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Program Offerings:
Index :
Human Services |
Employment Counselors
| Elementary
School Counselors |
Rehabilation
Counselors |
Mental Health Counselors |
Social Workers |
Job
Highlights
It is defined as encompassing services
provided to the public such as welfare, food stamps
programs, social services, child support, adoption,
economic assistance, rehabilitation and adult day care.
Our Online Human Services degree program offers continuing education Diploma, Certificate,
Associate, Bachelor, Master's, and Doctor's degrees addiction counseling, educational counseling, counseling studies,
diversity studies, management of non-profit agencies, marriage and family services, professional counseling, social
work and community services, health care administration.
A master's degree is often required to be licensed or certified as a counselor.
All but three
States require some form of licensure or certification for practice outside of schools; all States require school
counselors to hold a State school counseling certification.
While a bachelor's degree is the minimum requirement,
a master's degree in social work or a related field has become the standard for many positions.
Employment is
projected to grow faster than average for social workers.
Competition for social worker jobs is expected in
cities, but opportunities should be good in rural areas.
Counselors assist people with personal, family,
educational, mental health, and career decisions and problems. Their duties depend on the individuals they serve and
on the settings in which they work.
Educational, vocational, and school counselors provide individuals and
groups with career and educational counseling. In school settings-elementary through postsecondary-they are usually
called school counselors and they work with students, including those considered to be at risk and those with special
needs. They advocate for students and work with other individuals and organizations to promote the academic, career,
and personal and social development of children and youths. School counselors help students evaluate their abilities,
interests, talents, and personality characteristics in order to develop realistic academic and career goals.
Counselors use interviews, counseling sessions, tests, or other methods in evaluating and advising students. They
also operate career information centers and career education programs. High school counselors advise students
regarding college majors, admission requirements, entrance exams, financial aid, trade or technical schools, and
apprenticeship programs. They help students develop job search skills such as resume writing and interviewing
techniques. College career planning and placement counselors assist alumni or students with career development and
job-hunting techniques.
It observe younger children during classroom and play
activities and confer with their teachers and parents to evaluate the children's strengths, problems, or special
needs. They also help students develop good study habits. Elementary school counselors do less vocational and
academic counseling than do secondary school counselors.
School counselors at all levels help students
understand and deal with social, behavioral, and personal problems. These counselors emphasize preventive and
developmental counseling to provide students with the life skills needed to deal with problems before they occur and
to enhance the student's personal, social, and academic growth. Counselors provide special services, including
alcohol and drug prevention programs and conflict resolution classes. Counselors also try to identify cases of
domestic abuse and other family problems that can affect a student's development. Counselors work with students
individually, with small groups, or with entire classes. They consult and collaborate with parents, teachers, school
administrators, school psychologists, medical professionals, and social workers in order to develop and implement
strategies to help students be successful in the education system.
Also Called as career counselors
are vocational counselors whom provide mainly career counseling outside the school setting. Their chief focus is
helping individuals with their career decisions. Vocational counselors explore and evaluate the client's education,
training, work history, interests, skills, and personality traits, and arrange for aptitude and achievement tests to
assist in making career decisions. They also work with individuals to develop their job search skills, and they
assist clients in locating and applying for jobs. In addition, career counselors provide support to persons
experiencing job loss, job stress, or other career transition issues.
These Counselors help people deal with personal,
social and vocational effects of disabilities. Their activities include counsel
people with disabilities resulting from birth defects, illness or disease,
accidents or the stress of daily life, measure the strengths and limitations of
individuals, provide personal and vocational counseling, and arrange for
medical care, vocational training, and job placement. Rehabilitation counselors
interview both individuals with disabilities and their families, evaluate
school and medical reports, and confer and plan with physicians, psychologists,
occupational therapists, and employers to determine the capabilities and skills
of the individual. Conferring with the client, they develop a rehabilitation
program that often includes training to help the person develop job skills.
Rehabilitation counselors also work toward increasing the client's capacity to
live independently.
Mental
health counselors work with individuals, families, and groups to address and treat mental and emotional disorders and
to promote optimum mental health. They are trained in a variety of therapeutic techniques used to address a wide
range of issues, including depression, addiction and substance abuse, suicidal impulses, stress management, problems
with self-esteem, issues associated with aging, job and career concerns, educational decisions, issues related to
mental and emotional health, and family, parenting, and marital or other relationship problems. Mental health
counselors often work closely with other mental health specialists, such as psychiatrists, psychologists, clinical
social workers, psychiatric nurses, and school counselors.
Substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors
help people who have problems with alcohol, drugs, gambling, and eating disorders. They counsel individuals who are
addicted to drugs, helping them identify behaviors and problems related to their addiction. These counselors hold
sessions for one person, for families, or for groups of people.
Marriage and family therapists apply
principles, methods, and therapeutic techniques to individuals, family groups, couples, or organizations for the
purpose of resolving emotional conflicts. In doing so, they modify people's perceptions and behaviors, enhance
communication and understanding among all family members, and help to prevent family and individual crises. Marriage
and family therapists also may engage in psychotherapy of a nonmedical nature, with appropriate referrals to
psychiatric resources, and in research and teaching in the overall field of human development and interpersonal
relationships.
Other counseling specialties include gerontological, multicultural, and genetic counseling. A
gerontological counselor provides services to elderly persons who face changing lifestyles because of health
problems; the counselor helps families cope with the changes. A multicultural counselor helps employers adjust to an
increasingly diverse workforce. Genetic counselors provide information and support to families who have members with
birth defects or genetic disorders and to families who may be at risk for a variety of inherited conditions. These
counselors identify families at risk, investigate the problem that is present in the family, interpret information
about the disorder, analyze inheritance patterns and risks of recurrence, and review available options with the
family.
Social work is a profession for those with a strong desire to help improve people's lives. Social
workers help people function the best way they can in their environment, deal with their relationships, and solve
personal and family problems. Social workers often see clients who face a life-threatening disease or a social
problem. These problems may include inadequate housing, unemployment, serious illness, disability, or substance
abuse. Social workers also assist families that have serious domestic conflicts, including those involving child or
spousal abuse.
Social workers often provide social services in health-related settings that now are governed
by managed care organizations. To contain costs, these organizations are emphasizing short-term intervention,
ambulatory and community-based care, and greater decentralization of services.
Most social workers specialize.
Although some conduct research or are involved in planning or policy development, most social workers prefer an area
of practice in which they interact with clients.
Child, family, and school social workers provide social
services and assistance to improve the social and psychological functioning of children and their families and to
maximize the family well-being and academic functioning of children. Some social workers assist single parents;
arrange adoptions; and help find foster homes for neglected, abandoned, or abused children. In schools, they address
such problems as teenage pregnancy, misbehavior, and truancy. They also advise teachers on how to cope with problem
students. Some social workers may specialize in services for senior citizens. They run support groups for family
caregivers or for the adult children of aging parents. Some advise elderly people or family members about choices in
areas such as housing, transportation, and long-term care; they also coordinate and monitor services. Through
employee assistance programs, they may help workers cope with job-related pressures or with personal problems that
affect the quality of their work. Child, family, and school social workers typically work in individual and family
services agencies, schools, or State or local governments. These social workers may be known as child welfare social
workers, family services social workers, child protective services social workers, occupational social workers, or
gerontology social workers.
Medical and public health social workers provide persons, families, or vulnerable
populations with the psychosocial support needed to cope with chronic, acute, or terminal illnesses, such as
Alzheimer's disease, cancer, or AIDS. They also advise family caregivers, counsel patients, and help plan for
patients' needs after discharge by arranging for at-home services from meals-on-wheels to oxygen equipment. Some work
on interdisciplinary teams that evaluate certain kinds of patients geriatric or organ transplant patients, for
example. Medical and public health social workers may work for hospitals, nursing and personal care facilities,
individual and family services agencies, or local governments.
Mental health and substance abuse social
workers assess and treat individuals with mental illness, or substance abuse problems, including abuse of alcohol,
tobacco, or other drugs. Such services include individual and group therapy, outreach, crisis intervention, social
rehabilitation, and training in skills of everyday living. They may also help plan for supportive services to ease
patients' return to the community. Mental health and substance abuse social workers are likely to work in hospitals,
substance abuse treatment centers, individual and family services agencies, or local governments. These social
workers may be known as clinical social workers.
Other types of social workers include social work planners
and policymakers, who develop programs to address such issues as child abuse, homelessness, substance abuse, poverty,
and violence. These workers research and analyze policies, programs, and regulations. They identify social problems
and suggest legislative and other solutions. They may help raise funds or write grants to support these programs.
Document Keywords : Employment Workers , Human
Services Providers
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