People helping people: degree programs in human services

What is “human services”? Exactly what it sounds like! This field is all about providing essential services to families, children, adults and seniors. There’s a wide variety of careers in human services, but nearly all focus on helping people make their lives safer, healthier or more successful.

Examples of human services jobs include caregiver, activities coordinator, substance abuse counselor, food bank worker, employment counselor or correctional facility worker. To succeed in human services, you should be empathetic and compassionate but also able to set boundaries with your clients.

Human services jobs are not typically clinical or medical, which means you don’t need an advanced degree to pursue these careers. You do need a degree, however. Online degree programs are perfect for working professionals who need flexible class schedules and want to earn a degree in less time than on-campus programs take.

You can get started in this field with an associate’s degree in human services, human development or family studies. An associate’s degree will give you the essential skills you need to work with clients with mental illness, disabilities and/or substance abuse problems, preparing you for entry-level human services jobs.

Further your career with a Bachelor of Science in Human Services. This degree includes the foundation work of an associate degree plus the basics of counseling, social work and psychology. You’ll learn about human development, advocacy and public policy, and crisis intervention. If you opt for a Bachelor of Science in Human Services/Management, you’ll also learn management strategies that will help you take on supervisory roles.

Once you have a bachelor’s degree, you may want to advance your career by getting a master’s degree in human services. Online universities offer master’s degrees in specialized fields like gerontology (working with the elderly), nonprofit management, executive leadership, public administration or social services. With a master’s degree you can take on leadership roles. You may even get the chance to become executive director of your own nonprofit agency.

Ready to start improving lives, one person at a time? Register for a human services degree program today.

Helping people in need: human services careers

There are a number of jobs you can get with your online degree in human services. This field offers a wide variety of careers, both those that help people directly and those that help shape policy.

If you like working with people with special needs, consider a career as a nursing aide. You’ll help care for people who are physically injured or disabled, most likely in a hospital or nursing home. This is a very hands-on position and you’ll be working under the supervision of nursing and medical staff. You may be asked to help patients to eat, dress and bathe. You’ll also help out in emergencies, deliver messages, serve meals, make beds and tidy up rooms. Occasionally nursing aides are required to take vitals on a patient, like their temperature, pulse rate, respiration rate and blood pressure.

Perhaps you’d like to be a little less hands-on. Community outreach workers assist people in need by implementing programs at schools, churches and at elder care facilities. They also may lead group activities and sometimes offer direct counseling. Community outreach workers work with all kinds of people. Some specialize in helping the homeless, while others work with at-risk children. It’s a wide field with many opportunities to do what you’re passionate about.

Another career to consider is one as a mental health aide. Mental health aides usually work at group homes, mental health facilities or in a hospital setting. This job requires a lot of patience and compassion because you’ll be working with mentally impaired or emotionally disturbed individuals. You’ll be assisting psychiatrists, psychologists, psychiatric nurses, social workers and therapists to help care for the patients. You’ll be required to help patients dress, bathe and eat in addition to socializing with them. This can mean anything from playing board games to going on trips to the mall. You’ll also need to have a keen eye in order to report any changes in behavior that you see to the professional staff.

Human services careers are demanding but personally rewarding. Get into the field faster with an online degree – sign up for free information today.

Thousands of jobs are available

If you’re looking to further your education or want a career change, consider getting your online human services degree. Officials expect more people to enter into the field than ever before – and with good reason. Here’s a look at a few reasons why this industry is so hot.

The industry is expanding quickly

Human services careers are growing at a faster rate than almost any other field. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the human services industry is expected to grow by 34% by 2016. That’s about 114,000 new jobs that will be created in the next few years! One of the reasons for this projected expansion is the continual increase of the senior population in the United States. The aging will require services like adult care, meal delivery and medical assistance. This industry will also continue to grow as more and more organizations provide assistance to those in need, such as substance abusers, the mentally disabled and even pregnant teenagers.

Lots of room for growth

Human services is a diverse field with huge opportunities for growth. Perhaps you’ve already found a great job in an hourly role as a companion for an older person. Enrolling in an online human services degree program can prepare you for a position as an assistant administrator for an assisted living facility. Getting your bachelor’s degree can help you advance to a management position. If you really have a passion for human services, you can take online classes to help you get your master’s degree and then be licensed as a counselor for the aging. There are even online courses designed to help you get your PhD, which could qualify you to start your own assisted living facility. In a few short years, you might be able to go from hourly worker to owning your own company! The possibilities in this field are limitless.

A wide variety of jobs

Human services doesn’t just mean working with older people. The term human services covers just about any job you can think of that helps others who are not able to help themselves. There are human services careers that allow you to work with children, the homeless, and those with substance abuse problems. You can work at a food bank, a domestic violence shelter, or a physical rehabilitation center. Whatever your passion, there’s a job in human services to suit you.

Doing good for others

The best thing about human services careers is how good it makes you feel. You truly will be making a difference in the life of someone who needs you. There are a lot of people who have no one to turn to in a crisis and without those working in human services, they would be completely alone. This field is great for many reasons, but making a difference in someone’s life is the best reward of all.

Get started on your online human services degree now!

The field of human services is bigger than you think

Getting an online human services degree can open up some surprising career paths for you. Perhaps you’ve always wanted to help troubled families or start your own nonprofit. For every goal, there’s a degree. Here are a few of the human services degrees that can take you places you never expected.

Certificate in Human Services Administration

This online degree program will prepare you for work in the human services field in an administrative role, perhaps as a shift manager or an assistant grant writer. You’ll learn how to supervise and lead others as well as how to resolve employee conflicts. You’ll be taught how to write and apply for grants and study coping techniques for dealing with difficult clients. You’ll learn about welfare reform, budget reductions, the downsizing of government programs, and changes in managed care. If you think you have management potential and want a human services career, this program may be right for you.

B.S. in Human Services/Gerontology

If you have a special passion for working with the aging, consider a degree in gerontology. This degree program will go into detail regarding the mental, physical and social development of people as they age. You’ll help older people and their families deal with health and psychological issues. With this human services degree you could end up working for a hospital, long-term care facility or social service agency. If you’d rather work in a support role, you could find yourself working as an aging expert for corporations, running an advocacy group, or working for a professional organization that deals with the aging.

Master of Science in Human Services – Marital, Couple, & Family Counsel / Therapy

One of the most rewarding human services careers is family therapy. This program will teach you about the theories surrounding family systems as well as the therapeutic techniques you’ll need to help families deal with their problems. You’ll learn how to tackle relationship issues and treat mental and emotional disorders. This career requires a license and the requirements may vary from state to state.

PhD in Human Services – Management of Nonprofit Agencies

If you’re a natural-born leader with a passion for helping others, this human services career may be the one for you. A human services degree prepares you to lead and direct non-profit agencies. You’ll learn, in detail, the issues facing non-profit leaders today and how you can best address those problems. You’ll be taught best fundraising practices, board management, ethics, program management, and resource management. People with their PhD in human services often go on to teach at colleges and universities, run large agencies or start their own non-profit agencies.

Learn more about getting an online human services degree.