I. General Information

1. Course Title:
Supportive Interventions

2. Course Prefix & Number:
HSER 1104

3. Course Credits and Contact Hours:

Credits: 4

Lecture Hours: 4

Lab Hours: 0

4. Course Description:

This course provides an introduction to supportive intervention concepts and focuses on clarifying the role of the practitioner when intervening in helping relationships. This course introduces the engagement process, intervention techniques, and termination skills. The importance of self-awareness and its impact on helping others will also be explored.

5. Placement Tests Required:

Accuplacer (specify test):

No placement tests required

Score:

6. Prerequisite Courses:

There are no prerequisites for this course.

9. Co-requisite Courses:

There are no corequisites for this course.

II. Transfer and Articulation

III. Course Purpose

1. Program-Applicable Courses – This course is required for the following program(s):

Human Services AAS
Human Services Technician Diploma

IV. Learning Outcomes

1. College-Wide Outcomes

College-Wide Outcomes/Competencies	Students will be able to:
Demonstrate reading and listening skills	Demonstrate basic listening skills
Demonstrate interpersonal communication skills	Engage in interview process with peers

2. Course Specific Outcomes - Students will be able to achieve the following measurable goals upon completion of the course:

• Identify how personal style impacts the helping process;
• Understand basic listening skills;
• Understand invitational and engagement skills;
• Identify personal strengths and weaknesses when helping others;
• Describe how to challenge the consumer in a productive way;
• Describe the stages of change;
• Understand the process of termination;
• Understand how culture influences communication;
• Recognize that termination begins at intake;
• Describe the importance of self-care as it relates to your effectiveness as a helper;
• Define transference and countertransference;  and
• Describe specific relationship enhancers that can help to build rapport with the consumer.

V. Topical Outline

Listed below are major areas of content typically covered in this course.

1. Lecture Sessions

1. What Is Helping?
• Difference Between Skills and Therapy
• The Stages of the Helping Process: A Road Map
2. Self-Awareness
• Challenges You Will Face in Learning the Art of Helping
• Self-Care
• Accepting Feedback and Being Perfect
• Following Ethical Guidelines
• Who Can Be an Effective Helper?
3. The Helping Relationship
• The Importance of the Helper Relationship in Creating Change
• Defining the Helping Relationship
• What Clients Want in a Helping Relationship
• Relationship Enhancers
• Appearing Credible and Taking a Nonhierarchical Stance
• Transference and Countertransference
4. The Cultural Climate and the Helper Relationship
• Differences Make a Difference
• Disparities
• Mismatch Between Client and Helper
• How Can You Become Culturally Competent?
• What Is Culture, and What Should We Do About It?
• Tapping Cultural Support Systems
• Achieving Credibility and Trust
• Culturally Adapting Treatment: Tailoring your Approach to the Client
• Challenges with Engagement
• Religion and Spirituality
5. How to Engage and Interview
• Support
• Empathy
• Curiosity
• Non-judgmental Listening
6. How to Challenge
• When Should We Use Challenging Skills?
• How to Give Feedback
• How to Confront
• Common Problems in Confrontation and Their Antidotes
• Humor as Challenge
7. Assessment and Goal Setting
• of Assessment
• Techniques to Use
• Observation: Presentation
• Questioning: Behaviors and Environment
• How to Set Goals
8. Interventions
• What is Behavior Modification
• What are the Stages of Change?
9. Outcome Evaluation and Termination
• Evaluating the Effectiveness of Helping
• Basic Outcome Evaluation Methods
• Use Progress Notes to Track Improvement on Goals
• Use Goal-Attainment Measures
10. Termination
• How to Prevent Premature Termination
• How to Tell Whether Termination Is Needed
• How to Prepare a Client for Termination
• Dealing with Loss at Termination
• The Helper’s Reaction to Termination