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Human Services Workers

(D.O.T.  195.367 except -026 and -030)

Nature of the Work

Human services worker is a generic term for people with various job
titles, such as social service technician, case management aide,
social work assistant, residential counselor, alcohol or drug abuse
counselor, mental health technician, child abuse worker, community
outreach worker, and gerontology aide.  They generally work under
the direction of social workers or, in some cases, psychologists.
The amount of responsibility and supervision they are given varies a
great deal.  Some are on their own most of the time and have little
direct supervision; others work under close direction.

   Human services workers help clients obtain benefits or services.
They assess the needs and establish the eligibility of clients for
services.  They examine financial documents such as rent receipts
and tax returns to determine whether the client is eligible for food
stamps, Medicaid, or other welfare programs, for example.  They also
inform clients how to obtain services; arrange for transportation
and escorts, if necessary; and provide emotional support.  Human
services workers monitor and keep case records on clients and report
progress to supervisors.

   Human services workers may transport or accompany clients to group
meal sites, adult daycare programs, or doctors' offices; telephone
or visit clients' homes to make sure services are being received; or
help resolve disagreements, such as those between tenants and
landlords.

   Human services workers play a variety of roles in community
settings.  They may organize and lead group activities, assist
clients in need of counseling or crisis intervention, or administer
a food bank or emergency fuel program.  In halfway houses and group
homes, they oversee adult residents who need some supervision or
support on a daily basis, but who do not need to live in an
institution.  They review clients' records, talk with their
families, and confer with medical personnel to gain better insight
into their background and needs.  Human services workers may teach
residents to prepare their own meals and to do other housekeeping
activities.  They also provide emotional support and lead recreation
activities.

   In mental hospitals and psychiatric clinics, they may help clients
master everyday living skills and teach them how to communicate more
effectively and get along better with others.  They also assist with
music, art, and dance therapy and with individual and group
counseling and lead recreational activities.

   Human services workers help clients obtain benefits and services.

Working Conditions

Working conditions of human services workers vary.  Many spend part
of their time in an office or group residential facility and the
rest in the field visiting clients or taking them on trips, or
meeting with people who provide services to the clients.  Most work
a regular 40-hour week, although some work may be in the evening and
on weekends.  Human services workers in residential settings
generally work in shifts because residents need supervision around
the clock.

   The work, while satisfying, can be emotionally draining.
Understaffing and lack of equipment may add to the pressure.
Turnover is reported to be high, especially among workers without
academic preparation for this field.

Employment

Human services workers held about 189,000 jobs in 1992.  About
one-fourth were employed by State and local governments, primarily
in public welfare agencies and facilities for the mentally retarded
and developmentally disabled.  Another fourth worked in private
social services agencies offering a variety of services, including
adult daycare, group meals, crisis intervention, and counseling.
Still another fourth supervised residents of group homes and halfway
houses.  Human services workers also held jobs in clinics, community
mental health centers, and psychiatric hospitals.

Training, Other Qualifications, and Advancement

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 prefer to
hire persons with a 4-year college degree.  The level of formal
education of human service workers often influences the kind of work
they are assigned and the amount of responsibility entrusted to
them.  Workers with no more than a high school education are likely
to perform clerical duties, while those with a college degree might
be assigned to do direct counseling, coordinate program activities,
or manage a group home.  Employers may also look for experience in
other occupations or leadership experience in school or in a youth
group.  Some enter the field on the basis of courses in social work,
psychology, sociology, rehabilitation, or special education.  Most
employers provide in-service training such as seminars and
workshops.

   Because so many human services jobs involve direct contact with
people who are vulnerable to exploitation or mistreatment, employers
try to select applicants with appropriate personal qualifications.
Relevant academic preparation is generally required, and volunteer
or work experience is preferred.  A strong desire to help others,
patience, and understanding are highly valued characteristics.
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.

   In 1992, 375 certificate and associate degree programs in human
services or mental health were offered at community and junior
colleges, vocational-technical institutes, and other postsecondary
institutions.  In addition, 390 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, academic programs in this field educate students for
specialized roles work with developmentally disabled adults, for
example.  Students are exposed early and often to the kinds of
situations they may encounter on the job.  Programs typically
include courses in psychology, sociology, crisis intervention,
social work, family dynamics, therapeutic interviewing,
rehabilitation, and gerontology.  Through classroom simulation
internships, students learn interview, observation, and
recordkeeping skills; individual and group counseling techniques;
and program planning.

   Formal education is almost always necessary for advancement.  In
group homes, completion of a 1-year certificate in human services
along with several years of experience may suffice for promotion to
supervisor.  In general, however, advancement requires a bachelor's
or master's degree in counseling, rehabilitation, social work, or a
related field.

Job Outlook

Opportunities for human services workers are expected to be
excellent for qualified applicants.  The number of human services
workers is projected to more than double between 1992 and the year
2005 making it among the most rapidly growing occupations.  Also,
the need to replace workers who retire or stop working for other
reasons will create additional job opportunities.  However, these
jobs are not attractive to everyone because the work is responsible
and emotionally draining and most offer relatively poor pay, so
qualified applicants should have little difficulty finding
employment.

   Opportunities are expected to be best in job training programs,
residential settings, and private social service agencies, which
include such services as adult daycare and meal delivery programs.
Demand for these services will expand with the growing number of
older people, who are more likely to need services.  In addition,
human services workers will continue to be needed to provide
services to the mentally impaired and developmentally disabled,
those with substance abuse problems, and a wide variety of others.
Faced with rapid growth in the demand for services, but slower
growth in resources to provide the services, employers are expected
to rely increasingly on human services workers rather than other
occupations that command higher pay.

   Job training programs are expected to require additional human
services workers as the economy grows and businesses change their
mode of production and workers need to be retrained.  Human services
workers help determine workers' eligibility for public assistance
programs and help them obtain services while unemployed.

   Residential settings should expand also as pressures to respond to
the needs of the chronically mentally ill persist.  For many years,
chronic mental patients have been deinstitutionalized and left to
their own devices.  Now, more community-based programs and group
residences are expected to be established to house and assist the
homeless and chronically mentally ill, and demand for human services
workers will increase accordingly.

   Although overall employment in State and local governments will grow
only as fast as the average for all industries, jobs for human
services workers will grow more rapidly.  State and local
governments employ most of their human services workers in
correctional and public assistance departments.  Correctional
departments are growing faster than other areas of government, so
human services workers should find their job opportunities increase
along with other corrections jobs.  Public assistance programs have
been relatively stable within governments' budgets, but they have
been employing more human services workers in an attempt to employ
fewer social workers, who are more educated and higher paid.

Earnings

According to limited data available, starting salaries for human
services workers ranged from about $12,000 to $20,000 a year in
1992.  Experienced workers generally earned between $15,000 and
$25,000 annually, depending on their education, experience, and
employer.

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.

Sources of Additional Information

   Information on academic programs in human services may be found in
most directories of 2- and 4-year colleges, available at libraries
or career counseling centers.

   For information on programs and careers in human services, contact:

   National Organization for Human Service Education, Brookdale
Community College, Lyncroft, NJ 07738.

   Council for Standards in Human Service Education, Montgomery
Community College, 340 Dekalb Pike, Blue Bell, PA 19422.

   Information on job openings may be available from State employment
service offices or directly from city, county, or State departments
of health, mental health and mental retardation, and human
resources.