COD first In state to offer Veterans Counseling Certificate

College of DuPage recently approved a new Veterans Counseling Certificate program which, upon final approval from the Illinois Community College Board, will be the first of its kind in Illinois.

The 26-credit hour program is designed to provide specialized training for individuals working with veterans. The certificate program is funded through a Congressional grant from the U.S. Department of Education.

“We've received approval for the new courses. We anticipate receiving final approval for the certificate later this spring and offering the full program this fall,” said Jaime Lewandowski, Associate Dean Social and Behavioral Sciences. “This really puts the College at the forefront of this field with the growing demand for health professionals trained to handle the unique issues faced by those who serve our country.”

The new certificate program includes a required 300-hour clinical fieldwork experience, qualifying students for entry-level position upon completion. The certificate also assists students transferring to four-year institutions, as well as individuals with post-graduate degrees who seeking to improve their credentials.

“This program is unique because this is a population that historically has been underserved,” Lewandowski said. “Many veterans return home needing services that, up until this point, those in the health field have been unable to provide to the extent they are currently needed or will be needed in the future.”

The program is comprised of four existing Human Services courses and five new courses: HUMAN 2286, Assessment of Trauma for Veteran Population; HUMAN 2287, Assessment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Co-Morbid Disorders; HUMAN 2288 Treatment Approaches for Veteran Population and Families; HUMAN 2289 Individual and Group Counseling Focused on Veteran Population; and HUMAN 2290 Assessment for Appropriate Referral Focusing on Veterans Population.

Employment of social and human service assistants is expected to grow by nearly 23 percent by 2018. To meet that demand, the College intends to develop the new certificate into an associate degree, meaning students can then transfer to a four-year institution, earning their bachelor's degree in one to two years. COD's Human Services program currently has articulation agreements with National-Louis University and Governors State University.

For more information, call (630) 942-2103, or visit: www.cod.edu/humanservices.