Wenatchee Valley College
1300 Fifth Street
Wenatchee WA 98801
Syllabus
Department: Chemical Dependency Studies
Instructor: Beverly Warman, M.Ed.
Office: 2221H Wenatchi Hall
Phone number: 682-6676
Email: bwarman@wvc.edu
Office hours: Monday – Thursday 9-1- am, Friday by appointment
“We could learn a lot from crayons: some are sharp, some are pretty, some are dull, some have weird names, and all are different colors…but they all exist very nicely in the same box.” - unknown
Class Number: CDS 110 4 credits
Course Description: Cultural Diversity Counseling for Chemical Dependency Studies
A course of study designed to improve knowledge and skills of Chemical Dependency Professionals while working with clients/patients from diverse cultural backgrounds.
Learning Outcomes: The intention is for you to be able to:
1. Describe demographic trends concerning cultural diversity as an issue in chemical dependency treatment and prevention.
2. Describe elements of culture and how these elements impact chemical dependency treatment and prevention activities.
3. Define prejudice, bias, fear and its relationship to working with people from other cultures.
Performance Tasks: The learning outcomes can be demonstrated by these tasks that progressively build to conscious application of basic counseling skills.
1. Demonstrating continual awareness of cultural issues and sensitivities by and within client base.
2. Gaining facts and experience in dealing with diverse cultures, life choices, genders and ages of clients.
3. Teaching and understanding the elements of diversity in individual and group activities.
4. Using the staff and referral process to forestall personal judgement and bias which may nullify counselor effectiveness.
Depth of Instruction: This will be an overview class aimed at gaining insight into counseling people from cultures different than our own.
Assessment: Grades will be determined based on points gained from quizzes, tests, papers and other assignments. Attendance will also be taken into account in the final grading process.
Journals: You will be required to write 6 journals. For these entries you can write any cultural experience you had during the week. They are all around you if you pay attention. It can be your reaction to a television show or movie or to an experience that you had or observed. This may require you to look for these experiences. What are your immediate thoughts about the way a certain person dresses or wears their hair? What are those assumptions based on? How is a person using food stamps treated in the checkout line at the grocery store? Have you experienced any bias based on the way you talk or skin color? What is that like? It is not acceptable to write that you had no cultural experience in a given week. If you choose to write that (or something along those lines) no points will be given. The point of the journals is to become sensitive to the unique cultural experiences around us, and to become aware of bias and discrimination. We will discuss these randomly in class, and I will ask to collect them periodically.
Cultural Interview Paper: This paper is about you preparing to visit anyone in history you would like. The point is for you to consider what kind of preparations you would need to make to visit someone of another culture. These preparations may include things such as physical appearance, language, personal beliefs and values that may complicate the interview, etc. This will require you to research the personality of the person you are choosing to visit, the historical/social context, and the values of society at that time. This paper is worth a total of 75 points.
Policy on late assignments: All late papers will receive a 10% reduction in points for each day that they are late. Any assignment over 2 days late may not be accepted.
Policy on extra credit: As a rule, I don’t allow extra credit assignments. Occasionally a situation such as a movie, program, conference, etc. comes up that I believe would be appropriate for an extra credit assignment. If appropriate, it will be available to every student, and it will be each student’s decision whether they want to take the opportunity.
Make-up exams: I don’t allow make-up exams unless there is a very good reason for them. I wanted to spend time with my aunt from Florida is not a good reason. If an illness prevents you from being in class however, let me know asap. In the event that a make-up exam is warranted, it needs to be completed within 2 days of the original exam, or your score will be “0”.
Students in need of accommodations: If any student has a documented disability that will require accommodation in this class, please see Carla Boyd, the Special Populations Coordinator. Carla’s extension is 6854.
Academic honesty: Please review the policies of WVC regarding academic honesty in the WVC handbook. Any issues involving academic dishonesty will be handled according to these policies/procedures.
This is a breakdown of grading in this course. To find out where you stand at any point, take your total points (determined by adding up points of all of your assignments) and divide that by the total number of points available to date.
Point scale for grading:
A = 94-100% C+ = 77-79% D+ = 67-69%
A - = 90-93% C = 74-76% D = 64-66%
B+ = 86-89% C- = 70-73% D- = 60-63%
B = 83-85% F = 59% or Below
B- = 80-82%
**FINAL EXAM IS MARCH 24th 1:00 – 3:00 pm!!
You will have a final unless otherwise specified by the instructor
Learning Resources: There is no required text for this class. There will be substantial handouts and suggested reading as class progresses.
CDS 110 Winter 2010