling in any Human Services course must have an e-mail account at Old Dominion University.
* Students must possess minimum computer literacy skills, including the ability to send and receive attachments via e-mail.
* E-mail attachments must be created using either Microsoft Word or WordPerfect .

Policy on E-mails:
* Students who e-mail instructor(s) Monday-Thursday may ordinarily expect a response within 48 hours
* Students who e-mail Friday-through the weekend may ordinarily expect a response by 5:00 p.m. Monday.

Policy on Assignments : Students are responsible for retaining an original hard copy of all assignments submitted to their University IInstructors.

Policy on Classroom Deportment : Students are responsible for their own classroom behavior and are expected to participate fully and positively in the teaching/learning process. A student who violates the Code of Student Conduct may be subject to administrative action(s) or disciplinary sanction(s).

Old Dominion University Honor Pledge
"I pledge to support the honor system of Old Dominion University. I will refrain from any form of academic dishonesty or deception, such as cheating or plagiarism. I am aware that as a member of the academic community, it is my responsibility to turn in all suspected violators of the honor system. I will report to Honor Council hearings if summoned."

By attending Old Dominion University TELETECHNET classes, you have accepted the responsibility to abide by this code. This is an institutional policy approved by the Board of Visitors. All violations of the Honor Pledge should be reported to the University Hearing Officer, Carol Locke, at 757-683-3442. Any questions concerning the honor system may be viewed at the Honor Council Web Site or directed to the Honor Council at 757-683-4350 or hcouncil@odu.edu.

Principles and Practices for Professionalism
The human services program faculty is committed to excellence in preparing students to assume roles in human services, counseling and associated positions. Preparation includes academic knowledge and skills, and the development of professional and ethical standards.

The following guidelines and expectations are intended to provide basic direction and parameters for expected behavior for majors and minors in the undergraduate human services program.

The Academic Experience
The academic experience is crucial in providing knowledge, skills and awareness of the need for continued learning as part of the preparation for functioning as a professional. Underlying the entire academic experience are the assumptions that:
- each student is a worthwhile, unique individual capable of leaning,
- each student brings to the academic experience a variety of values, attitudes, and beliefs that must be respected,
- diversity is an opportunity for expansion of knowledge and understanding, and
- behavior during the academic experience is reflective of subsequent behavior.

In order for the academic experience to be efficient, effective, and productive, it is essential that students play an active role. This active role includes behavior both in and out of class, evidence of learning through oral and written presentations, commitment to ethical practices, and observable professional development.


Specific Expectations
- Students are expected to abide by the ODU Honor Pledge.
- Students should experience the full range of responsibilities in the internship, with emphasis on human services duties.
- Students are expected to fully document all sources used in work submitted for classes. Failure to do so is considered plagiarism.
- Students are expected to know and abide by copyright laws.
- Students are expected to respect the rights of other students and not engage in acts that sabotage access to achievement.
- Students are expected to obtain professor’s permission in advance of submitting work done for another class. Dual submissions are discouraged but not prohibited if the professor agrees.
- Students are expected to maintain appropriate professional boundaries with professors, staff and fellow students. Professional boundaries recognize the potential for entering into dual relationships that can be harmful.
- Students are expected to initiate, facilitate, and/or demonstrate only those activities, tests, or techniques for which they have received appropriate and formal training.
- Students are expected to maintain confidentiality and not engage in behaviors such as revealing personal information disclosed by classmates.
- Students are expected to consider personal content material revealed in classes, interviews, class exercises, class groups , etc. to be confidential when talking to those outside class. The processes used in classes and cognitive content can be freely discussed. In the event that university officials, or other similar persons, have legitimate reasons to know this material, students are expected to appropriately disclose.

EEOC and Sexual Harassment Policy
Old Dominion University is committed to the promotion of equal employment, equal educational, and social opportunities for all Old Dominion University employees and students. No employee or student will be discriminated against on the basis of gender, race, color, religion, national origin, age, handicap, veteran status, sexual orientation, or political affiliation.

Sexual harassment in any situation is reprehensible. It is also the policy of Old Dominion University to provide students and employees with an environment for learning and working which is free of sexual harassment.

The Norfolk Campus EO/AA office is located in Spong Hall, Room 121-A. The telephone number is (757) 683-3141. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (east coast time). More information is available on the EO/AA website.

Transfer of Credits
Students electing to major in human services should meet with the Academic Advisor for the program in the College of Education to review the curriculum requirements.  Students entering the Human Service program fthrough TELETECHNET are sometimes better served by coimpleting their 2 year associate degree before transferring to ODU's TELETECHNET program. To initially transfer credits, students should meet with their site director to review the curriculum requirements and complete documentation for degree seeking admission. Once the TELETECHNET admissions office has completed the transfer of credits evaluation, theTELETECHNET Academic Advisor will complete an official curriculum sheet and mail it to the student and site director. Students with additonal quesitons about their specific cases are encouraged to contacat their Academic Advisor for clarification. 

In the rare situation a student must take a class at another four-year university, the student is required to first contact the Human services Academic Advisor to obtain written permission prior to taking the course at the other institution.

Additional information on transfer of credits is found in the Old Dominion University catalog.

Experiential Learning Credit Options
Old Dominion University offers a program for assessing college-level knowledge gained through work, life experience, and self - study. Students may initiate assessment of prior learning through a variety of assessment tools, including departmental examinations, portfolios, external examinations, performance assessment, or documented training programs, as determined by academic departments. The Experiential Learning Program facilitates the assessment of such learning. A student may earn a maximum of 60 semester hours at the undergraduate level through experiential learning credit. However, in unusual situations when a student can demonstrate a more extensive knowledge base that would be applicable to a degree program, the student can apply to the director of experiential learning for an exception to the 60-credit-hour maximum. The director will forward suitable requests to the appropriate department.

Experiential learning credits may be granted through the following mechanisms: departmental examinations; external examinations, such CLEP or DANTES; professional certification; training evaluation, as recommended by the American Council on Education (ACE); or portfolio development. Interested students should visit the Experiential Learning website to learn more about the assessment options.

Students may contact the experiential learning office directly at xlearn@odu.edu or (757)683-6388. Academic Advisors, along with TELETECHNET site directors and staff, will also be of assistance in getting started.

Academic Appeal Policy
Please review the academic appeals policy which can be found in the University Catalog under “grade appeals.”

Remediation and/or Dismissal from the Program
A student enrolling in the University shall conduct himself or herself in a manner compatible with the University’s educational mission. Student discipline shall be limited to misconduct that adversely affects the University’s pursuit of its educational mission. Each student is responsible for obtaining a copy of the University Student Handbook and informing himself or herself of the specific student conduct regulations.TELETECHNET studetns need to familiarize themselves with the  TELETECHNET Student Handbook for policies specific to TELETECHNET.

Students With Special Needs
Students with a disability should see their Academic Advisor or Site Director for information on contacting the University's Director of Disability Services. When authorization is approved, the Director of Disability Services will notify the Instructor with regards to any special accommodations. Until that time, Instructors are not required to provide any special accommodations.

Testing Requirements
All undergraduate students must register for, take and pass the University’s Exit Examination of Writing Proficiency prior to the date of graduation. Students should take the exam as soon as they have accumulated 58 semester hours of credit on their official transcript. For specific information on examination dates and requirements students should meet with the Site Director.

The writing intensive requirement is satisfied for Human Services students by taking Program Development, Implementation, and Funding (HMSV 440W).

All graduating seniors must complete the required senior assessment during their final semester in which they plan to graduate. Neither the final transcript nor the diploma will be issued until the student has completed his or her assessment. Information regarding the assessment will be mailed to students after they apply for graduation.

Candidates for Graduation
All students who plan to graduate must file an Application for Graduation and return it to the Site Director prior to the deadline. Applications can be submitted as early as one year prior to the semester of projected graduation and are available from the Site Director. Application deadlines are available in the University Catalog.

Please become familiar with the guidelines for internship found in the HMSV Internship Handbook. for Main Campus Students and the HMSV Internship Handbook for TTN Students.

Students must apply to complete their internship before the following deadlines:
January 15:           fall internship of current year
May 15:                  spring internship of following year
September 15:     summer internship of following year

Students applying for the Human Services internship must meet all of the conditions outlined below:
* Senior status at Old Dominion University
* Successful completion of all HS courses (prior to beginning of internship)as required in the major
* GPA in HSC major of 2.0 or better
* GPA overall of 2.0 or better
* Grade of C or better in HMSV 339, 341, 343, and 368 (Note: a C- is not acceptable)
* faculty committee approval

See the Human Services Internship Handbooks for additional information.

Liability Coverage
Old Dominion University’s registered and enrolled students who are required by their curriculum to participate in supervised and graded practica or periods of service outside the University at various internship sites are covered by liability insurance provided through the Commonwealth of Virginia. Each student is required to print a copy of this certificate to give to his or her Internship Site.

Professional Associations, Student Associations, and Professional Workshops
Students are encouraged to participate in organizations, in the community, statewide and nationally. Participation in these organizations and attendance at professional workshops serve to enhance the students’ educational experience.

National Organizations
Students majoring in Human Services are strongly encouraged to join as student members the National Organization for Human Services (NOHS). Students considering going into counseling may also wish to become student members of the American Counseling Association (ACA).

Throughout your degree program there will be a number of exams which require applications. It is in your best interest to monitor these deadlines and comply with them. Not doing so will affect when you graduate.

As you meet people either through your internship, professional organizations and seminars you will begin to develop a network of people that may be of assistance to you as you leave the program and seek employment.

Everyone in the Human Services program will work very hard to assist you in your academic career at Old Dominion University. If you have questions or concerns, please contact your site director or your Academic Advisor for assistance.

Good luck in the program and in your future Human Services career!