Washtenaw Community College

WCHO Class Descriptions

HSC 1300 Rights of Recipients of Michigan Health Services

This course is for employees who provide mental health services to residents of the group homes. The class will discuss various laws that pertain to the recipients such as the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Michigan Mental Health Code and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. The responsibilities of the employees to report evidence of abuse and their protection under the Michigan Whistleblowers Protection Act will be discussed.

HSC 1305 Working with People: Positive Techniques

This 4 hour course is for the person working in a group home setting with people who may have challenging behavior problems. The student will learn how to deal effectively with these challenging behavior situations in a calm and constructive manner. Techniques for channeling the person into positive behavior patterns will be learned.

HSC 1310 Safety First

This is a 2 hour class in the basics of preventing, preparing and responding to emergencies. It will be taught immediately following the Health Issues class on day 2. Topics covered are weather related emergencies, safe driving techniques, power and water outages, poison prevention and first aid, and fire safety and actions to take in the event of a fire.

HSC 1315 Health Issues

This 6 hour course covers the identification and treatment of many common health issues encountered in a group home setting. The topics cover infection control, prevention and treatment of pressure ulcers, diabetes symptoms and management and seizure management. The student will also have hands on training in taking temperature, pulse, respiration and blood pressure.

HSC 1320 Role of the Direct Care Staff/Person Centered Planning

This is an 8 hour class, and the focus of the first 4 hours is the role of the direct care staff. The topics will center on the roles of advocate, teacher caregiver, and employee. This is an interactive class with role playing and group brain storming activities. The second 4 hours cover person centered planning. The student is taught the value of the client as the center of decisions about their life, and how planning should involve the client and the people who support them.

HSC 1325 Recreation

This is a 2 hour class for the supportive living staff working at group homes. It will be taught immediately following the Nutrition class on day 2. This class covers the cognitive areas: attention, insight, field scanning, matching organization, problem solving, memory, reading skills, concentration, time management and writing skills. The class will introduce concepts of structured leisure time vs. free time. Discussion of leisure activities and health and social benefits of recreation and leisure will be discussed. Ideas on how to integrate these activities into the community will be presented.

HSC 1330 Introduction to Medications

This is an 8 hour class that is required for all employees of group homes. A score of 85% is needed to pass this course. The student will learn how to pass medications safely and accurately, how to avoid medication errors, what to do if an error occurs, how to transcribe medications, how to find information on unfamiliar medications, be aware of tardive dyskinesia and psychotropic medications, know when guardian consent is needed, general standards of practice, how to complete a consultation report and other practices related to medication distribution.

HSC 1335 Quality of Life Issues: Nutrition and Aging

This is a 6 hour course that covers the basics of nutrition and food safety and an introduction to the aging process. The nutrition topics include menu planning, eating related problems that may occur in residents and how to respond to them, the effects of medications and food, safe handling of food and safety in the kitchen. The aging portion of the class will compare the biological model of decline with the wellness model of prevention, the process of aging and the nutritional implications and how to identify the nutrients that promote healthy aging.

HSC 1340 Recipient Rights Retraining

This 3 hour course is a review of all the topics covered in the Recipients Rights class. It is for the people who have already taken the 4 hour course, but need a refresher course.

Go to the WCHO Course Registration page to sign up for a class.