5 credits
Human services professional practitioners must be able to demonstrate helping skills and approaches that lead to productive relationships with service users, no matter the context. These skills include basic communication skills, active listening, empathy, trust building, and cultural humility. Students in this course examine their existing skill set and then build on it through a series of written exercises, reflections, and interactive video-based responses to human services scenarios. They also receive instruction on holistic appraisal, collaborative advocacy, and goal setting as key activities in the helping relationship. The course culminates with students filming and evaluating themselves in the role of a practitioner engaging with a service user.