Human services professionals are different from other professionals
in the same agency in that they have different requirements regarding
the specific degrees needed for their respective decisions. Human
services professionals may need a Master of Arts and Human Services
degree whereas other professionals, depending on the job, may only
need degrees in social work, physical therapy, or psychology. One
similarity both types of professionals have is the requirement of
higher levels of education or skills needed for their positions
compared to a non-professional helper. In terms of volunteers,
human services professionals contrast in that they have more
knowledge and skills compared to non-professional volunteers due to
the difference in education. As such, depending on the situation, the
human services professional can be seen as being more effective due
to the skills they already acquired. This does not mean that the
volunteer is unable to learn through experience or even acquire new
skills. It simply means that they may need to undergo further training
in order to reach the same level of professional development.
Volunteers, human services professionals, and other professionals in
the same agency all share the goal of helping the client and staying
true to the agency’s mission statement.
In order to work collaboratively with other professionals and non-
professionals in the agency, the first and most important step is
establishing communication so that everyone is coordinating their
efforts and to get rid of potential confusion as to who has what
responsibilities in the treatment plan. This communication needs to
be maintained throughout the treatment process with follow-ups or
meetings with each other so that everyone is working in harmony and
aware of any needed changes to the treatment plan. With these
follow-ups or meetings, everyone should feel free to ask questions
and express their opinions on the treatment process so that they can
reach a general consensus of the client’s progress and where to go to
from there.
