Community and Public Service CPS.S.AAS
Associate of Applied Science - 63 - 65 Credit Hours
Division: Liberal Arts, Communication and Social Sciences
Department: Social Work
Effective as of Fall 2023
What is the program about?
The Community and Public Service Associate of Applied Science degree is for students that are interested in helping those in need to overcome difficulties and improve their lives. This program is built from three core certificates that provide students with the necessary skills and knowledge to be effective in a wide range of social, behavioral and psychological/mental health service settings. Courses in this curriculum will focus on achieving proficiency in the following areas: social work core knowledge, mental health, addiction, values, skills; social work ethics and theory, interviewing and documentation; group/organization and micro-level methodologies; collaboration and advocacy; understanding family dynamics, barriers to self-sufficiency, conflict resolution, cultural and social diversity issues, the relationship between social problems and institutional responses.
Program Outcomes
- Develop skills and knowledge required for careers in social services, mental health and chemical dependency, including understanding roles and responsibilities within these different fields.
- Practice self-awareness and develop skills for Anti-Oppressive Social Work, such as recognizing how implicit bias influences one's practice as a social service provider.
- Develop knowledge of the barriers to self-sufficiency that many clients experience, such as socioeconomics, mental health, houselessness, and societally oppressive structures, and investigate strategies to dismantle these barriers.
- Recognize how personal values relate to and influence one's practice as a social service provider, according to the National Association of Social Workers (NASW Code of Ethics)
- Identify major concepts, theories, and historical events that have influenced the fields of social work, mental health and chemical dependency.
Career Opportunities
Graduates are employable in a variety of social service settings, including area non-profits, behavioral health clinics, Montgomery County Job and Family Services, and Dayton Children's Hospital. Some of these options are available to students if they are willing to complete a degree in Social Work within a certain time frame.
Transferability
Work to establish articulation agreements is in progress. However, many of the courses do transfer to area 4-year universities.
Credentials
Graduates may be eligible for registration as Social Work Assistants (SWA) through the Ohio Counselor, Social Worker, Marriage and Family Therapist Board. The program provides the educational hours required by the Ohio Chemical Dependency Professionals Board for credentialing as Phase 1 Chemical Dependency Counselor Assistants (CDCA).
Curriculum
Program Accreditation Information
N/A
