Course Syllabus

HMS 102 Intro to Counseling Great Basin College, 1500 College Parkway, Elko, NV 89801, 775-738-8493, http://www.gbcnv.edu

Course Information

Course description: Assessment, interviewing, intervention, referral and documentation skills related to client communications in human services professions are emphasized. Students receive HIPPA training in basic development client/patient confidentiality. Course required for HMS 106, Human Services Practicum. 

 Holidays: MLK day 1/20, President day 2/17 and Spring break 3/24-29 (These are the days you are not required be on the DB) However I do advise that you use these days as a means to get ahead and not fall behind, having holidays are not excuses! If you plan to work in the "Helping Field" People's problems can occur any day and normally the holidays are when people are most depress or vulnerable!

 

Dr. Darius Cooper, LPC, NCC, ACS

Human Sevices Coordinator

Health Science and Human Services, Rm 125

1500 College Parkway, Elko, NV 89801

darius.cooper@gbcnv.edu <preferred method of contact 

office: 775.753.2005

fax: 775.753.2151

 Office hours Tuesday & Wednesday 9;30 AM-12 noon

Communicating With the Instructor

This course uses a “three before me” policy in regards to student to faculty communications. When questions arise during the course of this class, please remember to check these three sources for an answer before asking me to reply to your individual questions:

1. Course syllabus
2. The Week's Module
3. The Announcement 

This will help you in identifying answers before I can get back to you and it also helps your instructor from answering similar questions or concerns multiple times.

If you cannot find an answer to your question, please first post your question to the “GBC Coffee House” discussion board. Here your question can be answered to the benefit of all students by either your fellow students who know the answer to your question or the instructor. You are encouraged to answer questions from other students in the discussion forum when you know the answer to a question in order to help provide timely assistance.

If you have questions of a personal nature such as relating a personal emergency, questioning a grade on an assignment, or something else that needs to be communicated privately, you are welcome to contact me via the Inbox or phone. My preference is that you will try to send an Inbox message to me first. I will usually respond to emails within 24 hours unless we are on break and phone calls within 24-48 hours unless we are on break or during the weekends, Calls made or messages left via voice mail on Fridays will result in a contact the next business day, therefore if Monday is a holiday then Tuesday. 

If you have a question about the technology being used in the course, please contact the GBC Help Desk for assistance (775-753-2167, helpdesk@gbcnv.edu, www.gbcnv.edu/techdesk ).

Setting up Your Profile & Notifications

One of the most important things you can do to improve communication in the course between you, the instructor and other students in the course is setting up your Profile and Notifications. Do this by clicking on Settings in the upper right corner.

Course Textbook and MaterialsRequired: 

Introduction to the Profession of Counseling. Frank A Nugent, and Karyn D. Jones 2009 Pearson 5 edition. ISBN 12:97801135144305

Learning Outcomes and Measurements 

Course Goals

Upon completion of the course, the student will be able to indicate understanding of the following items:

1. Identify effective communication, assessment, and intervention skills common to the helping professions  
2. Apply ethical attitudes, concepts and behaviors as related to human services standards of practice

 

Method of instruction and Course Requirements Be sure you read each assignment(s)

Web-based: This is an online course and therefore there will not be any face-to-face class sessions. All assignments and course interactions will utilize internet technologies

1. 1.     Weekly Discussion Board (First Initial Posting due by Wednesday or 10% per day loss of points and peer comments due by Sunday 11:59 PM) (15 DB worth 30 points) 450 points Check the Rubric for DB. When students are addressing the discussion board your length should between 3 to 6 paragraphs with each paragraph containing 4-6 sentences. APA and references should be noted and I will be looking for cutting, copying and pasting.
2. 2.     There should be at least 2 peers comments and each once should contain at least 5 or more sentences, be informative and extensive no stating good or great posting,
3. 3.     (Late Policy- If you submit your DB work after the week is over you cannot earn any participation points, and it is possible for you to earn only 10 points or less however some points are better than none.
4. 4.      Be mindful of this policy>>> You can submit work late however you CANNOT submit any work from Week 1 to Week 9 after March 30 which is the end of our break 3/24 to 3/30. AND work starting from Week 10 can be submitted late however I will not take any after May 13 Friday 11:59 PM however the power point rough discussion submission late date is sooner, please check. Grades are due May 20^th and I need time to go back and review old word if need be.

2. Essay Questions There are (10 Essay Question and or assessments exams worth 50 points) 500 points. Check the Rubric. This should be in APA with a title page and reference page. This will be submitted as a word document and submitted to turnitin.com Page length 2-3 per question or I will recommend that some be shorter or longer as well. Length DOES NOT include title page or reference page

4. Final Project is a power point worth 50 points! This power point should be at least 15-20 slides excluding the title and reference page. (You should also use speaker notes!) Your goal is to select a topic related to your current subject matter in this class and describe and explain proper steps for intake of a client, basic assessments, how would you work with denial, what are some recommendations you might make, including a combination of group, individual and family therapy. Also you need to chose at least 1-2 disorders, for example addiction, bipolar or a combination of both. Refer to the DSM-IV TR Axis I and you may include Axis II but you need Axis I. In other words formulate a complete treatment plan for your make believe client and present that in a form of a power point! Check the rubric and focus on these key areas 1)Working knowledge of Human Services system,2)Theory analysis and application 3)Human Services practices in ethics, boundaries and cultural (This assignment is due week 15) Please have your topic approved by your professor on or before the first recess or spring break! Those failing to have their topic approve by their professor will lose 5%. All I require is a general email and outline! Please do this prior to the Spring Recess! 

5. No extra credit given. Please note that all students are require to obtain their textbooks I cannot cut, copy and paste the textbook, therefore not having your textbook for any reason(s) is no excuse, if you signed up for this class I expect for you to have your textbook. Additionally your first few assignments will not require your textbook allowing you some time to obtain your textbook. 

6. Refrain from putting up personal posting(s) regarding personal matters. I understand that in these classes students may want to share their personal issues however at times posting personal information might reveal too much information. As a result I will either delete that part or the entire posting if need be and ask you to re-post. I recommend not disclosing personal family markers, crimes or drug usage or any such comments. 

All assignments must be submitted in APA! Please check the requirements for complete APA rules. I will submit a list of references that students should not use, if you use these references points will be loss.

Turnitin.com scores should be less than 25% therefore do not cut, copy and or paste work. Document where the evidence is strong, however make all effort to explain and interpret your evidence in your own words. 

Please note: Do not post assignments in advance of that week assignment however if you want to, you can save your assignment on a J-Drive and post it when it is due!

Computer Requirements

This course requires that you have access to a computer that can access the internet. You will need to have access to, and be able to use, the following software packages:

• A web browser (An up-to-date version of Google Chrome, Safari, or Mozilla Firefox)
• Adobe Acrobat Reader (free)
• Adobe Flash Player (free)
• Microsoft Word
• Other specialize free programs listed in the weekly modules

You are responsible for having a reliable computer and internet connection throughout the course. Great Basin College centers have open lab hours for your use. Local libraries usually have computers for public assess. It is up to YOU to find reliable computer access for this course.

Internet & WebCampus

This course uses WebCampus for the facilitation of communications between faculty and students, submission of assignments, and posting of grades.The WebCampus Course Site can be accessed at http://webcampus.gbcnv.edu an alternative way into the site can be reached by going to: http://gbcnv.instructure.com.

 Attendance/Participation

Preparation for class means reading the assigned readings & reviewing all information required for that week. Attendance in an online course means logging into WebCampus and on a regular basis and participating in the all of activities that are posted in the course. Participating in the discussion means reading others posts, posting your initial message usually by Wednesday in the week to allow others time to read and respond to your message, and responding to at least two other class members by the week's deadline. 

All assignments due on Sunday 11:59 PM for DB your initial posting is due each Wednesday! 

Studying and Preparation Time

The course requires you to spend time preparing and completing assignments. A three-credit course requires 135 hours of student work. Therefore expect to spend approximately 9 hours a week preparing for and actively participating in this course.

Late or Missed Assignments

Students can submit late between week 1 and the first spring recess) Nothing will be taking from Week 1 and the week prior to the spring recess break once the spring break is over)  Again do you forget to review the loss of points!

I understand that people might have personal and work issues however I expect for students to complete their work on time and to limit their excuses. Remember if you are considering working in a "Helping Field" Then think about if you went to the doctor, counselor or teacher and their excuses were I cannot help because my computer went out or I cannot find your paperwork because my dog ate it. So try your best to keep up!

 

Submitting Assignments

All assignments, unless otherwise announced by the instructor, MUST be submitted via WebCampus. Each assignment will have a designated place to submit the assignment, placing the assignment in the wrong area or wrong assignment in the right area will result in a 0! Follow directions please.

Drop and Add dates (Last Day to drop March 24th)

If you feel it is necessary to withdraw from the course, please see GBC Calendar for full details on the types of withdrawals that are available and their procedures.

Subject to change notice

All material, assignments, and deadlines are subject to change with prior notice to benefit the learning of students in the course.  It is your responsibility to stay in touch with your instructor, review the course site regularly, or communicate with other students, to adjust as needed if assignments or due dates change. (IF I make any adjustments to changes I will advise the class at least 7 days in advance) 

Academic Integrity

GBC expects and requires all its students to act with honesty and integrity, and respect the rights of others in carrying out all academic assignments. Click for more information on academic integrity, including the policy and appeal procedures and the Student Conduct Statement below.

Great Basin College considers academic honesty one of its highest values.  A student who obtains academic credit for work that is not the product of his or her own effort is being dishonest and undermining the academic integrity of the college.  Students are expected to be the sole authors of their work.  Use of another’s ideas must be accompanied by specific citation and reference.  In addition, a learner may not submit the same work for credit in more than one course.  The disciplinary consequences of plagiarism and other forms of academic dishonesty include non-acceptance of work submitted, a failing grade in the course, and/or or other disciplinary action as outlined in Great Basin College’s Student Conduct Policy.

Grades and Grading Scale

Assignment of letter grades is based on a percentage of points earned. The letter grade will correspond with the following percentages achieved.  All course requirements must be completed before a grade is assigned.

Grading Criteria

Course grade will be based on Participation, Class Assignments, Quizzes, Exams and your Final Project
 
To determine the final course grade, your individual grades will be calculated on a percentage scale and then recorded as the corresponding grade point value and letter grade as shown below. Grading will use + and - on assignments, tests and the final, recorded grade. 

Grade		Percent Range
A	940-1000
A-	900-939
B+	870-899
B	840-869
B-	800-839
C+	770-799
C	740-769
C-	700-739
D+	670-699
D	650-669
F	0-649

 

1. There are 15 DB worth 30 points=450 points

2. There 10 Essay Exam Questions worth 50 points=500 points

3. You have 1 power point worth 50 points=50 points

Total 1000 points!

 Do not forget the late policy, loss of points per day, when to post initial DB postings and from week 1- to week 9 if submitted late must be submitted by March 30^th and after that nothing can be submitted from those timeframes.

Describe how letter grades are determined. Include point values and/or percentages for course requirements. If you wish to refer to general information about grading, you can reference www.gbcnv.edu/academics/grades.html.

How to Succeed in this Course

• Log in to the course web site daily & participate in discussion regularly
• Communicate with your instructor
• Create a study schedule so that you don’t fall behind on assignments

Student Conduct Statement

Students are required to adhere to the behavior standards listed in GBC Student Conduct and Netiquette Policies. Students are entitled to receive instruction free from interference by other members of the class. If a student is disruptive, an instructor may ask the student to stop the disruptive behavior and warn the student that such disruptive behavior can result in withdrawal from the course. An instructor may withdraw a student from a course when the student's behavior disrupts the educational process under NSHE Code, Title 2, Chapter 6. Section 6.2.2.

Appropriate classroom behavior is defined by the instructor. This includes the number and length of individual messages online. Course discussion messages should remain focused on the assigned discussion topics. Students must maintain a cordial atmosphere and use tact in expressing differences of opinion. Inappropriate discussion board messages may be deleted if an instructor feels it is necessary. Students will be notified privately that their posting was inappropriate.

Student access to the course InBox and Discussion tools may be limited or removed if an instructor feels that students are sending inappropriate or disparaging remarks about the course in electronic messages to other students in the course.

Syllabus Disclaimer

The instructor views the course syllabus as an educational contract between the instructor and students. Every effort will be made to avoid changing the course schedule but the possibility exists that unforeseen events will make syllabus changes necessary. The instructor reserves the right to make changes to the syllabus as deemed necessary. Students will be notified in a timely manner of any syllabus changes face-to-face, via email or in the course site Announcements. Please remember to check your WebCampus often.

Student Assistance and Technical Support Contact Information

GBC's Academic Success Centers (ASC) on the Elko campus and at GBC's rural centers offer the following services to GBC students, all at no cost. GBC is committed to your success! 
775-753-2149

• Live tutoring -- free to all GBC students
• Free placement testing
• Proctored testing
• Open computer labs
• Help for students where English is their second language. You can also request a personalized one-on-one success plan utilizing the Student Support & Retention Office. 775-753-2255

GBC's Library on the Elko Campus provides electronic and digital resources to help students in their research and learning. 
Contact the library through the "Ask a Librarian" form or 775-753-2222.

 GBC's Technology HelpDesk provides WebCampus assistance when students click on the Help button in the upper right hand corner in WebCampus, call 775-753-2167, or email helpdesk@gbcnv.edu.

For information on college closures and outages see the GBC Homepage, for information on WebCampus slowdowns or outages visit this site.

Accessibility Statement

Great Basin College is committed to providing equal educational opportunities to qualified students with disabilities in accordance with state and federal laws and regulations, including the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. A qualified student must furnish current verification of disability. 

This course is designed to be compatible with most universal screen readers. If you are a student needing video and/or audio captioning, GBC's Disabilities Office will provide captioning for you in this course.

The Students with Disabilities Office, located in Berg Hall, will assist qualified students with disabilities in securing the appropriate and reasonable accommodations, auxiliary aids, and services. For more information or further assistance, please call 775-753-2271.

 

Overall Summary of your term!

I will not spell out each assignment on the course outline as you can find them online. However Discussion will be due each week from Week 1 to Week 15. All assignment will be due on Sunday by Midnight however the Discussion Board Initial posting to the questions are due by Wednesday of that current week! << PLEASE NOTE

Essay Question Exams will start Week 4 and end week 14 and your Power point is due in week 15.

Week 1 1/20- 1/26

Week 2 1/27- 2/2

Week 3 2/3- 2/9

Week 4 2/10- 2/16

Week 5 2/17- 2/23

Week 6 2/24 -3/2

Week 7 3/3- 3/9

Week 8 3/10- 3/16

Week 9 3/17-3/23

Spring Recess 3/24-3/30 (Late Policy nothing from Weeks 1 to Week 9 can be submitted after March 30^th)

Week 10 3/31- 4/6

Week 11 4/7- 4/13

Week 12 4/14- 4/20

Week 13 4/21- 4/27

Week 14 4/28-5/4

Week 15 5/6 – 5/11

Week 16 5/12- 5/16 Late assignments starting from week 10 or after the spring recess must be submitted by 5/13 11:59 PM and please the power point rough draft discussion submission has a different late date which is sooner than 5/13, please check the portal for that.