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Tina Garrett, coordinator of academic programs for the Holmes Community College Grenada Campus, recently secured a grant from the Child Advocacy Centers of Mississippi to obtain funds to be used in the training, preparation and implementation of PSY 2223: Perspectives of Child Maltreatment and Child Advocacy. This course is one course in the Child Advocacy Studies (CAST) curriculum. Holmes is joining a network of colleges and universities in Mississippi who offer CAST courses to students. Currently, 10 Mississippi universities offer CAST as either a certificate program or as a minor. Students who take PSY 2223 at Holmes can transfer this course to a university CAST program.
CAST is a nationally recognized curriculum to train students how to effectively address child abuse and neglect in real world applications through Multidisciplinary Team coordination. Students completing the courses in the program will be better equipped to accomplish the work of related agencies (social work, criminal justice, nursing, education, etc.) as they advocate on behalf of child victims and survivors of child maltreatment.
As part of the training and preparation to become a CAST educator, Garrett has participated in Project FORECAST which is designed to train facilitators in using Problem-Based Learning approaches. Garrett also attended the 10th Annual One Loud Voice Conference in Biloxi in early November where she networked with other CAST educators.
“I am so excited to be able to offer PSY 2223 to our students at Holmes,” Garrett said. “This class will prepare our future nurses, doctors, lawyers, teachers, psychologists, therapists, law enforcement officers, social workers and more with trauma informed knowledge to help them advocate for children.”
This class also serves as a social and behavioral science elective even for students not majoring in psychology. For more information about taking this new class, contact Garrett at tigarrett@holmescc.edu. Students enrolled at Holmes may also contact their advisor to sign up.
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IN THIS PHOTO: Pictured (back row, second from left) is Tina Garrett, coordinator of academic programs for the Holmes Community College Grenada Campus, with other Mississippi CAST educators. Represented in this photo are Holmes Community College, Copiah Lincoln Community College, Mississippi State University and the University of Mississippi.
