The first question is, "How are human services professionals similar
to and different from other professionals who work in the same
agency?" From the chapter 9 reading, there were many levels of
professions that not even I was aware of. In human services, I related
it to social workers, working endless shifts hours and being
overloaded with cases that were stacked for the next month or year.
But upon reading all the levels of jobs that work in human services,
anyone in human services works can do the same for everyone
involved, and that I mean, case managers that work with individuals
and families for resources of the needs they come in for. The
individual that looks into home care with agencies to bring in services
for someone staying home instead of nursing homes. The second
question, "How are they similar to and different from non-
professional helpers (e.g., volunteers) who work in the same agency?
" The difference between the professional and non-professional
(volunteers) is helping out at schools, in the lunch room, or helping
with reading in the school library. It is working on their time and
going out to sites for volunteering in food banks, and second-hand
stores or some may need assistance in transportation. Volunteering
keeps the workload lite for the human services that are getting paid
to do other work that requires work to be done. The third question is,
"What could you do to work collaboratively with both other
professionals and non-professionals in the agency? " I am not much
of a person to volunteer for work, it may be for an occasion for some
small party or babysitting, but for me, I am one to do a job and get
paid for it. The social worker has more "on the plate" than anyone in
the human service work, this doesn't leave out counselors or case
workers, but a case manager is someone that can do a lot in assisting
a social worker. Paperwork is a big project that takes a lot of time and
social workers end up bringing it home. If case managers have duties
that require their own attention, then a volunteer can be of
assistance to social workers. Chapter nine did fill my head with ideas
of what titles work in the human services division and I can
understand more of all the work and brainstorming everyone does in
their title with human services. If it were up to me now, I would try
for being a case manager but I am someone that gets involved
deeply. The other one I would look into is the Mental health
counselor, I have an ear and can empathize with a lot of clients that
have dealt with some stress in their lives.
Woodside, Marianne R. An Introduction to Human Services chapter
nine pages 225 to 253
