How long will it take me to complete the program?
I want to be a counselor/therapist. Can I do that with this program?
Where can I transfer from here?
Can I substitute work experience for the Internship?
Can I do my internship at my place of employment?
When can I take the internship?
Who should go into human services?
Can I take the clinical supervision class separate from the internship?
Can I get through this program taking all distance learning courses?
Do I have to take distance learning courses to get through this program?
Can I take classes on the Caswell County campus?
How long will it take me to complete the program?
Attending full-time, most students can complete the program in two and a half years. Occasionally, a studetn is able to complete the program in two years. Some students may have a few more English, Reading and Math courses to take, and this may extend the time. Many students attend part-time and finish the program at their own pace.
You can get both degrees, although this may take slightly longer. There is a four course difference between the two degrees. In the A.A.S. in Human Services Technology, the specialized courses include HSE 220 Case Management, HSE 251 Activities Therapy, PSY 255 Working with Exceptionality, and a choice of one of the following three courses: HSE 212 Group Process II, GRO 120 Gerontology or SAB 110 Substance Abuse Overview. In the A.A.S. in Human Services Technology with Social Services Concentration, the specialized courses are: SWK 110 Introduction to Social Work, SWK 214 Social Work Law, SWK 220 Social Work Issues in Client Services, and a choice between HSE 145 Child Abuse and Neglect, GRO 120 Gerontology or SAB 110 Substance Abuse Overview. If you are working towards both degrees, you must take two of the four alternative courses: HSE 145 Child Abuse and Neglect, HSE 212 Group Process II, GRO 120 Gerontology or SAB 110 Substance Abuse Overview. For more information on the specific courses in the two programs, follow these links: A.A.S. in Human Services Technology and A.A.S. in HST with Social Services Concentration. For a very brief description of the two programs, click here.
I want to be a counselor/therapist. Can I do that with this program?
While you may be doing work that has some elements of counseling in it, as counselor or therapist that sees people privately or works in settings such as counseling centers, requires further education. Most counselors have a minimum of a master’s degree, which is approximately six years of full-time college education.
Where can I transfer from here?
For the answer to this question, please click here to link to the "Where Do I Go From Here?" page.
Can I substitute work experience for the Internship?
The internship experience is an important part of the program and experience, even in human services, cannot be substituted for the work you will be doing in your Internship while applying specific human services principles.
Can I do my internship at my place of employment?
We generally discourage this, although exceptions have been made. When those rare exceptions are made, the internship activities must be significantly different from your day to day activities as an employee and that time must be unpaid.
When can I take the internship?
In order to start the first semester of internship, you must have been in the Human Services Technology Program for at least two semesters, and have completed at least 12 hours of curriculum classes, including HSE 123 Interviewing Techniques. You must also have permission from the program coordinator and class instructor. For more information on internships, click here.
Can I take the clinical supervision class separate from the internship?
No. The first clinical internship (HSE 163) must be taken with the online class HSE 160 Clinical Supervision I. The second clinical internship (HSE 264) must be taken with the online class HSE 260 Clinical Supervision II.
Who should go into human services?
People from a variety of backgrounds go into human services. Many students were laid off from industry jobs and decided to take their career in a new direction. For example, under graduate profiles, you will see the story of Theresa Duffey. Other students come directly from high school and their first choice of profession is something that allows them to help others. A number of students are single mothers who are looking for a career path that will help them support their families. Others decide to return to school at various points in their lives. Recent students have ranged in age from 17 to 55 (and all ages are welcome!). There is no specific type of person that goes into human services; however, it is important that a human services worker wants to help others to help themselves.
Being a good listener is an important characteristic of a human services worker. There are several layers to listening skills and there is a focus on this in HSE 123 Interviewing Techniques. However, a human services worker needs to work hard to not give advice. Human services workers have a commitment to helping people to help themselves, and this means helping people to find the solution that is best suited to their individual needs, not the path that the human services worker thinks is correct. The National Organization for Human Services Education (NOHSE) sees the mission in human services as follows: "...Human Services is a profession dedicated to interdisciplinary education and integrated services to clients. Help is focused not only on remediation of problems, but on meeting basic human needs and advocating for change in the systems that affect the lives of our clients."
Sometimes people go into the helping professions to resolve unfinished issues of their own. While sharing similar experiences can be beneficial at times, an individual’s unresolved issues often prevent that person from fully assisting someone else. Many people with traumatic backgrounds can be effective in the helping profession, however, it is imperative that the person does not assume that someone coming in with a similar background has had the same experience as them. Individuals who assume their experiences are the same and who lack boundaries can do significant damage. Students who start in this program but appear to be having difficulty may be referred to student support services or outside assistance.
Can I get through this program taking all distance learning courses?
No. There are some courses in the program that are offered only as Blackboard/online courses, and there are a number of hybrid courses (courses that are partially in the classroom and partially online) offered. However, there are a variety of courses that are taught only in the classroom, due to the nature of the class. For example, HSE 123 Interviewing Techniques, HSE 251 Activities Therapy, and HSE 112 Group Process I are classes that involve significant practice and use of the skills that you are learning. Thus, they could not effectively be taught in an online, or even in a hybrid setting. Courses that are offered only in a distance learning setting include: HSE 210 Human Services Issues, SWK 110 Introduction to Social Work, SWK 214 Social Work Law, SWK 220 Social Work Issues in Client Services, and HSE 160 and HSE 260, which are the Clinical Supervision Courses that go along with the internship. Hybrid courses include: HSE 110 Introduction to Human Services, HSE 125 Counseling, SAB 110 Substance Abuse Overview, SWK 113 Working with Diversity and SWK 115 Community Resources. Other classes may become hybrid classes as well.
Do I have to take distance learning courses to get through this program?
Yes. Everybody learns differently (click here for a link to a site about different learning styles) and distance learning can provide some special challenges for some students. However, technology is an integral part of the the world and the work that you are doing that. The skills that you will gain from taking an online class will benefit you greatly in your employment. If you are concerned with your lack of experience using a computer and the Internet, it is suggested that you take a hybrid course before taking a course that is completely on line; this will introduce you to distance learning while still providing you with the experience of being in the actual classroom. For more information about distance learning at Piedmont Community College, click here.
Can I take classes on the Caswell County campus?
The Human Services Technology Program is a fairly small program, and unfortunately, we do not have enough students to offer the same classes on both campuses. Most of the classes are highly interactive and thus not well suited to use of the distance learning classroom. Thus, the major curriculum classes are offered only on the Person County campus, where the majority of the human services students are located. However, Caswell County residents are welcome to take all general education classes, such as Math, English, Sociology and Psychology classes on either campus.
The majority of human services technology students primarily take classes during the day. Due to the fairly small size of the program, the classes we offer at night are limited. However, we try to accommodate students who are taking primarily night classes by rotating the times of the classes and offering at least one night class per semester, as well as the distance learning classes.