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Rehabilitation and Human Services Special Interest Areas

One of the advantages of the RHS major is the flexibility of course offerings and number of elective courses available. This flexibility allows students to pursue a broad background in human services training with a diverse range of courses to select from across the university. It also allows students who started out in different majors to bring the expertise they have begun to develop in their previous studies to RHS, usually without having to add too many extra courses or extend their graduation deadlines.

To support students who already have a targeted career goal such as School Counseling, Occupational Therapy, Drug and Alcohol Treatment, or Community Mental Health, the program has developed specific interest areas with suggested course options to help students develop a curriculum for their specific career goals. These emphasis areas can also provide students with similar interests an opportunity to get to know each other and network as they progress through the major.

RHS Special Interest Areas

The Community Mental Health and Addictions interest area emphasizes the skill sets and knowledge needed to work with individuals with mental health or addictions concerns.

Courses in this interest area are designed to provide students with a foundation in substance abuse, abnormal psychology, and community mental health services and practices. Additionally, since a large proportion of individuals with mental illness and addictions are at higher risk for involvement in the criminal justice system, a course in corrections rehabilitation is also recommended.

RHS students who chose an interest area in Community Mental Health and Addictions integrate their academic training by completing a one-semester internship working in a RHS setting under the supervision of a trained mental health or addictions professional. The special topic course is available for students who want to further define their interest area. For example, students who want to work with youth with mental health or addictions concerns may choose to take a course in adolescent development for their special topic.

A RHS degree with a focus in mental health and addictions will prepare students to work in a variety of settings including community mental health organizations, psychiatric rehabilitation programs, adult and juvenile correctional settings, as well as community agencies that serve people with addiction problems. This concentration will also prepare students to pursue graduate degrees in mental health counseling, addictions counseling, psychiatric rehabilitation, social work, criminal justice, and rehabilitation counseling. Penn State University offers a master's in Counselor Education with an emphasis in School Counseling, Rehabilitation Counseling, Career Counseling, and Mental Health Counseling in community School Settings. If you would like more information about Penn State's programs, please go to the CN ED master's page.

To pursue a career in occupational therapy students must first complete a bachelor’s degree in a related area that provides a broad educational background while also preparing students for the academic training required at the post-baccalaureate level.

To satisfy the requirements to be accepted into an occupational therapy graduate degree program, students are required to take a concentration of statistics and science-related courses and will need to complete volunteer work observing a professional occupational therapist in an actual work setting. Students will integrate what they have learned by completing a one-semester internship working in a community or medical setting under the supervision of an experienced practitioner.

Most students choosing this interest area will likely pursue graduate training to become licensed occupational therapists; however, with the broad focus of the RHS major, students will also be able to pursue a variety of human service or case management jobs in community or health settings.

  • Please note, the criteria on this page serve only as a general guideline for RHS students when considering application to OT graduate programs.

The Physical Therapy interest area provides a broad foundation in RHS for students interested in pursuing a career as a Physical Therapist. Students must first complete a bachelor’s degree program in a related area that provides a broad educational background while also preparing students for the academic training required at the post-baccalaureate level.

Students in the Physical Therapy interest area take a core set of courses that provide the skills needed to work effectively with physical therapy patients. To satisfy the requirements to be accepted into a physical therapy graduate degree program, students in this track are required to take a concentration of statistics and science-related courses and will need to complete volunteer work observing a professional physical therapist in an actual work setting. Students will integrate this content by completing a one-semester internship working in a community or health setting under the supervision of an experienced practitioner.

Most students choosing this track will likely pursue graduate training to become licensed physical therapists; however, with the broad focus of the RHS major, students in this track will also be able to pursue a variety of human service or case management jobs in community or health settings.

The RHS interest area in school settings emphasizes the skill set and knowledge needed to provide services to children and youth within educational settings. Courses in this interest area are designed to provide students with a foundation in working with youth and understanding educational systems and practices. Students who select the RHS interest area in School Settings will integrate their academic coursework by completing a one-semester internship working in a human services role within a community or educational setting.

A RHS degree with a focus in working with children and youth in a school setting will prepare students for a variety of career options in a range of human service and educational settings including elementary and secondary schools, youth-based programs in community mental and psychiatric rehabilitation programs, juvenile correctional settings, school-based behavioral health programs, and school psychology, as well as community agencies that serve youth with substance abuse problems. Upon graduation students will be qualified for Therapeutic Staff Support (TSS) positions in Pennsylvania where they can provide one to one behavioral services to children and/or adolescents in either a home and/or school setting.

Students who want to go on to graduate school would also have the background to apply for master's programs in school counseling, mental health counseling, addictions counseling, psychiatric rehabilitation, social work and rehabilitation counseling. Penn State University offers a master's in Counselor Education with an emphasis in School Counseling, Rehabilitation Counseling, Career Counseling, and Mental Health Counseling in community School Settings. If you would like more information about Penn State's programs, please go to CN ED master's page.