Social and Human Service Assistants : Occupational Outlook Handbook : U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Summary

Social and human service assistants help people who are suffering or need additional support.

Quick Facts: Social and Human Service Assistants
2010 Median Pay	$28,200 per year $13.56 per hour
Entry-Level Education	High school diploma or equivalent
Work Experience in a Related Occupation	None
On-the-job Training	Short-term on-the-job training
Number of Jobs, 2010	384,200
Job Outlook, 2010-20	28% (Faster than average)
Employment Change, 2010-20	106,000

What Social and Human Service Assistants Do

Social and human service assistants help people get through difficult times or get additional support. They help other workers, such as social workers, and they help clients find benefits or community services.

Work Environment

Social and human service assistants work for nonprofit organizations, for-profit social service agencies, and state and local governments. They generally work full time, and some work nights and weekends.

How to Become a Social and Human Service Assistant

The minimum requirement is a high school diploma or equivalent, but some employers prefer to hire workers who have additional education or experience. Without additional education, advancement opportunities are limited.

Pay

The median hourly wage of social and human service assistants was $13.56 in May 2010.

Job Outlook

Employment of social and human service assistants is expected to grow by 28 percent from 2010 to 2020, faster than the average for all occupations. There should be good job prospects, as low pay and heavy workloads cause many workers to leave this occupation.

Similar Occupations

Compare the job duties, education, job growth, and pay of social and human service assistants with similar occupations.

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Contacts for More Information

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What Social and Human Service Assistants Do About this section

Social and human service assistants help the elderly to stay in their own homes and under their own care whenever possible.

Duties

Social and human service assistants typically do the following:

Work under the direction of social workers, psychologists, or others who have more education or experience
Help determine what type of help their clients need
Work with clients and other professionals, such as social workers, to develop a treatment plan
Help clients get help with daily activities, such as eating and bathing
Coordinate services provided to clients by their or other organizations
Research services available to their clients in their communities
Determine clients’ eligibility for services such as food stamps and Medicaid
Help clients complete paperwork to apply for assistance programs
Monitor clients to ensure services are provided appropriately

Social and human service assistants have many job titles, including case work aide, clinical social work aide, family service assistant, social work assistant, addictions counselor assistant, and human service worker. They serve diverse populations with a range of problems. Their work varies, depending on the clients they serve.

With children and families, social and human service assistants ensure that children live in safe homes. They help parents get the resources, such as food stamps or childcare, they need to care for their children.

With the elderly, workers help clients stay in their own homes and under their own care whenever possible. They coordinate meal deliveries or find personal care aides to help older people with day-to-day needs, such as doing errands or bathing. In some cases, human service workers help look for residential care facilities, such as nursing homes.

For people with disabilities, social and human service assistants help find rehabilitation services that aid their clients. They may work with employers to adapt positions to make them accessible to people with disabilities. Some workers find personal care services to help clients with daily living activities, such as bathing or making meals.

For people with addictions, human service assistants find rehabilitation centers that meet their clients’ needs. They also find support groups or twelve-step programs. They work with people who are dependent on alcohol, drugs, gambling, or other substances or behaviors.

With veterans, assistants help people discharged from the military adjust to civilian life. They help with practical needs, such as finding housing and applying skills gained in the military to civilian jobs. They also help with navigating the overwhelming number of services available to veterans.

For people with mental illnesses, social and human service assistants help clients find resources to cope with their illness. They find self-help and support groups to provide their clients with an assistance network. In addition, they help those with more severe mental illnesses care for themselves by finding personal care services or group housing.

With immigrants, workers help clients adjust to living in a new country. They help clients locate jobs and housing. They also may help clients find programs that teach English, or they may find legal assistance to help immigrants get their paperwork in order.

With former prison inmates, human service assistants help clients re-enter society by finding job training or placement programs. Human service assistants help former inmates find housing and connect with programs that help them make a new life for themselves.

With homeless people, assistants help clients meet their basic needs. They find temporary or permanent housing. They find places, such as soup kitchens, that provide meals. Human service assistants also help homeless people find facilities for other problems they may have, such as joblessness.

Work Environment About this section

Social and human service assistants sometimes travel around their community to see clients.

Social and human service assistants held about 384,200 jobs in 2010. They work for nonprofit organizations, private for-profit social service agencies, and state and local government. They may work in offices, clinics, hospitals, group homes, and shelters. Some travel around their communities to see clients.

In 2010, the following industries employed the most social and human service assistants:

Individual and family services	21%
Nursing and residential care facilities	16
Community and vocational rehabilitation services	13
State government, excluding education and hospitals	12
Local government, excluding education and hospitals	12

Work Schedules

Most social and human service assistants work full time. Some work nights and weekends.

How to Become a Social and Human Service Assistant About this section

Social and human service assistants help determine what type of help their clients need.

Education

A high school diploma is the minimum requirement, but some employers prefer to hire workers who have relevant work experience or education beyond high school. Certificates or associate’s degrees in subjects such as human services, gerontology (working with older adults), or a social or behavioral science are common for workers entering this occupation. Some jobs may require a bachelor's or master's degree in human services or a related field, such as counseling, rehabilitation, or social work.

Human services degree programs train students to observe and interview patients, carry out treatment plans, and handle crises. These programs train students to work with people in difficult situations. Many programs include fieldwork to give students hands-on experience.

The level of education that social and human service assistants have completed often determines the responsibilities they are given. Those with a high school diploma are likely to do lower level work, such as helping clients fill out paperwork. However, assistants with some college education may coordinate program activities or manage a group home.

Training

Many social and human service assistants, particularly those without any postsecondary education, undergo a period of on-the-job training. Training prepares assistants to work with clients from a wide variety of backgrounds and respond to crisis situations.

Advancement

For social and human service assistants, additional education is almost always necessary for advancement. In general, advancement to case management or social work jobs requires a bachelor's or master's degree in human services, counseling, rehabilitation, social work, or a related field.

Important Qualities

Communication skills. Social and human service assistants talk with clients about the challenges in their lives and assist them in getting help. They must be able listen to their clients and to communicate their needs to organizations that can help.

Compassion. Social and human service assistants often work with people who are in stressful and difficult situations. To develop strong relationships, they must have compassion and empathy for their clients.

Organizational skills. Social and human service assistants often must do lots of paperwork and work with many different clients. They must be organized to ensure paperwork is filed properly and clients are getting the help they need.

People skills. Social and human service assistants must make their clients feel comfortable discussing sensitive issues. Assistants also need to build relationships with other service providers to help them learn about all of the resources that are available in their communities.

Problem-solving skills. Assistants help clients find solutions to their problems. They must be able to listen carefully to their client’s needs and offer multiple solutions.

Time-management skills. Social and human service assistants often work with many clients. They must learn to manage their time effectively to ensure that their clients are getting the attention they need.

Some employers require a criminal background check. In some settings, workers need a valid driver's license.

Pay About this section

Social and Human Service Assistants

Median hourly wages, May 2010

Community and Social Service Occupations: $18.89
Total, All Occupations: $16.27
Social and Human Service Assistants: $13.56

The median hourly wage of social and human service assistants was $13.56 in May 2010.The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $9.03, and the top 10 percent earned more than $21.59.

In May 2010, the median hourly wages of social and human service assistants in industries employing the largest numbers of these workers were as follows:

State government, excluding education and hospitals	$16.27
Local government, excluding education and hospitals	15.94
Individual and family services	13.10
Nursing and residential care facilities	11.72

Most social and human service assistants work full time. Some work nights and weekends.

Job Outlook About this section

Social and Human Service Assistants

Percent change in employment, projected 2010-20

Social and Human Service Assistants: 28%
Community and Social Service Occupations: 24%
Total, All Occupations: 14%

Employment of social and human service assistants is expected to grow by 28 percent from 2010 to 2020, faster than the average for all occupations. Growth will be due to an increase in the elderly population and a rising demand for health care and social services.

Much of the growth will be due to the needs of an aging population. An increase in number of older adults will cause growth in demand for social services. The elderly population often needs services such as adult day care and meal delivery. Social and human service assistants, who help find and provide these services, will be needed to meet this increased demand.

In addition, growth is expected as more people seek treatment for their addictions and more drug offenders are sent to treatment programs rather than to jail. The result will be an increase in demand for social and human service assistants who work in treatment programs or work with people with addictions.

There also will be a continued demand for child and family social and human service assistants. They will be needed to help workers investigate child abuse cases, as well as to place children in foster care and with adoptive families.

Employment of social and human service assistants in the industries employing the largest number of these workers is expected to grow as follows from 2010 to 2020:

Individual and family services	57%
Community and vocational rehabilitation services	31
Nursing and residential care facilities	24
Local government, excluding education and hospitals	9
State government, excluding education and hospitals	4

Job Prospects

Low pay and heavy workloads cause many workers to leave this occupation, which creates good opportunities for new workers entering the field.

Employment projections data for social and human service assistants, 2010-20
Occupational Title	SOC Code	Employment, 2010	Projected Employment, 2020	Change, 2010-20		Employment by Industry
Occupational Title	SOC Code	Employment, 2010	Projected Employment, 2020	Percent	Numeric	Employment by Industry
SOURCE: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program
Social and Human Service Assistants	21-1093	384,200	490,200	28	106,000	[XLS]

Similar Occupations About this section

This table shows a list of occupations with job duties that are similar to those of social and human service assistants.

Occupation	Job Duties	ENTRY-LEVEL EDUCATION	2010 MEDIAN PAY
Childcare Workers	Childcare workers care for children when parents and other family members are unavailable. They care for children’s basic needs, such as bathing and feeding. In addition, some help children prepare for kindergarten, and many help older children with homework.	High school diploma or equivalent	$19,300
Health Educators	Health educators teach people about behaviors that promote wellness. They develop programs and materials to encourage people to make healthy decisions.	Bachelor’s degree	$45,830
Home Health and Personal Care Aides	Home health and personal care aides help people who are disabled, chronically ill, or cognitively impaired. They also help older adults who may need assistance. They help with activities such as bathing and dressing, and they provide services such as light housekeeping. In some states, home health aides may be able to give a client medication or check the client’s vital signs under the direction of a nurse or other healthcare practitioner.	Less than high school	$20,170
Mental Health Counselors and Marriage and Family Therapists	Mental health counselors and marriage and family therapists help people manage or overcome mental and emotional disorders and problems with their family and relationships. They listen to clients and ask questions to help the clients understand their problems and develop strategies to improve their lives.	Master’s degree	$39,710
Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists	Probation officers and correctional treatment specialists work with and monitor offenders to prevent them from committing new crimes.	Bachelor’s degree	$47,200
Rehabilitation Counselors	Rehabilitation counselors help people with emotional and physical disabilities live independently. They help their clients overcome personal, social, and professional effects of disabilities as they relate to employment or independent living.	Master’s degree	$32,350
School and Career Counselors	School counselors help students develop social skills and succeed in school. Career counselors assist people with the process of making career decisions by helping them choose a career or educational program.	Master’s degree	$53,380
Social and Community Service Managers	Social and community service managers coordinate and supervise social service programs and community organizations. They direct and lead staff who provide services to the public.	Bachelor’s degree	$57,950
Social Workers	There are two main types of social workers: direct-service social workers, who help people solve and cope with problems in their everyday lives, and clinical social workers, who diagnose and treat mental, behavioral, and emotional issues.	See How to Become One	$42,480
Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors	Substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors advise people who have alcoholism or other types of addiction, eating disorders, or other behavioral problems. They provide treatment and support to help the client recover from addiction or modify problem behaviors.	High school diploma or equivalent	$38,120