Community Social Services
Community Supports for People with Disabilites Diploma Gainful Employment Report
This program is primarily an online program. The technical courses are taught online through South Central College. The General Education courses in this program can be taken either online or on campus at Anoka Technical College or entirely online through South Central College in Mankato.
Program Description
Through this program students will acquire the knowledge and skills for performing duties as Direct Service Professionals in residential, vocational, recreation, health and education settings.
Through the diploma program students will, in addition to completing the certificate coursework, gain knowledge and skills in human behavior, communication, and medication areas. The diploma will provide the student supervisory skills with the ability to obtain Designated Coordinator status in addition to having two years of work experience. Upon completing the coursework, which includes 20 credits of transferable Liberal Arts & Sciences coursework.
The AAS Degree also entitles the student to the Designated Coordinator status and applies to supervisory and middle management positions in most human services settings. The AAS Degree offers the graduating student the option to continue their education at a four-year institution upon completion.
Students graduating from the Community Social Service Program (CSS) are eligible for positions in several areas in the health, human services and education fields with children, adolescents, adults and senior citizens. The graduating student may serve a variety of at-risk populations including people with disabilities, mental illness, substance abuse, poverty and disadvantaged. Students who may be interested in Social Work, Sociology, Psychology or other health related areas may want to consider the CSS program as a well-rounded educational base to support further development of generalist skills at a four-year institution.
Program Core Competencies
- Demonstrate professionalism through leadership performance.
- Recognize the need for skill development and demonstrate the ability to intervene and teach more appropriate performance skills to live an independent life style.
- Demonstrate knowledge of human behavior; identify deficits in behavioral choices, and intervene by identifying the most appropriate behavioral strategy to teach more appropriate alternatives.
- Make appropriate decisions based on knowledge of systems protocols, i.e. rules and regulations.
- Identify appropriate resources, supports, and services from all service settings in an effort to plan, develop, and implement the most appropriate and least restrictive strategies for an independent future.
- Demonstrate an understanding of concepts relevant to entry level, generalist; social work practice in a wide range of settings i.e. values and ethics; diversity issues; social justice; cooperative learning; autonomy and self-determination; social service delivery systems.
Student Background Studies
Student Background Studies are completed before students participate in the clinical experience. Disqualification from having direct patient contact may require the student to change program majors.
Minnesota law requires that any person who provides services that involve direct contact with patients and residents at a health care or child care facility licensed by the Minnesota Department of Health have a background study conducted by the state. An individual who is disqualified from having direct patient contact as a result of the background study, and whose disqualification is not set aside by the Commissioner of Health, will not be permitted to participate in a clinical placement in a Minnesota licensed health care or child care facility. Failure to participate in a clinical placement required by the academic program could result in ineligibility to qualify for a degree in that program.
IMPORTANT ACCUPLACER Test Requirement: ACCUPLACER testing in math, reading and writing. Any needed developmental courses must be completed before receiving a diploma or an AAS Degree.
Program Essentials
Length of Program
AAS Degree 70 credits
Diploma 48 credits
Please Note: This program is primarily an online program. The technical courses are taught online through South Central College. The General Education courses in this program can be taken either online or on campus at Anoka Technical College or entirely online through South Central College in Mankato.
Start Dates
Fall Semester August
Spring Semester January
Program Contact-Anoka Technical College
For information on how to apply, how to schedule an Anoka Technical College campus tour please contact the Admissions Office
Phone (763) 576-4700
E-mail info@anokatech.edu
South Central Faculty
For information about the technical, general education courses taught online at South Central College (SCC) in North Mankato, please contact the following:
W.C. Sanders
SCC Dean of Health & Business
North Mankato E-105
Phone (507) 389-7299
wc.sanders@southcentral.edu
Wayne Whitmore
SCC Faculty in CSS Program
North Mankato E-113
Phone (507) 389-7400
wayne.whitmore@southcentral.edu
Deb Salmon
SCC Faculty in CSS Program
North Mankato E-113
Phone (507) 389-7399
debra.salmon@southcentral.edu
