Social and Human Service Assistant

What a Social and Human Service Assistant Does

If you would like to help social workers and human service workers with their caregiving and administrative duties, you would be well-suited for a profession in this field. Social and human service assistants are also called youth workers, social services aides, life skills counselor, mental health aide, and more. They work under the supervision of a manager at a business, health care center, social work office, government agency, rehab center, or educational institution helping with projects or carrying out specific tasks. They may administer food stamps, assist with counseling, set up appointments, help patients in a rehab facility with day-to-day tasks, review records, send out mailings, and more. You might be responsible for one project in particular or help with anything that needs to be taken care of at your facility. Social and human service assistants work in clinics, group homes, nursing homes, rehab centers and other environments and agencies.

How to Become a Social and Human Service Assistant

You really only need a high school diploma and some basic or on-the-job training to become a social or human service assistant, but a bachelor's degree in liberal arts can greatly improve your earning potential and level of responsibility. It may also put you on a track to becoming a social worker yourself or going to graduate school to become a manager or counselor. A liberal arts major can help you in this field if you take courses in psychology, sociology, social justice, communications, and related fields. Taking language courses could also help you in your work if you plan to assist clients or patients who may not speak English. A bachelor's degree typically takes four years to complete, and you will take classes in a common curriculum -- in science, math and other subjects -- to round our your education.

Career Outlook for Social and Human Service Assistants

Over 65% of all social and human service assistants worked in health care and social assistance industries, while nearly a quarter of everyone in this profession worked for government agencies and departments. The overall job outlook for this industry is good: the BLS expects a 23% increase in employment through 2018. That amounts to over 79,000 new jobs, which are found all across the country in rural areas, urban centers and suburbs. The median annual salary for social and human service assistants was $27,280, with the middle 50% earning between $21,860 and $34,590. You can increase this earning potential by earning a bachelor's degree and even a master's degree and becoming a full social worker or counselor. State governments paid their social and human service assistants the highest annual salary, at $35,510, while residential mental retardation, mental health and substance abuse facilities paid the lowest, at $23,580.