Human Services range from a vast number of occupations and the common denominator of these is the service given to society, especially at times of crisis. They are designed to assist people through their daily lives, sometimes to get them right back on track, or to even help them realize their strengths and self-worth (Human Services Edu.org, n.d.). Founded in Cambridge, MA back in 1976, the Human Services Research Institute (HSRI) has been helping in the development of communities to support the necessities of the people (National Organization for Human Services, n.d.). Professionally, one can have a job in-line with human services either on places that have yet to be touched by the modern technologies or on places that seemed to be lost and seek for help to get back up. The basic goal of professional human services is to effectively guide the individuals, together with their communities, in the aspects of life. These occupations include community outreach worker, crisis intervention counselor, child advocate, adult day care counselor, alcohol and drug abuse counselor, psychologist, public administrator, and therapeutic assistant. Of course, human services are not limited to only the jobs mentioned. They can also be a service crew to a restaurant or a café, security guards, beauty experts, coaches both in life and in sports, etc.
According to the worldometers, the current world population is roughly 7 billion. And the human population is expected to reach another billion by the first quarter of 2024 with a 1.14% growth rate per year. Prevention is better than cure. Since the numbers are already there, we must direct extra attention to the children who will be the future of tomorrow. The demand for health and human services will increase to 4 million in the next decade (University Without Walls, n.d.). That’s where the child life specialist comes in. They have expertise in child development, which is very much needed in order to prepare them properly (Child Life Council, Inc. n.d.). Physical, psychological, and emotional support will definitely help the child grow in the positive direction and will benefit the world one day. One of the benefits of this profession is the knowledge you’ll get from the family assigned to you because learning is a two-way process, you learn from your teacher and the teacher learns from you. The annual salary of a full-time child life specialist with a bachelor’s degree is roughly $41,000 and this is higher by $20,000 with leadership responsibilities (Child Life Council, Inc., 2012). Though this job promotes positivity, one of its negative aspects is that not all communities and hospitals have the child life program. One occupation that needs attention is the Substance Abuse Counselor, who helps the individuals deal with their addiction and manage to get their life back (Raymond, n.d.). This job is challenging since dealing with addicts can be a bit dangerous because their mental state is not stable. The average annual salary is almost the same as that of a child life specialist. The work environment can be in hospitals and is not limited to government facilities like prisons, which is a good thing.
If I were to choose between the two professions mentioned above, I’d pick the Child Life Specialist over the Substance Abuse Counselor. The main reason for this is that I really enjoy spending time with children and giving people advices of their everyday problems. With the same average salary, being with children and guiding them as they grow is better suited for my personality. Both of them need at least a bachelor’s degree. Although the both professions can be rewarding as you get to touch the lives of other people, preventing the children to get involved with substance abuse is better than dealing with the addiction later on. In the end, no matter how small an occupation is, it still matters in terms of the effect it can contribute to the goodness and safety of a community and the world.
References:
Child Life Council, Inc. (2012). Summary of the 2012 Child Life Profession Compensation Survey Results. Retrieved from http://www.childlife.org/files/2012SalarySurveySUMMARY.pdf
Child Life Council, Inc. (n.d.). Frequently Asked Questions about the Child Life Profession. Retrieved from http://www.childlife.org/the%20child%20life%20profession/childlifefaq.cfm#WhatIsCLS
Human Services Edu.org (n.d.). The Definition of Human Services. Retrieved from http://www.humanservicesedu.org/definition-human-services.html
National Organization for Human Services. (n.d.). What is Human Services?. Retrieved from http://www.nationalhumanservices.org/what-is-human-services
Raymond, V. (n.d.). How to Be a Substance Abuse Counselor. Inner Body. Retrieved from http://www.innerbody.com/careers-in-criminal-justice/how-to-be-a-substance-abuse-counselor.html
Worldometers. (2014, October). Real Time World Statistics. Retrieved from http://www.worldometers.info/world-population/
