Running head: RATIONALE ESSAY PART I 1

Rationale Essay Part I

William Christensen

Northern Arizona College

AHB-495C Applied Human Behavior Portfolio Capstone

Dr. Nate Velez

March 28, 2021

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Abstract

The capstone class was designed to provide a class of reflection on our journey through

all Applied Human Behavior courses. This rationale essay will discuss the program's learning

outcomes and how key assignments mentioned in the artifact table correspond to those outcomes.

This essay will focus on the key learning outcomes: Human Systems and Diversity, Practice and

Intervention, Community Engagement and Responsibility, Professional Preparedness, and

Personal Values and Development.

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RATIONALE ESSAY PART I

Introduction

The rationale essay will reflect on the many courses that I have taken through my journey

in Applied Human Behavior. Throughout the classes and the assignments provided, I have

learned many things, which will be discussed through five learning outcomes. The outcomes this

essay will focus on will be Human Systems and Diversity, Practice and Intervention, Community

Engagement and Responsibility, Professional Preparedness, and Personal Values and

Development.

My profession will be within the field of Mental Health Counseling. When I chose my

field of study, I was driven towards pursuing a degree in Applied Human Behavior. To be

successful as a counselor, it is crucial to know how people tick and how life has affected them to

help them. Each class contributed to the learning outcomes, and each project has taught me

skills that I can apply to my profession and prepare me for my career. I am still working towards

becoming a Licensed Mental Health Counselor; therefore, the skills I have learned from the

different outcome areas will help prepare me for my career. Some of the things that each learning

outcome has taught me are how it is important to understand the nature of human systems and

the historical perspective to help solve current social conditions within a community. Another

key learning point is that diversity and inclusion are important and that there are many

perspectives on diversity. Other things that I have learned from the outcomes are the importance

of applying skills learned to direct practice techniques when working with clients to continue to

achieve growth and meet goals. Communities play an essential role in providing programs and

supporting those that need assistance to help create successful community systems both from a

practice and intervention standpoint to an engagement and responsibility standpoint.

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Research and studies that apply to my field of study will be vital in making sure that I am

successful and knowing and implementing ethical guidelines. This course has also had me reflect

on my personal and professional values, ethics, and career dilemmas and expanded my critical

thinking skills. In regards to career preparedness versus practice, each class has pushed my

growth further. I began this degree path because of a desire to help fellow veterans and first

responders deal with the trauma they have been a part of. My former buddies in the military and

past law enforcement career had always called on me to vent to or talk to when they were

struggling. I have always been someone they could trust and depend upon. Because of these

classes, I have learned more about the value of research, community planning, and development,

how diversity can play a role in ethical behavior in dealing with clients, deviance, and many

other things. These learning outcomes have helped shape my perspective on best practices and

how to be ethical.

Human Systems and Diversity

The first objective within human systems and diversity that I chose to focus on is

understanding the nature of human systems and applying historical perspectives to analyze and

solve current social conditions that limit the highest level of individual or community

functioning. In the Fall of 2020, within my AHB 340 class, one of the assignments was to watch

two movies from a pre-selected list and analyze them. The two movies that I chose were Frozen

River and Boy A. This movie analysis allowed me to meet the criteria for the first objective.

Through this assignment, I learned about deviant behavior as it applies to the nature of human

systems. I learned about why people are driven to perform deviant acts. There are many theories

as to why people are driven to deviance. The first theory presented in the movie analysis is the

social disorganization theory. It explains how individual deviance and crime patterns exist
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“across social locations” (Inderbitzin, Bates & Gainey, n.d.). The lack of social status can drive

some to deviant acts. Labeling theory is another theory that can lead to deviance. Labeling

theorists would state that the act of deviance depends on the context in which it is performed

(Interbitzin, Bates, & Gainey, n.d.). Labels can shape whom we become as adults causing one to

become a part of a cycle that can be hard to overcome. When people believe the labels that have

been attached to them, they become limited in becoming the person they were meant to be.

The following subsection that I chose was to understand multiple perspectives on

diversity and implement strategies to encourage multicultural environments that support clients,

communities, and professional environments. Class AHB 390, taken in the Fall of 2020, allowed

me to learn more about this outcome. Within this class, we were assigned a project to analyze an

organization to determine how inclusive they were and how diverse they were. For this project, I

selected the Gary Sinise Foundation. The Gary Sinise Foundation, while it works primarily with

military families, veterans, and first responders, is still diverse. They offer many programs that

cater to the military and veteran communities as well as first responders. They are well-rounded

on their board from a diverse perspective. The analysis also required us to form a plan to present

to the company to help with diversity and inclusion. Education is vital to keep diversity and

inclusion at the forefront. “[D]iversity training enables employees to understand how concepts

such as cultural competency, unconscious bias, civility, and workplace sensitivity apply in real-

world situations” (Diversity training in the workplace,” 2018). Diversity is essential to obtain

multiple perspectives. To best help my clients in the future, it will be necessary to be diverse and

inclusive. Through this project, it fulfilled subsection 1.2 of the learning outcome.
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Practice and Intervention

The two subsections that I chose to highlight in this learning outcome were apply skill in

planning, implementing, and evaluating direct practice techniques when working with

individuals, families, communities, and groups to promote growth and goal attainment; and

develop urban and rural community planning skills that use interpersonal communication and

advocacy to empower stakeholders to create sustainable, successful community systems.

Through courses taken this Spring of 2021, I have been able to fulfill these two subsections.

The first subsection focuses on taking the skills that we have learned and putting them

into practice. This was fulfilled within the Genogram Analysis in AHB 450. The Genogram

Analysis focuses on a case study of my choosing to determine how relationships and other

family histories with medical disorders or behavior disorders apply to the person analyzed in the

case study. The Genogram analysis will prove to be important within a Mental Health

Counseling field. It will help me better understand how life events, family relationships, and

family medical and behavioral disorders affect my clients to form a proper treatment path.

The second subsection focused on planning and development within a community and

how important it is to work with proper stakeholders to create sustainable, successful community

systems. AHB 375 taught me about community planning and how integral it is to the success of a

community. Our AHB 375 class used our creative skills and proposed a project to present a mini-

grant for. The mini-grant project proposal that I chose was titled Reaching for the stars and was a

program that would cater to high school kids who are impoverished and teach them how to fly

drones, leading them to a full-time job flying drones. This project allowed me to learn about the

importance of working with a community to plan programs that will benefit the community. The

mini-grant project exposed me to writing a grant proposal to create a successful community

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project to benefit the community. In my career as a Mental Health Counselor, I might need to

interact with the community to write a grant asking for assistance with programs to benefit the

community. This class exposed me to how to interact with the community and learn about urban

development.

Community Engagement and Responsibility

Learning outcome three focuses on responsibility and community engagement. We all

have a level of responsibility to our community and the global community. As a Mental Health

Counselor, it is crucial not to lose sight of the more significant responsibilities that one may have

and understand how global issues could impact those clients I may be working with. Through my

Spring courses in 2021, I have fulfilled the two subsections that I focused on under this learning

outcome.

The first subsection identifies the impact that socioeconomics, public policy, community

development, and global issues have on individuals and communities' ability to resolve

psychological or social issues and develop new strategies for success. In AHB 375, we were

assigned different sections of our text to summarize and engage our class. The summary that was

provided for me was The Uses of Sidewalk. The focus of that chapter was how sidewalks impact

one's community. Jane Jacobs was a pioneer in planning modern cities. She was best known for

stopping major highways through New York City and Toronto, Canada. Her book The Death

and Life of Great American Cities was most notable in guiding modern city planning.

Communities are essential, and public policies like putting a major highway through a

community can impact all of those around it. She also spoke about it is the responsibility of those

who live within a city to protect their streets it is not just the police's responsibility. Within this

chapter, she spoke about the security and safety of streets and likened them to a dance. Each
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person has a part to play, and there is order and structure. Jane Jacobs stated, "cities have the

capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created

by everybody" (Goodreads,2021). When a city's streets are safe and secure, this can help

maintain and stop some social issues from developing.

The second subsection is understanding how globalization and internationalism impact

citizenship, participation, and social responsibility in mezzo and macro environments and apply

this knowledge to resolving issues of social responsibility and citizenship. AHB 350 was a class

that focused on Inequality, Social Justice, and Global Citizenship. This course was one that I had

in the Spring of 2021. One of the main projects was to choose a global issue to focus on and

present it to the class. The topic that I chose was wildlife trafficking. Wildlife trafficking impacts

us all like some things that are brought into other countries can bring in disease, it also can

change the face of our environment through deforestation, which impacts the climate. Animals

that are endangered can become extinct, therefore disrupting the food chain. Illegal wildlife

trafficking is a global problem. I found it interesting that the U.S. has some of the largest imports

and exports from over 214 regions around the world (Defenders of Wildlife, 2015). There are

many ways that wildlife trafficking impacts us all. We all have a responsibility to educate

ourselves a help stop wildlife trafficking.

Professional Preparedness

The learning outcome of professional preparedness has helped me understand that there

will be times that research is necessary to assist with my career as a Mental Health Counselor. I

will need to make sure that I continue to research the latest treatment methods and how past

treatments have evolved. The two subsections highlighted in this learning outcome, my classes

of AHB 305 and AHB 390, taken in the Fall of 2020, have helped me fulfill the outcome.
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The first subsection understanding the importance of Social Science research and apply

research to select solutions or implement best practices, was fulfilled through AHB 305 and the

research paper we had to compile. We had to choose a topic through this course and learned how

to create a proper research paper. This was done in stages and helped understand how research is

done in stages and how the findings come together in a paper. The topic that I chose was HBOT

or Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy. I selected this topic to find out more about optional treatments

for those who suffered traumatic brain injuries (TBI). In my field of study Mental Health

Counseling, I will be working with clients who may have developed certain behaviors due to

traumatic brain injuries. It is important to seek out all forms of treatment, and it has been proven

that HBOT is successful and does not involve treatment through pharmaceuticals. Hyperbaric

oxygen therapy allows for 100% oxygen to flow in a controlled setting for a controlled amount

of time, which has helped heal the brain. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy has been around since the

late 1600s and was adopted by the U.S. military in the 1940s for treating military divers and

those who were suffering from certain respiratory illnesses (Brazier, 2019). It continues to be

used today but not as a common form of treatment to assist with TBI’s. Having been part of this

research methods class has allowed me to understand how important it is to apply research and

conduct research.

The second subsection, awareness, and capacity to apply the most prevalent ethical, legal,

and safety guidelines for direct practice and intervention with clients, was fulfilled through my

SWOT analysis project on USAA in my Fall 2020 class of AHB 390. The class focused on

diverse work environments. One of the main projects was for us to chose an organization and

performed a SWOT analysis that showcased the companies Strengths, Weaknesses,

Opportunities, and Threats. This activity of SWOT analysis allows for awareness for the
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company that is undergoing a SWOT analysis. It is healthy for one to perform a SWOT analysis

from time to time to determine what areas they are doing well and what areas need improvement.

If I have my own practice, it will be beneficial to perform a SWOT analysis from time to time. It

will allow me to make sure that I am applying the most prevalent ethical, legal, and safety

guidelines.

Personal Values and Development

The final learning outcome focuses on me, my values, and my personal development. The

two classes that helped me reflect on fulfilling this learning outcome and the subsections within

it are AHB 375 and AHB 365. As a Mental Health Counselor, it will be helpful for me to reach

back to my own experiences, share those experiences with my clients, and know when to take

myself out of the equation to focus on my clients. It will also be important for me to continue

improving my critical thinking skills, challenging my current worldview through teamwork,

performing self-assessments, continuing my education through courses, and determining how I

can become involved in the community.

The first subsection that I focused on was exploring personal and professional values,

ethics, and career-driven dilemmas by participating in self-reflection and professional

exploration exercises, self-critique, discussion, and group activities. Throughout each course, I

was challenged to interact with discussion topics, but the class that best fulfilled this subsection

was AHB 375 and the Self-Reflection project. Self-reflection is integral in many ways. This

project allowed me to reflect on how engaged I was within the course and reflect on my

attendance and how active I was in the class beyond the required activities. The saying you get

out of it what you put into it allowed me to put that saying to the test. Did I give 100 percent to

the class? The other focus for this self-reflection project was to pull two concepts that we learned
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that we could apply to our profession moving forward. The two concepts that seemed to resonate

with me were. “Planning in the Face of Conflict” and “Advocacy and Pluralism in Planning.”

These two things will stick with me or affect my professional practice of Clinical and Mental

Health Counseling. I know that I will run into conflict and need to be my own advocate to be

heard and listen to my patients and be their advocate.

The second subsection is developing personal experiences, critical thinking skills, and

challenging current worldviews through teamwork, self-assessment, course projects, service

learning, and community internship experience. The course AHB 365 that I took in the Fall of

2020. The project that helped fulfill this subsection is the research paper project that focused on

Biological Foundations. It challenged me to develop better critical thinking skills and look at

current worldviews on the chosen topic. My research paper was titled Evaluation of Aneurysms.

The paper focused on educating one about what aneurysms are, how people develop aneurysms,

and what is being done for intervention methods and further analysis. The two theories were that

people with high blood pressure/hypertension are more at risk, and those involved in illegal drug

use, specifically, cocaine and smoking, put people at a higher risk of developing an aneurysm. I

learned that “cocaine increases blood pressure by tightening blood vessels” (Christiansen, 2020).

I concluded, both theories share a common theme. The commonality is that both high blood

pressure and tearing down or weakening the arterial walls’ inner linings will cause one to be at

high risk of an aneurysm. The critical thinking involved within this project and the personal

experience of knowing someone that suffered from an aneurysm helped to fulfill this outcome.

Conclusion

The journey through achieving my degree in Interdisciplinary Studies Applied Human

Behavior has been challenging but rewarding. I am still on my journey, but it will conclude
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within a matter of weeks. Currently, the course that I am in AHB 450 seems to be one that will

continue to relate to my profession moving forward. It deals with learning about how traumatic

events can impact others. As a Mental Health Counselor learning about the impact of trauma on

one's life is intriguing, and I know it will be something that I will need to continue to learn more

about in my career path. The Genogram Project and the skills on using a Genogram will continue

to be helpful to me on my continued journey.

Research will continue to be critical on my path to success as a counselor, and the

courses of AHB 305 helped make sure that it is done correctly when presenting research.

Research is done in stages and also presented in a certain way. Going through a research course

will always be something that will benefit me in my career. One course that I was not sure how

would benefit me as a Mental Health Counselor was AHB 375. I was surprised that it makes

sense to have this course in the curriculum as one may need to work with the community to seek

assistance. The mini-grant project was insightful and beneficial, and I am sure in time, I will

have to put those skills to use in the future.

The journey to my degree is almost complete, and while I was unsure how the path to

completion of this journey would look, I am thankful for all of the challenges and projects that I

have had to go through. The research topics and topics for all classes have presented value that I

could not foresee initially. I know that what I have learned along the way will continue to be

helpful in my profession.
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References
Brazier, Y. (2019, August 20). What is hyperbaric oxygen therapy good for? Medical News

Today https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/313155 

Christiansen, T. (2020, January 24). How does cocaine cause aneurysms?. Recovery

Village. https://www.therecoveryvillage.com/cocaine-addiction/faq/aneurysms/ 

Defenders of Wildlife. (2015, November 19). 4 Things You Didn’t Know About Wildlife

Trafficking and the United States https://defenders.org/blog/2015/11/4-things-you-didnt-

know-about-wildlife-trafficking-and-united-states

Diversity training in the workplace: What it is and Why it’s important. (2018, October 18).

Traliant. Retrieved September 27, 2020 from

https://www.traliant.com/blog/2018/10/18/diversity-training-what-it-is-and-why-its-

important/ 

Inderbitzin, M. L., Bates, K. A., & Gainey, R. R. (n.d.). Perspectives on Deviance and Social

Control. Second Edition. Retrieved

from https://platform.virdocs.com/r/s/0/doc/510840/sp/22083579/mi/78086616?cfi=

%2F4%2F2%5Bs9781544308104.i902%5D%2F6%5Bs9781544308104.i907%5D

%2F8%2C%2F1%3A161%2C%2F1%3A161&menu=table-of-contents. 

The Death and Live of Great American Cities Quotes. (n.d.). Goodreads. Retrieved January 21,

2021, https.//www.goodreasd.com/work/quotes/1289564-the-death-and-life-of-great-

american-cities
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Name: William Christensen

Instructor: Dr. Nate Velez

Date: March 28, 2021

RATIONALE ESSAY: PART 1 WITH ARTIFACT TABLE

Program Learning Outcome Corresponding Course Session

Assignment Number
Ex: AHB340

1. Human Systems & Diversity Learning Outcome

1.1 (subsection) Understand the nature of human Movie Analysis AHB 340 Fall 2020
systems and apply historical perspectives to
analyzing and solving current social conditions THEORETIC
that limit the highest level of the individual or AL PERSP
community functioning. DEV BEH

1.2 (subsection) Understand multiple perspectives Diversity and AHB 390 Fall 2020
on diversity and implement strategies to Inclusion Initiative
encourage multicultural environments that Gary Sinise DIVERSE
support clients, communities, and professional Foundation WORK
environments. ENVIRONM
ENTS

2. Practice & Intervention Learning Outcome

2.5 (subsection) Apply skill in planning, Genogram Analysis Spring

implementing and evaluating direct practice 2021
techniques when working with individuals, AHB 450
families, communities, and groups to promote PRACTICE
growth and goal attainment. &
INTERVENT
ION

2.7 (subsection) Develop urban and rural Mini Grant Proposal Spring
community planning skills that use interpersonal 2021
communication and advocacy to empower
stakeholders to create sustainable, successful AHB 375
community systems.
CMTY
PLANNG &
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SUST
PRACT

3. Community Engagement & Responsibility learning

Outcome

3.1 (subsection) Identify the impact that The Uses of Sidewalk

socioeconomics, public policy, community Presentation
development, and global issues have on AHB 375 Spring
individuals and communities ability to resolve 2021
CMTY
psychological or social issues and develop new PLANNG &
strategies for success. SUST
PRACT

3.2 (subsection) Understand how globalization Wildlife Trafficking Spring

and internationalism impact citizenship, 2021
participation, and social responsibility in mezzo AHB 350
and macro environments and apply this INEQ, SOC
knowledge to resolving issues of social JST & GLBL
responsibility and citizenship. CIT

4. Professional Preparedness Learning Outcome

4.3(subsection) Understand the importance of HBOT Research AHB 305 Fall 2020
Social Science research and apply research to Paper
select solutions or implement best practices. RSRCH
METHS
APPL HUM
BEHAVR

4.4 (subsection) Awareness and capacity to apply SWOT Analysis AHB 390 Fall 2020
the most prevalent ethical, legal, and safety USAA
guidelines for direct practice and intervention DIVERSE
with clients. WORK
ENVIRONM
ENTS

5. Personal Values and Development Learning

Outcome

5.1 (subsection) Explore personal and Self-Reflection AHB 375 Spring

professional values, ethics and career driven 2021
dilemmas through participation in self-reflection CMTY
and professional exploration exercises, self- PLNNG &
critique, discussion and group activities. SUST
PRACT
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5.2 (subsection) Develop personal experiences, Evaluation of AHB 365 Fall 2020
critical thinking skills and challenge current Aneurysms ENV & BIO
worldviews through teamwork, self-assessment, FNDTINS
course projects, service learning and community OF HMN
internship experience. BHVR