Social and Human Service Assistants
People classed as Social and Human Service Assistants assist other social and human service providers in providing client services in a wide variety of fields, such as psychology, rehabilitation, or social work, including support for families. The strongest interest signal is Social (6.1 of 7), then Conventional (4.6) and Enterprising, which gives it the code SCE. The preparation level is considerable preparation, typically a bachelor’s degree plus a period of work experience. O*NET’s skill data points to speaking, social perceptiveness, and active listening as the ones to build. The job can ask you to assess clients' cognitive abilities and physical and emotional needs to determine appropriate interventions. It tends to suit people who want helping, teaching or caring for people, and it offers little for anyone seeking hands-on work with tools, machines or the physical world.
What they do
Assist other social and human service providers in providing client services in a wide variety of fields, such as psychology, rehabilitation, or social work, including support for families. May assist clients in identifying and obtaining available benefits and social and community services. May assist social workers with developing, organizing, and conducting programs to prevent and resolve problems relevant to substance abuse, human relationships, rehabilitation, or dependent care.
Main tasks
- Assess clients' cognitive abilities and physical and emotional needs to determine appropriate interventions.
- Develop and implement behavioral management and care plans for clients.
- Keep records or prepare reports for owner or management concerning visits with clients.
- Visit individuals in homes or attend group meetings to provide information on agency services, requirements, or procedures.
- Submit reports and review reports or problems with superior.
- Interview individuals or family members to compile information on social, educational, criminal, institutional, or drug history.
Skills
- Speaking
- Social Perceptiveness
- Active Listening
- Service Orientation
- Reading Comprehension
- Coordination
Who this career fits
May suit you if
- You get energy from helping other people move forward.
- You like clear rules and getting the details right.
- You are ready to spend around four years on a degree, then build experience.
- You are comfortable relying on speaking and social perceptiveness.
May not suit you if
- You find a full day of dealing with people draining.
- You want to work with your hands for most of the day. Realistic rates 1.3 out of 7 here.
- You want to avoid a four-year degree or its equivalent.
Interest profile
O*NET rates each occupation from 1 to 7 on six interest types. The code SCE takes the three highest, and Social comes first here.
Preparation
Considerable preparation. Most jobs here ask for a bachelor’s degree, and employers usually expect a few years of related experience as well.
Most-reported requirement in the O*NET survey: Bachelor's Degree. This reflects what workers reported most often and is not a legal minimum. Licensing rules can differ by state or industry, so confirm what applies where you plan to work.
Also called
- Addictions Counselor Assistant
- Advocate
- Clinical Assistant
- Residential Care Assistant
- Social Services Aide
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This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.