HUMAN SERVICES WORKERS Occupational Guide Number 564 Interest Area 10 1997
THE JOB
HUMAN SERVICES WORKERS provide many types of assistance to people in the community, from determining eligibility for welfare and health programs and counseling on child care to helping clients with physical and mental problems and those involved in drug and substance abuse. They help determine and locate appropriate social service agencies such as those providing health care and physical and mental rehabilitation. Working under the direction and supervision of nurses, counselors, social workers, psychologists, and other professionals, and depending upon the type of work assignment, they may be a member of a treatment team made up of other human services workers and health professionals, or they may work on their own with little supervision.
Human Services Workers may assist clients in applying for welfare grants, food stamps, and other benefit and services programs by examining the client's financial records, check stubs, rent receipts, and prior years' income tax returns. Workers may provide transportation, emotional support and accompany clients to medical appointments, community centers, and adult day care facilities.
Some Human Services Workers may lead workshops, organize group activities, provide individual or group counseling, manage group homes, and have responsibility for the completion of documents and the maintenance of case records and reports. Human Service Workers may act as mediators between clients and service agencies, help people find the proper agencies to use in the community, or represent their clients before local service providers and government agencies.
Many Human Services Workers serve clients in hospitals, halfway houses, detoxification centers, residential care facilities, rehabilitation centers, and outpatient clinics where they provide training in daily living skills, personal communications and personal and vocational counseling.
Other examples of Human Services Worker jobs:
Gerontology Aide Neighborhood Worker
Child Abuse Worker Crisis Intervention Worker
Mental Health Aide Community Organizer
Residential Manager Halfway House Counselor
Adult Day Care Worker Group Home Worker
Drug Abuse Counselor Life Skills Counselor
WORKING CONDITIONS
Human Services Workers may serve their clients in many different types of settings. They may work in office buildings, community service centers, penal institutions, homeless shelters, adult schools, group homes, clinics, hospitals, private homes and many other places in the field.
Most Human Services Workers work 40-hour weeks. Those who are assigned to residential care facilities or other places where client's live, may be required to work night shifts and on weekends and holidays since staff must be on hand throughout the day and night.
Human Services Workers must serve clients who may be hostile, physically or mentally ill, severely handicapped, and distressed. The clients may be located in less than ideal environments such as homeless camps and shelters.
EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK
The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that about one-fourth of the country's Human Services Workers were employed by state and local governments, mainly in public welfare agencies and facilities for mentally disabled and developmentally impaired individuals. About another 25 percent worked in private social or human services agencies which provided services such as adult daycare, group meals, crisis intervention and counseling.
The following information is from the California Projections of Employment published by the Labor Market Information Division.
Estimated number of workers in 1993 11,780 Estimated number of workers in 2005 20,270 Projected Growth 1993-2005 72% Estimated openings due to separations by 2005 4,630
(These figures do not include self-employment nor openings due to turnover.)
Job opportunities for Human Services Workers are expected to be excellent. It is considered one of the 50 fastest growing occupations in California between 1993 and the year 2005. In the above table, approximately 8,500 new jobs are expected to develop by the year 2005. Nearly 4,600 Human Services Workers jobs will open up because of workers retiring or leaving the occupation for other reasons. For example, the turnover of staff in group homes is expected to remain high.
This occupation is also projected to be one of the fastest growing throughout the nation through the year 2005 because of the expected need for services to an increasingly older population and to the handicapped, and because of the anticipated growth in group homes and facilities to serve these groups and others such as the homeless and the chronically mentally ill.
WAGES, HOURS, AND FRINGE BENEFITS
Entry-level Human Services Workers can expect a pay range from around minimum wage to $16.00 per hour. Experienced workers should earn up to $17.00 per hour, and those with three or more years with the employer may earn up to $20.00 an hour.
Most employers have fringe-benefit packages which include health, life and disability insurance plans, vacation, holiday and sick leave programs and pension plans.
ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS AND TRAINING
Employers, in general, seek workers who have good communication skills, a caring attitude, an ability to motivate others while being sensitive to their needs, and a high degree of responsibility for the needs and care of clients. Important skills for Human Services Workers include the abilities to interview, observe and record significant information and data, organize and work with groups, identify and solve problems, identify and use available community resources, and take the proper course of action on behalf of their clients.
High school students preparing for this occupation should complete classes in the social sciences, speech, English, and history. Leadership in school activities and volunteer work in community service may provide valuable training and experience.
Most employers will hire Human Services Workers with college courses in human services, social work or one of the social sciences or behavioral sciences plus experience from volunteer work or work experience. A bachelor's degree in an appropriate human services field is preferred by some employers.
Many California community colleges, universities and four-year colleges offer associate, certificate, and bachelor's degree and master's degree programs in human services and social work.
Educational and work experience requirements vary for the many different types of Human Service Worker jobs. Typically, high school graduates or those with some college education may be assigned to work directly with clients while college graduates may be assigned duties as counselors, program coordinators, case supervisors, and group home or halfway house managers.
ADVANCEMENT
Promotion to assignments involving more responsibility or higher skills requires additional training, experience, and, frequently, the completion of a bachelor's degree or master's degree in human services, social work, social services, and rehabilitation counseling.
FINDING THE JOB
Human Services Workers should include all types of service agencies in their job search. Workers should contact local, state public and private agencies and organizations which deal with public health, corrections, mental health, rehabilitation, services to senior citizens, mental retardation, education, social services as well as the Job Service Offices of the California Employment Development Department.
ADDITIONAL SOURCES OF INFORMATION
National Organization for Human Service Education Brookdale Community College Lyncroft, NJ 07738 Internet Address: http://www.nohse.com
RELATED OCCUPATIONAL GUIDES
Social Workers No. 122 Recreation Workers No. 357 School Counselors/Rehabilitation Counselors No. 429
OCCUPATIONAL CODE REFERENCES
DOT (Dictionary of Occupational Titles, 4th ed., Rev. 1) Case Aide 195.367.010 Management Aide 195.367-014 Community Worker 195.367-018 Food-Management Aide 195.367-022 Social-Services Aide 195.367-034
OES (Occupational Employment Statistics) System Human Services Workers 273080
Source: State of California, Employment Development Department,
Labor Market Information Division, Information Services Group,
(916) 262-2162.
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