Nature Of The Work:
Despite differences in what they are called and what they do, human services workers generally perform under the direction of professional staff. Those employed in mental health settings, for example, may be assigned to assist a treatment team made up of social workers, psychologists, and other human services professionals. The amount of responsibility these workers assume and the degree of supervision they receive vary a great deal. Some workers are on their own most of the time and have little direct supervision; others work under close direction.
Human services workers in community, residential care, or institutional settings provide direct services such as leading a group, organizing an activity, or offering individual counseling. They may handle some administrative support tasks, too. Specific job duties reflect organizational policy and staffing patterns, as well as the worker's educational preparation and experience.
Some human services workers help clients through the red tape that surrounds many social welfare programs. First of all, this involves interviewing clients, assessing their needs, and establishing their eligibility for services that are available in the community. Recordkeeping is another important part of the job. Regardless of whether a manual or computerized system is used, client and agency files must be kept up to date and in order.
Social work assistants often handle eligibility determination, a complex job. The assistant usually examines financial documents such as rent receipts and tax returns to determine whether the client is eligible for food stamps, Medicaid, or other welfare programs. Social work assistants also provide information on how to obtain needed services; arrange for transportation and escort service, if necessary; and provide emotional and psychological support.
Case aides may transport or accompany clients to group meal sites, adult day care programs, or doctors' offices. Aides also telephone or visit clients' homes, checking to be sure that needed services are being received. Some aides serve tenants of public housing projects. They provide information about regulations and services, and may at times help resolve disagreements between tenants and landlords.
Interest in alternatives to institutional care for people who are frail, severely handicapped, mentally ill, or mentally retarded has brought forth a variety of community-based facilities and programs. These include neighborhood clinics, mental health centers, emergency shelters, drop-in centers for drug abusers and the mentally ill, and group homes and halfway houses. Human services workers play a variety of roles in community settings such as these. They may organize and lead group activities, for example; assist clients in need of counseling or crisis intervention; or administer a food bank or emergency fuel program.
Job duties vary, depending on the particular group of people receiving services. In a mental health setting, be it a mental hospital, a halfway house, or an outpatient psychiatric clinic, mental health technicians' work directly with individual clients. They may help them master practical aspects of everyday living, for example, or teach them how to communicate more effectively and get along better with others. Technicians assist with a number of different treatment approaches, including music, art, and dance therapy, together with individual and group counseling.
In addition to the personal contact with clients, human services workers in mental health settings are responsible for keeping records and informing and updating the professional staff about the clients' condition. Monitoring progress is a typical job duty in all types of programs, whether for senior citizens, the mentally ill, or the disabled.
Halfway houses and group homes serve adults who need some supervision or assistance on a day-to-day basis. These homes were originally set up to give people with mental or physical impairments a chance to live in the community instead of in an institution. Currently, group homes for elderly persons are being launched in some communities. Activity programs at nearby community centers give residents a place to go during the day to meet people and participate in educational and rehabilitative activities. In the evening, residents return to the group homes, where they live in a family- like setting with supervision and support from counselors and aides.
Residential counselors take a close interest in each member of the group home. They have access to and may consult confidential records, confer with medical personnel, and talk with the client's family in order to gain better insight into the client's history and needs. These interviews are conducted under the supervision of professional social workers or psychologists.
Counselors in group homes follow the instructions of professional staff when dealing with clients. The social worker, for example, may instruct residential staff to teach members of the group home how to prepare their own meals. It may be up to the counselor to decide how to involve every resident in all the necessary steps, from menu planning and grocery shopping through cooking and cleanup. The amount of freedom the worker has in implementing instructions depends on the worker's experience and the policy of the organization. In one home, the counselor may operate with relatively few guidelines, while in another a step-by-step plan must be adhered to.
Residential counselors are responsible for keeping clients' records up to date and reporting changes in behavior to the supervisor. The counselor must prepare oral and written reports on the condition and progress of each member of the residence. Residential counselors may also be responsible for the financial management of the household, including documenting all household expenditures.
Working Conditions:
Working conditions vary. Human services workers in social service agencies generally spend part of the time in the office and the rest of the time in the field. Most work a 40-hour week. Some evening and weekend work may be necessary, but compensatory time off is usually granted.
Human services workers in community-based settings move around a great deal in the course of a workweek. They may be inside one day and outdoors on a field visit the next. They, too, work a standard 40-hour week.
Human services workers in residential settings generally work in shifts. Because residents of group homes need supervision in the evening and at night, 7 days a week, evening and weekend hours are required.
The work, while satisfying, can be emotionally draining. Understaffing and lack of equipment add to the pressure. Turnover is reported to be high, especially among workers without academic preparation for this field.
Employment:
Human services workers are employed by State and local governments, primarily in hospitals and outpatient mental health centers, facilities for the mentally retarded and developmentally disabled, and public welfare agencies. Another fourth worked in agencies offering adult day care, group meals, crisis intervention, counseling, and other social services. Some supervised residents of group homes and halfway houses. Human services workers also held jobs in clinics, community mental health centers, and private psychiatric hospitals.
Training, Other Qualifications, and Advancement:
Human services workers have a wide range of educational backgrounds. However, the kind of work they do and the amount of responsibility entrusted to them often depend on their level of formal education. Workers with a high school education or less are likely to perform clerical duties. Those with a college degree might be assigned to do direct counseling, coordinate program activities, or manage a group home.
While some employers hire high school graduates, most prefer applicants with some college preparation in human services, social work, or one of the social or behavioral sciences. Some human services workers transfer from other occupations or enter the field on the basis of course work in psychology, sociology, rehabilitation, or special education.
A strong desire to help others is an important consideration for a job as a human services worker. Individuals who show patience, understanding, and caring in their dealings with others are highly valued by employers. Other important personal traits include communication skills, a strong sense of responsibility, and the ability to manage time effectively. Hiring requirements in group homes tend to be more stringent than in other settings.
Many certificate and associate degree programs in human services or mental health are offered at community and junior colleges, vocational-technical institutes, and other postsecondary institutions. In addition, some of these programs offered a bachelor's degree in human services. A small number of programs leading to master's degrees in human services administration were offered as well.
Generally speaking, academic programs in this field educate students for particular kinds of roles; an associate degree program might specialize in preparing students to work with developmentally disabled adults, for example. As is also the case in social work, rehabilitation counseling, and other practice-oriented disciplines, educators maintain continuing contact with local employers to keep up with their changing needs. Students are exposed early and often to the kinds of situations they may encounter on the job.
Undergraduate and graduate programs typically include courses in psychology, sociology, crisis intervention, family dynamics, therapeutic interviewing, rehabilitation, and gerontology classroom simulation and required internships, students develop skills in interviewing, observing, and recording behavior, learn techniques of individual and group counseling; and are introduced to program planning.
Formal education is almost always necessary for career advancement In group homes, completion of a 1-year certificate in human services along with several years of experience may suffice for promotion to a supervisory position. In general, however, career advancement requires a bachelor's or master's degree in counseling, rehabilitation, social work, or a related field. Most employers encourage workers to further their education, and some are willing to pay part of the cost. In addition, many employers provide in-service training such as seminars and workshops.
Job Outlook:
Employment of human services workers is expected to grow much faster than the average for all occupations through the year. Opportunities for qualified applicants are expected to be excellent, not only because of projected rapid growth in the occupation, but because of substantial replacement needs. Turnover among counselors in group homes is reported to be especially high.
Employment prospects should be favorable in facilities and programs that serve the elderly, mentally impaired, or develop-mentally disabled. Adult day care, a relatively new concept is expected to expand significantly due to very rapid growth in the number of people of advanced age, together with growing awareness of the value of day programs for adults in need of care and supervision.
While projected growth in the elderly population is the dominant factor in the anticipated expansion of adult day care, public response to the needs of people who are handicapped or mentally ill underlies anticipated employment growth in grouphomes and residential care facilities.
As more and more mentally retarded or developmentally disabled individuals reach the age of 21 and thereby lose their eligibility for programs and services offered by the public schools, the need for community-based alternatives can be expected to grow. Pressures to respond to the needs of the chronically mentally ill can also be expected to persist. For many years, as deinstitutionalization has proceeded, chronic mental patients have been left to their own devices. If the movement to help the homeless and chronically mentally ill gains momentum, more community-based programs and group residences will be established, and demand for human services workers will increase accordingly.
Job prospects in public agencies are not as bright as they once were, due to anticipated budget constraints that may reduce the use of paraprofessionals for outreach, eligibility determination, information and referral, and similar tasks. State and local governments will remain a major employer of human services workers, however, and replacement needs alone will generate many job openings in the public sector.
Since so many human services jobs involve direct contact with people who are impaired and therefore vulnerable to exploitation, employers try to be selective in hiring. Applicants are screened for appropriate personal qualifications. Relevant academic preparation is generally required and volunteer or work experience is preferred. Inasmuch as this is responsible and emotionally draining work which pays relatively poorly, qualified applicants should have little difficulty finding employment
Related Occupations:
Workers in other occupations that require skills similar to those of human services workers include social workers, community outreach workers, religious workers, occupational therapy assistants, physical therapy assistants and aides, psychiatric aides, and activity leaders.
