The mission of the Human Services program is to prepare students to become skilled professionals who can function ethically and effectively within multicultural settings and with diverse populations. We strive to respond to regional and economic needs and provide access to higher education for all who seek fulfillment of career and economic goals through education. The program is geared to the needs of our students, the profession we support and the commerce that drives our economy.
The goals of the human services program relate to the above mission statement by its primary one; to prepare students for direct service occupations in human service agencies. A second goal is to prepare students for further studies through transfer leading to advanced academic degrees and special certifications. A third goal is to provide to individuals already employed in human services, educational opportunities for personal and professional growth.
The Associate in Science Degree program in Human Services prepares students to work with individuals who are consumers of the human services delivery system, providing them with direct services and linking them with other community services and resources.
Graduates of the Human Services program may be employed in human services agencies which deal with developmental disabilities, mental health, residential treatment, hospice care, abuse prevention and substance abuse. Graduates will be prepared for employment in positions such as service coordinator, group home manager, job coach, vocational instructor and trainer, residential living counselor, community living instructor, program manager, site supervisor, supported or independent living specialist, and family support coordinator.
The job market for human service workers has experienced tremendous growth during the past twenty years, concurrent with the expansion of community-based mental health and developmental disabilities programs for the elderly, the disabled, individuals on the autism spectrum, and families in crisis.
Locally, employment growth in Hillsborough County is projected to be the fourth highest of all ten counties in New Hampshire. One of the fastest growing occupations in NH includes social and human service assistants, projected to increase by 43.4% over the next ten years.
Entry-level salaries with an associate degree can range from $27,000 to $45,000 with opportunities for overtime, tuition reimbursement, and insurance coverage.
Transfer Agreements: Graduates wishing to pursue their bachelor’s degree can benefit from our transfer agreements with many different colleges and may enroll after transferring credits earned at Nashua Community College. All candidates are required to have a personal interview with a department faculty member.
The College also offers a Certificate program in Human Services, providing students with the major courses required for entry level position, as well as providing them with an entry point for the continuation of studies. All Certificate courses have been incorporated into the first year
of the Degree Program.
Technical Standards have been established as guidance tools to inform program applicants of skills and standards necessary for successful completion of the Human Service programs. Any applicant who has concerns or questions regarding the Technical Standards is encouraged to contact the Department Chair to discuss individual issues. Information on the Technical Standards for this program is also available in the Technical Standards section of this catalog.
Students in the Human Service programs must be able to demonstrate:
- Ability to communicate verbally as a student in classes, and later as a professional in individual and group counseling situations;
- Sufficient verbal skills and language to collaborate with a wide variety of helping professionals in clinical, societal and professional areas; deliver accurate and required information; and to search for information, e.g., questioning;
- Sufficient writing ability to formulate written assessment, charting notes, and reports, etc.;
- Ability to sustain cognitive integrity in areas of short and long-term memory, areas of written documentation and follow-through of responsibilities;
- Ability to concentrate on the execution of treatment plans, assigned skills and tasks as well as the integration and communication of this work for both short and long-term periods of time;
- Ability to work in settings that may lend themselves to frequent interruptions, immediate crisis response and role responsibility exchange;
- Ability to cope with a variety of stressors, including people-place occurrences, and demonstrate safe and required care for individuals and the workplace as a whole;
- Ability to secure transportation to practicum sites and classes; • Ability to consistently attend and participate in classes;
- Ability to demonstrate and maintain organizational skills, time management and professional respect and conduct as a human service student, either at a practicum site or in the community;
- Ability to adhere to and practice the Human Service Department’s ethical guidelines.
A State Police criminal check is the responsibility of students and may
be required for clinical fieldwork and/or employment upon request of an agency. Applicants who have had difficulty with the law depending upon the nature of the problem may not be employable or even eligible for fieldwork. Applicants need to discuss these matters in an interview with the Department Chair to determine future direction.
Students are advised to meet with their advisor to make appropriate elective selections based on their career goals and to facilitate the broadest range of transferability.
Dropping from a required program course may mean that the student will be out of sequence in program course offerings which may delay graduation. Individuals must recognize that to be successful in the Human Service field, they should be emotionally stable, creative, and flexible.
Upon the completion of the degree in Human Services, graduates will be able to:
- Communicate effectively, including speaking, writing, and listening in order to express, transmit and interpret knowledge and ideas.
- Research and plan in order to search for specific knowledge and the ability to conceptualize future needs and solutions for meeting those needs.
- Use interpersonal skills for resolving conflict, relating to and helping people, such as empathy, genuineness, self-awareness, patience, etc.
- Be competent in formal/informal assessment practices in order to understand the needs and interests of the participant.
- Be competent in defining, discussing and performing the five basic case management functions: assessment, planning, linking, monitoring and advocacy.
- Identify both personal and professional strengths and weaknesses and engage in appropriate self-development activities.
- Describe roles of the various human service professionals in providing services.
- Summarize the history of human services in America and identify important persons and movements
- Conduct both directed and non-directed interviews for the purposes of obtaining personal historical information, determining eligibility for services and conducting a mental status evaluation.
- Be able to demonstrate an understanding of ethical principles and apply them to professional practice.
- Knowledgeable of the requirements for documentation in the organization and be able to manage these requirements efficiently.
- Understand theoretical bases for different interventions as well as to initiate, develop and terminate interventions in a manner that enables continuous client growth.
In addition, the graduate will be able to demonstrate competency in the general education outcomes.
Students are advised to meet with their advisor to make appropriate elective selections based on their career goals and to facilitate the broadest range of transferability.
Dropping from a required program course may mean that the student will be out of sequence in program course offerings which may delay graduation. Individuals must recognize that to be successful in the Human Service field, they should be emotionally stable, creative, and flexible.