Nature of the Work

Social and human service assistants help people get through difficult times or get additional support. They help other workers, such as social workers, and they help clients find benefits or community services. The populations with which Social Work Assistants provide services are quite varied. With children and families, social and human service assistants ensure that the children live in safe homes. They help parents get the resources, such as food stamps or childcare, they need to care for their children. With the elderly, these workers help clients stay in their own homes and under their own care whenever possible. They coordinate meal deliveries or find personal care aides to help older people with their day-to-day needs, such as running errands or bathing.

For people with disabilities, social and human service assistants help find rehabilitation services that aid their clients. They may work with employers to adapt the elements of a job to make it accessible to people with disabilities. Some workers find personal care services to help clients with daily living activities, such as bathing or making meals. For people with addictions, human service assistants find rehabilitation centers that meet their clients' needs. They also find support groups or 12-step programs. They work with people who are dependent on alcohol, drugs, gambling, or other substances or behaviors.  With veterans, assistants help people who have been discharged from the military adjust to civilian life.

For people with mental illnesses, social and human service assistants help clients find resources to cope with their illness. They find self-help and support groups to provide their clients with an assistance network. In addition, they may find personal care services or group housing to help those with more severe mental illnesses care for themselves. 

With former prison inmates, human service assistants find job training or placement programs to help clients re-enter society. Human service assistants help former inmates find housing and connect with programs that help them make a new life for themselves. With homeless people, assistants help clients meet their basic needs. They find temporary or permanent housing for their clients and locate places, such as soup kitchens, that provide meals.