What is Human Services?

Updated November 29, 2022 · 1 Min Read

Human Services is a career choice that is extremely rewarding, both financially and personally. There are many different jobs in the human services industry, but all of them affect people on a personal level. Human services is an industry that betters people's lives. The focus is on preventing problems as well as helping find a ...

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Human Services is a career choice that is extremely rewarding, both financially and personally. There are many different jobs in the human services industry, but all of them affect people on a personal level. Human services is an industry that betters people's lives. The focus is on preventing problems as well as helping find a solution. It includes elements of psychology as well as social work. Following is breakdown of what human services entails.

3 Tiered Objective of Human Services

The ultimate goal of human services can be broken down into 3 parts.

1) Evaluate a person or a community's problems and needs

2) Identify the services or treatment needed to help solve these problems

3) Put the people in touch with the state and local agencies that can provide the services they need, or enact the treatment plan

Direct Service Roles

The major of social workers work under a direct service role. They work in the field directly with their clients as either direct service professionals, case workers, counselors, or clinical social workers in addition to more. These are the people who have the most impact on their client's lives on a daily basis.

Related resource: Top 14 Cheap Online Human Services Degree Programs (Bachelor's)

Administrative Roles

Administrative roles generally require a degree in either public administration or human services administration. In this field you generally coordinate services, supervise and lead community groups, and manage and direct your staff who work in the field providing services to the community.

Different Jobs in the Human Services Field

There is a huge variety of jobs that all fall under the umbrella of the human services industry. Following is a short list of some of the career titles available:

- School Social Worker

- Psychologist

- Child Welfare Caseworker

- Substance Abuse Counselor

- Occupational Therapist

- Sociologist

- Probation Officer

- Grief Counselor

- Grant Writer

There are many more job titles that fall under the human services branch. The one thing each of these jobs have in common is a desire to help people to improve their individual situation and reach their full potential both in the short-term and the long-term.

Educational Path to a Human Services Career

The field of human services is wide open to people with every level of education. There are opportunities for people who want to work right out of high school with just a high school diploma. There are even more opportunities for people with a bachelor's degree in human services. Finally, there are opportunities for people with both a master's degree and a doctorate. In addition, this field allows people to start at one level and work their way up the human services ladder with experience.

Summary

Human services is a career path that is not for everyone. You must have a desire to help people to achieve their full potential and the highest level of self-sufficiency possible for their individual situation. People who work in the human services industry step in during times of crisis and offer hope to people who have lost their way. People who work in the human services industry know they are making a difference in the world.

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