PHE 100 Introduction to Public Health (4 Credits)
Provides an introduction to the core elements of public health science and practice, including health policy, health systems and health ethics. Open to all COCC students who want to know more about the dynamic, multi-disciplinary field of public health, what it is, how it is organized and how it works.
PHE 110 Public Health Professions (1 Credit)
This course will help prepare students for entering in the job market and/or setting up a professional practicum through the following: where to search for jobs, how to apply and how to interview; and how to prepare professional resumes, cover letters, and how to create portfolios to demonstrate experience and/or skills. Professional development opportunities such as conferences, certifications, trainings etc. will be discussed, as well current research and trends in employment in the fields related to public health.
PHE 183 Peer Support Specialist Training (4 Credits)
This course prepares students to be certified as Peer Support Specialist (PSS) in Oregon. A PSS is an individual with shared lived experience with substance use and/or mental health recovery. This person will provide supportive services to current or former consumers of mental health or addiction treatment. A PSS is also a consumer advocate who facilitates linkage to needed services and activities.
PHE 210 Introduction to the Health Care System (3 Credits)
Provides tools to examine and critically assess the U.S. health care delivery system, its components, and the challenges created by its structure. Considers the U.S. health care system from the perspective of multiple players and partners, including consumers/patients, primary health care, hospitals, providers, insurers, and government. Compares and contrasts the U.S. health care system to health care systems in other developed and emerging countries.
PHE 228 Health and Social Justice (4 Credits)
Introduction to the intersection of health and social justice, to better understand socially unjust health differences (inequities) present in communities across the United States and abroad. Particular attention will be paid to the social ecological framework for health promotion and the social determinants of health. The course takes a deeper dive into public health challenges by exploring current health issues in the United States and globally. Examination of relevant historical issues, theories of justice, human rights, and empirical evidence of health inequities, with an emphasis in critical analysis and applied knowledge. Community-engaged strategies and service learning activities will be used to explore social injustices and health inequities.
PHE 248 Health Psychology (4 Credits)
Health is defined as "a state of complete physical, mental, and social wellbeing, and not merely the absence of disease" (World Health Organization, 1948). With that definition in mind, this course examines how biological, psychological, social, and environmental factors affect physical health and wellbeing. Specific topics include historical and cultural perspectives of health, the psychology and physiology of stress, health behavior modification with emphases on primary prevention and health promotion, socioeconomic and healthcare inequalities, and an exploration of biopsychosocial factors related to chronic diseases like obesity, heart disease, and HIV AIDS. This course is one of the four pre-Public Health core courses offered.
PHE 267 Wellness Coaching Fundamentals (3 Credits)
Explore components of behavior change by providing an overview of the dimensions of wellness, coaching technique and models in health. Foundational concepts of positive psychology, including the history, theory and ethics, as well as mindfulness, appreciative inquiry and self-efficacy will be examined and applied.
PHE 268 Sustainable Food and Nutrition (4 Credits)
Farmer and author Wendell Berry once wrote that eating is an "agricultural act". It is also an ethical, social, political, and environmental act. In order to more fully understand the impact of our food choices, this course explores American food production from start to finish, past to present, and field to fork. Along the way we answer questions like: How does a plant grow? What is the difference between conventional vs. organic agriculture? How and why did our current food system develop? How much does a cheeseburger really cost? What and why is food biotechnology? Where can I buy a local head of lettuce or leg of lamb? And, ultimately, what should I eat? .
PHE 281 Practicum-Health Promotion/Public Health (1 Credit)
Provides practicums co-mentored by department faculty in collaboration with community partners. Practicum sites may include, but are not limited to public health departments, community health centers, health promotion and education programs, local government organizations, environmental health organizations, and social justice organizations. Thirty hours of practicum experience is equivalent to one credit. P/NP grading.
PHE 282 Foundations of Community Health Worker (6 Credits)
Provides the foundations of community health work which includes topics such as navigating the health care system, creating behavioral change plans, supporting case management, and working with agencies to advocate for system changes. Aligns with the Oregon Health Authority required coursework for a community health worker.
PHE 283 Introduction to Integrative Medicine (4 Credits)
Introduces concepts of complementary and integrative health as an approach to medical care that includes a culturally sensitive blending of Western biomedicine with traditional forms of healing, with a broader vision of improved health and patient autonomy. Provides an overview of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) healing modalities, such as mind-body interventions, Traditional Chinese Medicine, naturopathy, chiropractic medicine, massage, reflexology, and herbals or botanical. Illustrates how integrative medicine embraces science and is defined as a philosophy that neither rejects conventional medicine nor alternative methods grounded in evidence to support effectiveness.
PHE 284 Community Health Promotion Planning (3 Credits)
This course explores concepts in health promotion including community assessment, using data to drive decision making, resource identification, intervention strategies and evaluation of strategies. Application of community health promotion and disease prevention will be conducted through service-learning projects with public health partners.
