21-1093.00 - Social and Human Service Assistants

Updated 2008

Summary Report for:
21-1093.00 - Social and Human Service Assistants

Assist professionals from a wide variety of fields, such as psychology, rehabilitation, or social work, to provide client services, as well as support for families. May assist clients in identifying available benefits and social and community services and help clients obtain them. May assist social workers with developing, organizing, and conducting programs to prevent and resolve problems relevant to substance abuse, human relationships, rehabilitation, or adult daycare.

Sample of reported job titles: Social Worker, Caseworker, Advocate, Homebased Assistant, Human Services Program Specialist, Mental Health Technician, Outreach Specialist, Addictions Counselor Assistant, Case Worker, Casework Specialist

View report: Summary Details Custom

Tasks

Keep records and prepare reports for owner or management concerning visits with clients.
Submit reports and review reports or problems with superior.
Interview individuals and family members to compile information on social, educational, criminal, institutional, or drug history.
Provide information and refer individuals to public or private agencies or community services for assistance.
Consult with supervisor concerning programs for individual families.
Advise clients regarding food stamps, child care, food, money management, sanitation, or housekeeping.
Oversee day-to-day group activities of residents in institution.
Visit individuals in homes or attend group meetings to provide information on agency services, requirements and procedures.
Monitor free, supplementary meal program to ensure cleanliness of facility and that eligibility guidelines are met for persons receiving meals.
Meet with youth groups to acquaint them with consequences of delinquent acts.

Knowledge

Customer and Personal Service — Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

Therapy and Counseling — Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.

Administration and Management — Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

Psychology — Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.

Clerical — Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.

English Language — Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

Education and Training — Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

Public Safety and Security — Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.

Sociology and Anthropology — Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.

Law and Government — Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.

Skills

Service Orientation — Actively looking for ways to help people.

Social Perceptiveness — Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

Active Listening — Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Speaking — Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Reading Comprehension — Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Writing — Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Coordination — Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.

Critical Thinking — Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Monitoring — Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Persuasion — Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.

Abilities

Problem Sensitivity — The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.

Speech Clarity — The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.

Speech Recognition — The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.

Oral Comprehension — The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

Written Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

Oral Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.

Written Comprehension — The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.

Information Ordering — The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

Deductive Reasoning — The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.

Category Flexibility — The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.

Work Activities

Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates — Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.

Assisting and Caring for Others — Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.

Getting Information — Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.

Documenting/Recording Information — Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.

Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships — Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.

Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events — Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.

Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work — Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.

Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge — Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.

Making Decisions and Solving Problems — Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.

Communicating with Persons Outside Organization — Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.

Work Context

Telephone — How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?

Contact With Others — How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?

Face-to-Face Discussions — How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job?

Work With Work Group or Team — How important is it to work with others in a group or team in this job?

Freedom to Make Decisions — How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer?

Frequency of Conflict Situations — How often are there conflict situations the employee has to face in this job?

Structured versus Unstructured Work — To what extent is this job structured for the worker, rather than allowing the worker to determine tasks, priorities, and goals?

Deal With External Customers — How important is it to work with external customers or the public in this job?

Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People — How frequently does the worker have to deal with unpleasant, angry, or discourteous individuals as part of the job requirements?

Time Pressure — How often does this job require the worker to meet strict deadlines?

Job Zone

Title	Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
Overall Experience	Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
Job Training	Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers.
Job Zone Examples	These occupations usually involve using communication and organizational skills to coordinate, supervise, manage, or train others to accomplish goals. Examples include funeral directors, electricians, forest and conservation technicians, legal secretaries, interviewers, and insurance sales agents.
SVP Range	(6.0 to < 7.0)
Education	Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree. Some may require a bachelor's degree.

There is 1 recognized apprenticeable specialty associated with this occupation:
Direct Support Specialist

To learn about specific apprenticeship opportunities, please consult the U.S. Department of Labor State Apprenticeship Information website.

For general information about apprenticeships, training, and partnerships with business, visit the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Apprenticeship website.

Interests

Interest code: CSE

Conventional — Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.

Social — Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.

Enterprising — Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.

Work Styles

Dependability — Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.

Concern for Others — Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.

Self Control — Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.

Cooperation — Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.

Integrity — Job requires being honest and ethical.

Attention to Detail — Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.

Social Orientation — Job requires preferring to work with others rather than alone, and being personally connected with others on the job.

Stress Tolerance — Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.

Persistence — Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.

Adaptability/Flexibility — Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.

Work Values

Relationships — Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.

Support — Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.

Independence — Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employs to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.

Related Occupations

21-1021.00	Child, Family, and School Social Workers
29-1122.00	Occupational Therapists
39-9021.00	Personal and Home Care Aides
39-9041.00	Residential Advisors

Wages & Employment Trends

National

Median wages (2008)	$13.12 hourly, $27,280 annual
Employment (2006)	339,000 employees
Projected growth (2006-2016)	Much faster than average (21% or higher)
Projected need (2006-2016)	153,000 additional employees

State & National

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 2008 wage data and 2006-2016 employment projections . "Projected growth" represents the estimated change in total employment over the projections period (2006-2016). "Projected need" represents job openings due to growth and net replacement.

Summary Report for: 21-1093.00 - Social and Human Service Assistants