1. Introduction to this course
What is human services???
Introduction to this course

2. Human Services
Is a field of work and study that focuses on meeting the needs of people and improving their quality of life.
Prevent and solve problems
Knowledge and skills
Positive impact to clients, families, and communities
HUMAN SERVICES is a generic term that describes a career field providing for the needs of people.
Primary focus is improving people’s quality of life by providing services.
Wide range of skills, knowledge, and resources.

3. Human service care providers
Agencies or organizations that serve people at all stages of life.
Housing assistance for low income
Assistance to single parents
Counseling assistance
After school activities for kids and teens
Daycare for adult special needs
Nutrition advice and counsel
Temporary housing for people in transition
Addiction or rehab treatment facilities
Most identified personal needs have a provider that can allocate the resources to meet the need
Allocate- distribute, dispense, issue

4. Human service workers Service care providers employ: service workers
Coordinated access to services
Simplify complex problems people face.
Serve ALL people.
Rich or poor, unskilled or skilled, and dependent or independent.
Help others meet their own needs
They UNDERSTAND and APPRECIATE the human condition.
A career field for those that enjoy working with people.

5. History of Human services
Only been around 100 years or so.
It existed before but there was a cultural shift in ideology.
Ideology- a system of beliefs and ideals important to a society. Not the society but a specific society.
Society prior to HUMAN SERVICES
People in society thought those with special needs were thought of as deserving of their circumstances
Their families were responsible for these people in the developed areas of the world where taking care of those in need was a part of the community life.
In US and EUROPE- concern came from keeping social order and preventing disease and not about charity.

6. Human services blossoms
Industrial Revolution- a time in history of rapid industrial growth, shifts in thought began to occur as families came together in urban areas.
Urban density is an issue.
Need for affordable housing, food, and other necessities, like medical care.
Could not ignore the needs of the impoverished (poor).

7. Human services blossoms continued…
20th Century- The Social Work field expands.
Homes built for the older adult with no family to care for them.
Orphanages built for infants and youth with no family to care for them.
Charities begin to emerge;
Mary Richmond begins the COS or Charitable Organization Society.

8. Human Services and U.S. government…
US Government passes the Social Security Act of 1935
Provided for retired elderly and widows and dependent children of deceased workers
Eventually special needs were adding to this list.
US Government creates the Department of Health and Human Services
Part of federal government that administers and oversees programs and services concerning health and welfare.
Head Start- government-funded preschool program that focuses on preparing disadvantage children for school.
FMLA- Family Medical Leave Act allows full-time employees to take unpaid job-protected leave for family transitions involving close family members, such as spouse, children, or parents.

9. Current Careers in Human services
Careers: vary greatly
Consumer services
advocate, credit counselor, educator
Counseling and mental health services
Rehabilitation: physical, mental, addiction
Early childhood development and services
Child advocate, child care worker, CPS caseworker, foster care worker
Family and community services
Family life specialist, mental health counselor, nanny, life coach, health educator, patient advocate
Personal care services
Entrepreneurial careers
Related services in food, clothing, and housing.

10. Consumer services Help people budget Solve financial problems
Make good consumer decisions
Educate clients on how to invest, save, spend wisely, plan financially, and make sound financial decisions.
Help to objectively evaluate consumer media; marketing, advertising, and sales.

11. Counseling & Mental health services
Helping people maintain healthy lives
Usually achieved through therapy, counseling, education, or training
Professional career titles:
Counselors
Psychologists
Paraprofessionals ((trained workers who help the professionals)
These services take place in different settings, such as clinics, research labs, schools, group homes, hospitals, and sometimes corporate settings
Health services usually work with mental issues, substance abuse, eating disorders, special needs, family relationships, and career and life counseling

12. Early childhood development & services
These services meet the needs of infants, toddlers, and young children
There are several types of careers in this field, such as
Nannies
Child care workers
Teachers
Administrators
These jobs are done in either the home or at a child care facility (medical, corporate, or community)
Child care workers know how children develop and grow and help find things for the child to learn and play with that are age appropriate and will aid in development
Milestones- An action or event marking a significant change in development

13. Family & community services
These services offer assistance in everyday life and work directly in the field
The career paths in this field include:
Emergency & relief workers (FEMA)
Adult day care workers (senior centers, etc.)
Social workers
These people help others to cope with stress, maintain healthy relationships, deal with interpersonal problems, and assist with the aftermath of disasters
These careers are found in schools, communities, foster care, adoption services, older adult care, and family health clinics

14. Entrepreneurial careers
Entrepreneurs- people who start their own business
These careers offer people on opportunity to establish and run their own business
These type of entrepreneurs find a human service that has a need in a community, decide where to sell it, and how much to sell it for
Entrepreneurial careers include:
Hairstylist
Child care center owner
Counseling centers
In-home care
Other businesses

15. Services in food, Clothing, & housing
These services help people make decisions about, purchase, use, and maintain products in food, clothing, or housing fields.
Type of service worker in field:
Food brokers
Farmers
Retailers
Designers
Interior designers
Nutritionists
Real estate agents

16. Common Aptitude, attitude, skills
Aptitude- Natural ability
Attitude- Set ways of thinking or feeling about someone or something
Skills- developed talents or abilities
These vary person to person and within different occupations
Usually, human service workers all have a desire to help people and typically are compassionate, caring, patient.
Human service workers should have good attitudes, good communication, and time- management skills.

17. Education, training, & experience
Career and technical programs are courses of study that prepare students for a specific career or trade. These are available at the junior high/ middle school, high school, college, and adult levels.
An apprenticeship is a work opportunity for students to work for a qualified professional to learn a specific skill. These workers can earn money while working and learning. Some apprenticeships can last a year, others can last 4 years.
Postsecondary education (college) comes at different levels. Some jobs require at least a bachelor’s degree(4 years)while others only require programs that last 6 months to a year. In college, you can earn an associate’s (2 yrs), a bachelor’s, a master’s (5-6 yrs), or doctorate’s (7 yrs & up)

18. Common challenges & rewards
Working with people during crises
Can be emotionally taxing
Resources needed may be scarce
Clients can be resistant to help and care
Hours can be long and pay can be low
Workers can witness positive stories of renewal and change
Helping people can be very rewarding
Worker continually enhance their skills
Develop meaningful relationships with clients
Hours can be flexible
Pay is competitive

19. Job outlook
Employment is expected to grow much faster than other career fields in the next 10 years.
People need the “human touch” since technology is becoming a bigger part of our lives.
As the population grows, the needs for human service workers will too.
Even in good or bad economic times, people will still be here and need help.