Human Services Careers
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.