Leadership in Action: Fall Quarter

The first quarter of this year-long program will focus on building the set of skills that are required to work in a helping capacity, either within an organization or as an independent agent. Some important themes in the program will include models of service delivery, effective communication with clients, the range of human variation and the various methods for quantifying human behavior. The program will be structured as four intensive weekend units. The units will focus on The Art of Helping (Mary Dean, Oct 5-7), Establishing a Helping Relationship (Rick McKinnon, Oct 19-21), Disability and Helping Professionals (Joli Sandoz, Nov 2-4), and Measuring Minds (Rick McKinnon, Nov 16-18). Students enrolling for 12 credits will do an independent research project spanning the themes of the quarter. Each intensive weekend unit will also be offered as an independent 2-credit course taught by the individual faculty member.

First Meeting: Sept. 29th, 9-12

Fall Intensive Weekends

Classes meet at GHC, Room 1512, Fri. 6-9pm, Sat. 9am-5pm, Sun. 9am-4pm (unless otherwise noted)

1. The Art of Helping (Mary Dean) Oct. 5-7

Doing well while doing good is a challenge. Whereas some kind of help is the kind that helps, some kind of help we can do without. Gaining wisdom to know the paths of skillful helping of self and others will be the focus of this two-credit intensive course. We will explore knowing who we are, identifying caring as a moral attitude, relating wisely to others, maintaining hope and trust and working together to make change possible.

2. Establishing a Helping Relationship (Rick McKinnon) Oct. 19-21

In this course participants will gain the skills necessary to establish a therapeutic relationship that will facilitate the collection of relevant and accurate information about a client’s specific strengths and needs. This skills-based approach will offer tangible techniques that can be employed in a range of different practices, including active listening, reflection, empathy, reframing, brainstorming, reality testing and motivating. We will focus particularly on developing trust and rapport through skillful communication and interviewing techniques.

3. Disability and Helping Professionals (Joli Sandoz) Nov. 2-4

People socially labeled as “different” in the U.S. often have negative experiences of human service professionals and systems intended to help. We will use critical theory – ideas related to power, privilege and oppression – as a perspective from which to think about self and identity in hierarchical systems, and about positive ways to relate to diverse people. Personal stories, writings and perhaps art and videos by people who are deaf, disabled or chronically ill will anchor our work.

4. Measuring Minds (Rick McKinnon) Nov. 16-18th

This course will provide participants with an introduction to testing and measuring theory and its use in the construction and interpretation of instruments used to assess such psychological dimensions as attitude, intelligence, achievement, ability, interest, development and personality. Participants will explore types of validity and reliability, and their application to test interpretation and construction. Participants will emerge from this intensive weekend with an enhanced understanding of the appropriate uses and limits of psychological testing.

Additional meeting for 12 credit students: Dec. 8th, 9-4 (at GHC)

Credit Options (Fall quarter):

8 credits for full series;
12 credits for full series plus individual research project;
2 credits per. weekend unit.

Major areas of study include:
Counseling Psychology, Communication
Diversity and Disability Studies,
Interviewing and Assessment