Human service professionals differ from other professionals within
the same agency as the background and requirements of each
professional are different (Woodside, 2018). An example of this
would be a community mental health center.
Those administering therapy to clients and groups of individuals
would require certifications and education in psychology and human
services. With that, there are legal aspects of the organization as well.
The mental health center may have a legal department where these
professionals would require a law degree and possibly additional
experience in the psychological field. In addition to that, the center
may offer medication services. In order to provide such services, the
center must have a psychiatrist which is a medical doctor who
specializes in mental illnesses. In order for the agency to run
efficiently, administrative service professionals would be present as
well. These individuals would have a background in administrative
duties such as planning & coordinating and general office
management.
In addition to professional functions of the community mental health
center, there could be non-professionals such as volunteers. These
individuals are considered as resources available to the agency
(Woodside, 2018). Volunteers would need to be trained and
evaluated for where their time can be best utilized. This could be as
simple as comforting in a peer-to-peer support capacity or
community outreach as this can be more effective than professionals
reaching out (Chaplan et al., 1966)
Professionals and non-professionals of an organization should
operate in symbiosis. All functions within an organization are
necessary to be successful and provide for the needs of the client.
Mental health professionals, therapists/counselors, and psychiatric
workers should work in congruence in providing therapies and
interventions to their clients. The legal department would be a
resource to the organization to ensure they are operating within legal
guidelines. Administrative professionals work with mental health
professionals to ensure the organization is operating efficiently.
Volunteers work with administrative and mental health professionals
to ensure they are enhancing and supporting services appropriately.
Reference
Chaplan, A. A., Price, J. M., Jr, Zuckerman, I., & Ek, J. (1966). The role
of volunteers in community mental health programs. Community
mental health journal, 2(3), 255–258.
https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01419690
Woodside, M. R., McClam, T. (2018). An Introduction to Human
Services, 9th Edition. [[VitalSource Bookshelf version]]. Retrieved
from vbk://9781337671262
