HHS 435 - RESEARCH PAPER - DUE IN 36 HOURS

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Job Outlook

Employment of human service workers is expected to grow much faster than the average for all occupations through the year 2005. Opportunities for qualified applicants are expected to be excellent not only because of projected rapid growth in the occupation but also because of substantial replacement needs. Turnover among counselors in group homes is reported to be especially high.

Employment prospects should be favorable in facilities and programs that serve the elderly, mentally impaired, or developmentally disabled. Adult day care, a relatively new concept, is expected to expand significantly because of very rapid growth in the number of people of advanced age, together with the growing awareness of the value of day programs for adults in need of care and supervision.

Although projected growth in the elderly population is the dominant factor in the anticipated expansion of adult day care, public response to the needs of people who are handicapped or mentally ill underlies anticipated employment growth in group homes and residential care facilities. As more and more mentally retarded or developmentally disabled individuals reach the age of twenty-one and thereby lose their eligibility for programs and services offered by the public schools, the need for community-based alternatives can be expected to grow. Pressures to respond to the needs of the chronically mentally ill can also be expected to persist. For many years, as deinstitutionalization has proceeded, chronic mental patients have been left to their own devices. If the movement to help the homeless and chronically mentally ill gains momentum, more community-based programs and group residences will be established, and demand for human service workers will increase accordingly. State and local governments will remain a major employer of human service workers, and replacement needs alone will generate many job openings in the public sector.

Salary Range

According to limited data available, starting salaries for human service workers ranged from $25,000 to $30,000 a year in 2000. Experienced workers earned up to about $43,000 annually, depending on the amount of experience and the employer.

Employment

Human service workers held about 375,000 jobs in 1998. About one-fourth were employed by state and local governments, primarily in hospitals and outpatient mental health centers, facilities for the mentally retarded and developmentally disabled, and public welfare agencies. Another fourth worked in agencies offering adult day care, group meals, crisis intervention, counseling, and other social services. Some supervised residents of group homes and halfway houses. Human service workers also held jobs in clinics, community mental health centers, and private psychiatric hospitals.

Examples of Occupational Titles of Human Service Workers

Case Worker Youth Worker Residential Counselor Case Management Aide Alcohol Counselor Drug Abuse Counselor Client Advocate Social Service Aide Social Service Technician Probation Officer Parole Officer Gerontology Aide Home Health Aide Child Abuse Worker Mental Health Aide Intake Interviewer Social Work Assistant Psychological Aide Assistant Case Manager

Family Support Worker Social Service Liaison Behavioral Management Aide Eligibility Counselor Adult Day Care Worker Life Skills Instructor Neighborhood Worker Group Activities Aide Therapeutic Assistant Case Monitor Child Advocate Juvenile Court Liaison Group Home Worker Crisis Intervention Counselor Community Organizer Community Outreach Worker Community Action Worker Residential Manager Halfway House Counselor Rehabilitation Case Worker

NOHSE: A History of Commitment

The National Organization for Human Service Education (NOHSE) was founded in 1975 at the Fifth Annual Faculty Development Conference of the Southern Regional Education Board. NOHSE grew out of the perceived need by professional care providers and legislators for improved methods of service delivery. NOHSE, with the early support of the National Institute of Mental Health and SREB, has striven to promote excellence in human service delivery in an increasingly complex world.

Through the professional efforts of NOHSE members, many programs of care have been developed to address unique social, behavioral, and educational issues. NOHSE’s focus includes supporting and promoting improvements in direct service, public education, program development, planning and evaluation, administration, and public policy.

Members of NOHSE are drawn from diverse educational and professional backgrounds. Professional backgrounds and experience in corrections, mental health, child care, social services, human resource management, gerontology, developmental disabilities, addictions, recreation, and education reflect this diversity.

The applied philosophy of NOHSE addresses the diverse needs of society by supporting educators and professionals in developing innovative models of service and education.

Purposes of NOHSE

· 1. To provide a medium for cooperation and communication among human service organizations and individual practitioners, faculty, and students.

· 2. To foster excellence in teaching, research, and curriculum development for improving the education of human service delivery personnel.

· 3. To encourage, support, and assist the development of local, state, and national organizations of human services.

· 4. To sponsor forums via conferences, institutes, and symposia that foster creative approaches to meeting human service needs.

Council for Standards in Human Service Education

Founded in 1979 to improve the quality, consistency, and relevance of human service training programs, the Council for Standards in Human Service Education (CSHSE) is the only national organization providing standards and assistance to accomplish these goals. The council achieves its purpose by the following efforts:

· 1. Applying national standards for training programs at the associate and baccalaureate degree levels;

· 2. Reviewing and recognizing programs that meet established standards;

· 3. Sponsoring faculty development workshops in curriculum design, program policy making, resource development, program evaluation, and other areas;

· 4. Offering vital technical and informational assistance to programs seeking to improve the quality and relevance of their training;

· 5. Publishing a quarterly bulletin to keep programs informed of council activities, training information and resources, issues, and trends in human service education.

Through a membership of educational programs, the council provides an organization and an opportunity for all constituencies of the undergraduate human service field to work together in developing and promoting sound programs of human service training as the essential foundation for effective and relevant service delivery.