How are human services professionals similar to and different from
other professionals who work in the same agency? How are they
similar to and different from non-professional helpers (e.g.,
volunteers) who work in the same agency? What could you do to
work collaboratively with both other professionals and non-
professionals in the agency?
Those who work in human services fall into a couple of types, which
are defined by their preparation, skills, or a combination of both. The
first type of human service professionals is those who conduct typical
counseling responsibilities and take on broader roles such as
advocates and mobilizers. The second type consists of "specialists",
who are aids with professional certifications, governing body licenses,
and degrees from educational institutions. Social workers, nurses,
clergy, and counselors are examples of specialists. Peers and
volunteers are a third broad category that includes both persons with
little or no experience in assisting and those with substantial
experience. Training and orientation are frequently provided to these
employees to prepare them for their tasks. (Woodside & McClam,
2018)
Human services professionals and other professions who work in the
same agency are all broadly concerned with serving families,
individuals, and communities to improve quality of life, remediate
problems, and coordinate services through a multidisciplinary
approach. Naturally, having such an all-encompassing mission leads
to plenty of overlap between the roles of professionals working in the
human services field. As a human services professional, you will be
working with a variety of other professional helpers who have
specialized training and experience. This category includes individuals
who have graduate-level training in helping theory and skills and who
often have supervised clinical experience; however, the training and
credentials of these individuals may vary. (Woodside & McClam,
2018) Community caretakers, natural helpers, and volunteers are
examples of nonprofessional helpers who provide essential human
service functions. One example of nonprofessionals in human
services is volunteers. They give their time and talents free of charge,
have a sense of social responsibility, and have little concern for
monetary gain. Nonprofessional helpers have the same mission as
human service professionals and that is to help the client in need.
To work collaboratively with both professionals and non-
professionals, I would make sure to acknowledge how important
every position is and I would do so by always offering whatever
knowledge and experience I have. I would make sure to always ask
questions to others with more experience but also be open to the
perspective of those who may not. Human services are constantly
evolving, and different perspectives and ideas of others within the
agency and maintaining good communication with them is the key to
mang anything grow and evolve and having lots of success.
Resources:
Woodside, M. R., & McClam, T. (2018). An Introduction to Human
Services (9th ed.). Cengage Learning US.
https://mbsdirect.vitalsource.com/books/9781337671262
