IMH108 - Fundamentals of Communications and Counselling with Families

Outline information
Semester
Schools offering this subject
Last revision date 2023-05-29 00:04:26.636
Last review date 2023-08-22 17:11:04.579

Subject Title
Fundamentals of Communications and Counselling with Families

Subject Description
Being able to communicate effectively and engage in empathetic interactions with others is an essential competency in the partnering with families and professionals. Consequently, this introductory course promotes the development of communication and support skills essential to building rapport with families and colleagues in diverse sociocultural contexts. Students will examine the complexities of communication and necessity for self-reflection. A variety of theoretical approaches to counselling will also be critically analyzed. Furthermore, students will explore how practitioner life experiences and theoretical perspectives impact collaboration with families from diverse backgrounds. Approaches for maintaining responsive relationships within the context of service delivery in infant mental health are discussed. 

Credit Status
IMH 108 is a process course.  Students are required to attend a minimum of 75% of face to face classes in order to be eligible to earn a passing grade.

Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this subject the student will be able to:

Upon successful completion of this subject the student will be able to:

1. Identify communication skills for building rapport and maintaining responsive relationships with families and professionals.
2. Evaluate verbal and non-verbal communication patterns to support effective and empathetic professional interactions.
3. Articulate approaches to navigating interactions that are challenging using client-centered principles and practices.
4. Critically analyze counseling theories and approaches to inform practice with families from diverse sociocultural backgrounds.
5. Formulate a personal philosophy for collaborating with caregivers of infants and young children in the context of infant mental health service delivery.
6. Practice reflection to increase self-awareness and support ethical and empathetic partnerships with families in a variety of professional contexts.

Academic Integrity
Seneca upholds a learning community that values academic integrity, honesty, fairness, trust, respect, responsibility and courage. These values enhance Seneca's commitment to deliver high-quality education and teaching excellence, while supporting a positive learning environment. Ensure that you are aware of Seneca's Academic Integrity Policy which can be found at: http://www.senecapolytechnic.ca/about/policies/academic-integrity-policy.html Review section 2 of the policy for details regarding approaches to supporting integrity. Section 2.3 and Appendix B of the policy describe various sanctions that can be applied, if there is suspected academic misconduct (e.g., contract cheating, cheating, falsification, impersonation or plagiarism).

Please visit the Academic Integrity website http://open2.senecac.on.ca/sites/academic-integrity/for-students to understand and learn more about how to prepare and submit work so that it supports academic integrity, and to avoid academic misconduct.

Discrimination/Harassment
All students and employees have the right to study and work in an environment that is free from discrimination and/or harassment. Language or activities that defeat this objective violate the College Policy on Discrimination/Harassment and shall not be tolerated. Information and assistance are available from the Student Conduct Office at student.conduct@senecapolytechnic.ca.

Accommodation for Students with Disabilities
The College will provide reasonable accommodation to students with disabilities in order to promote academic success. If you require accommodation, contact the Counselling and Accessibility Services Office at ext. 22900 to initiate the process for documenting, assessing and implementing your individual accommodation needs.

Camera Use and Recordings - Synchronous (Live) Classes
Synchronous (live) classes may be delivered in person, in a Flexible Learning space, or online through a Seneca web conferencing platform such as MS Teams or Zoom. Flexible Learning spaces are equipped with cameras, microphones, monitors and speakers that capture and stream instructor and student interactions, providing an in-person experience for students choosing to study online.

Students joining a live class online may be required to have a working camera in order to participate, or for certain activities (e.g. group work, assessments), and high-speed broadband access (e.g. Cable, DSL) is highly recommended. In the event students encounter circumstances that impact their ability to join the platform with their camera on, they should reach out to the professor to discuss. Live classes may be recorded and made available to students to support access to course content and promote student learning and success.

By attending live classes, students are consenting to the collection and use of their personal information for the purposes of administering the class and associated coursework. To learn more about Seneca's privacy practices, visit Privacy Notice.