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Rutgers SHP Requirements for Graduation and Course Descriptions

Department of Psychiatric Rehabilitation & Counseling Professions

Psychiatric Rehabilitation

PSRT5103 - Human Growth and Development

Course Description

This course examines human growth and development over the life span including theories of personality development and approaches that enhance personal development, decision-making abilities, personal responsibility, and quality of life. Topics covered include identification of developmental concepts and processes related to personality development and their application in counseling; transitions across the life span for individuals and families; family, sociological and psychological influences; learning needs across the life span; spirituality and religion; human sexuality and disability, wellness and illness prevention over the life span; implications of individual and cultural diversity, and ethical and legal considerations. The impact of disabilities on the individual, the family, and the environment is a particular focus of this course, with special attention to the reciprocal influences of culture, context, and the individual on the perception and experience of disability at each life stage.

Credits/Modes of Instruction

Credits: 3

The mode of instruction is primarily lecture, but with opportunities for class discussions. This course is offered in both on-campus and online formats.

Prerequisites

None

Course Goals and Outcomes:

Goals

The goals of this course are to be able to:
Understand the major theories of individual and family development across the lifespan.
Develop knowledge of normal and abnormal personality development.
Increase awareness of theories of learning.
Consider biological, neurological, and physiological factors that affect human development, functioning, and behavior.
Discuss systemic and environmental factors that affect human development, functioning, and behavior.
Develop a general framework for understanding differing abilities and strategies for differentiated interventions including the implications of disabilities in the context of life stage development and transitions.
Understand effects of crisis, disasters, and trauma on diverse individuals across the lifespan.
Name theories and etiology of addiction and addictive behaviors.
Identify ethical and culturally relevant strategies for promoting resilience and optimum development and wellness across the lifespan.

Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
Discuss the main concepts of the major theories of individual and family development and transition across the life span and their relationship to counseling theories.
Identify differences between normal and abnormal personality development.
Describe theories of learning.
Name biological, neurological and physiological factors and relate how they may affect human development, functioning and behavior.
Specify systemic and environmental factors that may affect human development, functioning and behavior including identifying strategies to work with families/ advocates to influence these factors.
Use a general framework for understanding differing abilities and strategies to differentiate interventions in planning to address issues in transitions in the context of life stages.
Describe effects of psychosocial crises, other crises, disasters and traumas and how they may affect individuals across the life span.
Consider theories and etiology of addiction and addictive behaviors as they apply to development across the life span.
Describe ethical and culturally relevant strategies for promoting resilience and optimum development and wellness including illness prevention across the lifespan.