National Organization for Human Services’ mission is to strengthen the community of human services by:
• Expanding professional development opportunities
• Enhancing internal and external communications
• Nurturing the financial sustainability and growth of the organization
• Promoting professional and organizational identity through certification
• Advocating and implementing a social policy and agenda
Human Services Field
The field of Human Services is broadly defined, uniquely approaching the objective of meeting human needs through an interdisciplinary knowledge base, focusing on prevention as well as remediation of problems, and maintaining a commitment to improving the overall quality of life of service populations. The Human Services profession is one which promotes improved service delivery systems by addressing not only the quality of direct services, but also by seeking to improve accessibility, accountability, and coordination among professionals and agencies in service delivery.
Human Services Professionals
“Human services professional” is a generic term for people who hold professional and paraprofessional jobs in such diverse settings as group homes and halfway houses; correctional, intellectual disability, and community mental health centers; family, child, and youth service agencies, and programs concerned with alcoholism, drug abuse, family violence, and aging. Depending on the employment setting and the kinds of clients served there, job titles and duties vary a great deal. The primary purpose of the human services professional is to assist individual and communities to function as effectively as possible in the major domains of living.
Human Services Worker Titles (sample)
• Case Worker
• Family Support Worker
• Group Home Worker
• Eligibility Counselor
• Community Outreach Worker
• Life Skills Instructor
• Client Advocate
Skills for Human Services Professionals
• Interviewing
• Professional Boundaries
• Decision-Making/Problem Solving
• Conflict Management
• Writing
• Desire to Serve
• Public Speaking
• Planning/Organizing Ideas
• Assessment/Evaluation
• Team Building/Consensus Building
• Active Listening
• Group Facilitation
• Advocacy/Negotiation
• Leadership
• Cultural Competency
• Advocacy
Nicki Sanders, The Packaged For Success Coach, is an experienced trainer, group facilitator, and program manager. She has packaged her Masters of Social Work degree and over 15 years of work experience into Packaged For Success, a training and professional development company. Packaged For Success provides career coaching to college students, entry-level job hunters, and experienced employees seeking a promotion. Packaged For Success also offers communication and productivity improvement training for employees and supervisors and provides consultation on building sustainable, impactful, socially responsible community programs.
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