Human Service Education
A joint publication of NOHS & CSHSE
Human Services as a Profession | Origin of Human Service Education | Content of Human Service Training and Education | Types of Human Service Education Programs | Finding a Human Service Education Program | Types of Jobs Available after Completing a HUS Degree | Council for Standards in Human Services Education | NOHS
Human Services as a Profession
The Human Services profession is dedicated to providing services to individuals and families in need of assistance. The goal of human services work is to enhance the quality of life for those who are served. Human service professionals perform a variety of roles. Some of these roles are:
- counselor to those who need support
- broker to help people use community resources
- teacher of daily living skills
- advocate for those who are unable to advocate for themselves
- mediator between clients and between clients and agencies
- caregiver to children, elders, disabled adults
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Origin of Human Service Education
During the late 1950s and 1960s, there were dramatic changes in the area of helping those in need. Populations like the poor, the unemployed, children in need, the elderly, the disabled, the substance abuser and others began to be recognized as needing services. About this time, new legislation mandated that those formerly served in state mental hospitals would now be deinstitutionalized and would henceforth be seen in the communities in which they lived. It was not long before it became obvious that the traditional human resources would not meet the needs of the helping services being offered. The community based mental health system necessitated that professionals be trained in a different manner. While the provision of mental health services was undergoing these changes, the civil rights movement brought attention to social justice and equity issues. Consumers of social services became more involved in advocating for themselves and in creating services which would meet their own needs. Thus "grass roots" (started by the clients) level activism created opportunities for new approaches to human services. Amidst all these changes, a new class of workers was born. Originally called paraprofessionals, these workers were often those who had been served by the helping system and had a better sense of the qualities and skills which were important for helpers to possess. Thus, what had begun as an informal orientation to helping would soon become formalized as competency based mental health/human services training.
To meet the demand for and the availability of educational programs based on the development of competencies, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) in 1965, provided the resources to establish the first associate degree program in mental health at Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne. This would be the forerunner of human services programs across the country. It was not long before two year colleges were offering human services (sometimes called mental health)degrees. Four year colleges were not far behind in developing and offering bachelors degrees in human services. Today the number of certificate, associate, baccalaureate and more recently graduate degrees in human services has grown to more than five hundred academic programs.
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Content of Human Service Training and Education
The pioneers of human services training and education programs felt that the answer to the workforce shortage was not to train another group of specialized professionals but to develop an entirely new kind of worker, the "generalist".
Generalists are trained in a wide variety of helping interventions so that they may provide direct services to individuals or groups with a diversity of needs. These generalists also work in many different service settings integrating and coordinating the efforts of specialized professionals. Although graduates may vary from program to program in response to local needs, human service generalists are trained in basic helping skills essential to the helping relationship. These skills include:
- interviewing
- observing and recording pertinent information
- conducting groups
- implementing treatment plans
- consulting with other workers and agencies
- mobilizing and utilizing community resources
- problem solving
- advocating for clients
In addition to skill training, programs provide knowledge and values components as the foundation to practice these skills.
Curricula also typically include courses in English, history and the sciences, especially the social sciences (such as psychology and sociology), as well as electives. In addition to the skill courses mentioned earlier, most programs offer a core curriculum in human services and the opportunity to take specialized courses related to addictions, gerontology, child care, child protection, juvenile justice, corrections, and other such areas.
A major component of all human service education is experiential learning or learning-by-doing. Programs provide extensive field-based experiences or practica in a variety of community agencies. Such practica allow the student to integrate knowledge and skill and thereby demonstrate competency.
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Types of Human Service Education Programs
There is a wide array of human services education and training programs in the United States today. In fact, each of the fifty states as well as the Canadian provinces and Australia has at least one program and many states, like New York, offer twenty or more.
The initial programs in human services were offered at the community college level and awarded Associate Degrees. Today, in addition to Associate Degrees, many programs offer certificates in specialized areas, such as addictions and/or gerontology. Students in two year programs take human services courses as well as some general education courses (e.g., English, mathematics, sciences, etc.). The primary educational focus is to prepare potential graduates to become direct service workers as beginning professionals.
Somewhat later, four year colleges and universities began to develop human services programs and offered bachelors degrees, as well as, in some instances, specialized certificates. Programs at this level not only prepare the direct service worker but also introduce the student to program management and coordination and to supervisory skills. Currently, bachelor level programs are equal in number to the associate level programs.
Predictably, in the last several years, graduate programs in human services have emerged on the scene. Building on and enhancing the associate and bachelor programs, graduate work most often focuses on administration. While few in number, doctoral programs exist to offer the complete educational sequence in human services education. Reflective of the multi-disciplinary approach in human service education, programs are not typically housed in a particular academic division; nor are they directed or administered by a particular professional designation. Human services programs maybe offered in departments of education, allied health, psychology, sociology or totally independent with faculty drawn from a diversity of disciplines.
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Finding a Human Service Education Program
As human services education programs have become more numerous, it has become necessary to develop standards to ensure that programs in human services offer the student similar and quality curricula. The Council for Standards in Human Services Education (CSHSE) was founded in 1979 with the mandate to provide specific guidelines to ensure consistency among human services education programs. With the input of faculty nationwide, CSHSE has developed a set of standards to guide programs in the training of students. The standards give guidelines in: the philosophy of human services; the credentials of faculty; the knowledge, skills, and attitudes which should be taught and the type of field experience required.
Today, the Council for Standards in Human Service Education is recognized as the primary approval body for human services education programs in the United States. Approval by CSHSE lets students know that the academic program provides the knowledge and skills necessary to be a successful human services professional. CSHSE publishes a directory of human services education programs across the country. *(A program need not be an approved program to be listed in the directory.) A perusal of the directory informs the student of the colleges in a given geographic area offering human services education programs.
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Types of Jobs Available after Completing a HUS Degree
The Occupational Outlook Handbook, published by the Department of Labor, lists the following as examples of jobs available for those who have earned a human service degree:
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Case Worker |
Residential Manager Social Service Aide |
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Organizations Which Direct Human Service Practice
The Council for Standards in Human Services Education (CSHSE) and the National Organization for Human Services (NOHS) work side by side to shape the future of human services. While CSHSE is the standard setting and approval body, NOHS is the professional organization of educators and providers. The following are the roles of each organization.
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Council for Standards in Human Service Education
Founded in 1979 to improve the quality, consistency, and relevance of human service training programs, the Council for Standards in Human Service Education (CSHSE) is the only national organization providing standards and assistance to accomplish these goals. The Council achieves its purpose by:
- Applying national standards for training programs at the associate and baccalaureate degree levels;
- Reviewing and recognizing programs which meet established standards;
- Sponsoring faculty development workshops in curriculum design, program policymaking, resource development, program evaluation, and other areas;
- Offering vital technical and informational assistance to programs seeking to improve the quality and relevance of their training;
- Publishing a quarterly Bulletin to keep programs informed of Council activities, training information and resources, issues and trends in human service education.
Through a membership of educational programs, the Council provides an organization and an opportunity for all constituencies of the undergraduate human service field to work together in developing and promoting sound programs of human service training as the essential foundation for effective and relevant service delivery.
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National Organization for Human Services
The National Organization for Human Services (NOHS) was founded in 1975 at the 5th Annual Faculty Development Conference of the Southern Regional Education Board. NOHS grew out of the perceived need by professional care providers and legislators far improved methods of service delivery. NOHS, with the early support of the National Institute of Mental Health and SREB, has strived to promote excellence in Human Service delivery in an increasingly complex world.
Through the professional efforts of NOHS members, many programs of care have been developed to address unique social, behavioral, and educational issues in society. NOHS's focus includes supporting and promoting improvements in direct service, public education, program development, planning and evaluation, administration and public policy.
Members of NOHS are drawn from diverse educational and professional backgrounds. Professional backgrounds and experience in corrections, mental health, child care, social services, human resource management, gerontology, developmental disabilities, addictions, recreation, and education reflect this diversity.
The applied philosophy of NOHS addresses the diverse needs of the society by supporting educators and professionals in developing innovative models of service and education.
Purposes of NOHS
- To provide a medium for cooperation and communication among Human Service organizations and individual practitioners, faculty, and students.
- To foster excellence in teaching, research, and curriculum development for improving the education of Human Service delivery personnel.
- To encourage support, and assist the development of local, state, and national organizations of Human Services.
- To sponsor forums via conferences, institutes, and symposiums that foster creative approaches to meeting Human Service needs.