People who wish to have a career in human services can earn their degree online from any of the recognized colleges or universities to further their education. Degree holders can choose from a wide variety of careers in diverse fields, with the most popular choices being made for the well-being of the children, families, disabled people and elderly group of people. A large number of graduates in human services can take up careers as case workers in different fields. The chief task of case workers is to meet up with clients, analyze data, implement an action plan and then follow up on it.
Professionals with a degree in human services are vital for people who suffer from severe crisis such as abuse, neglect and discrimination. These professionals provide an action plan and extended beneficial services for creating a better society. There are various career avenues open for people with interest in human services field. The widest number of career choices is available for those who hold a bachelor’s degree or a higher degree in human services. Higher educational degree enables an individual to get hold of a higher-paying job. Here is a list of some of the widely popular areas of concentration studies that are available in the field of human services education.
Psychology – Human services professionals with a specialization in psychology course can seek to make a career in counseling. The role of a human services counselor is very different from that of a psychiatrist who diagnoses psychiatric ailments and prescribes medicines. Students with a degree in human services will largely focus on child psychology or geriatric psychology. A large number of them would prefer to take up counseling in issues concerning marriage, health, family and wellness consulting. Role of a senior advocate or that of a social worker at a medical center can also be played for the benefit of a larger community by those who focus on geriatric counseling.
Graduates holding a bachelor’s degree with a focus on child psychology can pursue a career as a social services child advocate or take up the role of a counselor. A person can opt for special study areas in family, mental health, marriage or in the case of bereavement counseling to assume counseling positions in social work or related fields.
Management – A large number of graduate find more comfort in taking up an administrative career in the field of human services. Professionals with independent streak and strong leadership qualities find career in human service management a good choice for them. Those pursuing human services program online with specialization in business management can take up diverse roles in various fields involving specific groups such as children, elderly people and people with disability issues. Some fields also require professionals to work in more collective role involving people of all ages. Graduates with course in management look out for roles that require more time and responsibility. They may have to take up responsibility for intensive case work and the responsibility of supervising office workers, counselors, case workers or other human service professionals. Some graduates with online human services degree program and specialization in management can also choose to work independently and be responsible for completion of necessary paper work and reports.
Substance Abuse – Every year, a large number of human services students prefer to enter into the specialty field of substance abuse. Students in this area of study have to specifically deal with drug and alcohol addicts. Although anyone with interest in human services can pursue education in this field, mostly students in a recovery program and having good knowledge and experience are found to take up substance abuse as their specialty study area. People with a past of substance abuse are seen to have more expertise and comfort in connecting with addicts as they seem to exactly know the condition and can accordingly provide realistic and more effective advice to tackle the situation. Human services degree holders having done their specialization in substance abuse take up jobs in rehabilitation centers and counseling offices for victims of substance abuse.
A degree holder in human services degree is well equipped to meet the demands of the clients in a varied number of organizations. Graduates often work alongside detectives, doctors, specialists and assist social workers to help people cope with crisis in their lives. Victims of criminal activities, violence or abuse of any form turn to human services professionals for help. People having an educational background in human services can find good jobs in abuse treatment centers, adult day care facilities, mental health care, group homes and care facility centers.