Social and Human Service Assistants

I. JOB SUMMARY

Main Topic: Human Geography
Secondary Topic: Places and Regions

Overview: Social and human service assistants help clients connect find benefits or community services in a wide variety of fields. In general, assistants determine the type of aid needed, develop treatment plans, research services, coordinate services, help complete paperwork, and check in with clients. Social and human service assistants have many different job titles depending on their specialization – children, elderly, veterans, people with addictions, mental illnesses, or disabilities. They tend to work with other professionals, like social workers and psychologists, to develop plans for their clients. Geographers who focus on health and do qualitative research would be well-suited to this field. An increasing number of elderly and individuals seeking help for a variety of reasons mean that this field will grow in the next decade.

Geographers at work: Human geographers, Health geographers

Recommended College Courses: Introduction to Cultural Geography, Research Methods in Geography, Economic Geography, Urban Geography, Community and Regional Planning, Political Geography, World Population, American Ethnic Geography, Transportation systems

Skills: Local geography, Human resource management, Qualitative methods, Location analysis, Field methods

Occupation Group: Community and Social Services

Learn more about Social and Human Service Assistants from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and U.S. Department of Labor: https://www.bls.gov/ooh/community-and-social-service/social-and-human-service-assistants.htm