Council standards were strengthened as the Community Support Skill Standards were incorporated into some of the 23 standards of the Council. Where Human Service Workers Work Human service practitioners have the options to work in a wide range of programs that provided services to young children, adolescents, adults, and elders. They work for private, non-profit human service organizations, state facilities, and private hospitals. Hours range from 37 hours to 40 hours per week with opportunities for part-time. These diverse settings include group homes, supported living programs, halfway houses, psycho-social day programs, sheltered workshops, mental health centers, teen pregnancy programs, inpatient mental health facilities, family, child and youth programs, elder programs, correctional programs, and shelters for abused women and children, homeless, and substance abusers.
Job titles vary depending on the employment setting and the kinds of individual who seek services.
Human services workers in residential settings generally work in shifts. Human services workers in community, residential care, or institutional settings provide direct services such as leading a group, organizing an activity, or offering individual counseling. They may handle some administrative support tasks, too. Specific job duties reflect organizational policy and staffing patterns, as well as the worker s educational preparation and experience. Because so many human services jobs involve direct contact with people who are impaired and therefore vulnerable to exploitation, employers try to be selective in hiring.