Helping Others

If you want a career helping others, you'll find a growing demand for your services.

Why not help yourself while you help others?

When Aubyn Burnside, 15, of Hickory, North the average foster child Carolina, learned that carries all his or her belongings in a garbage bag, she decided to start Suitcases for Kids. Now, this non-profit business collects suitcases for children in foster care all over the country. What motivates Aubyn? "I want to make them feel special by giving them something of their own to keep--and a sense of dignity and self-respect."

Do you find helping others rewarding and satisfying? If you answered yes to both these questions, a career helping others may be in your future.

In the United States and around the globe, there are huge numbers of people with unmet needs. Many people are homeless or lack skills. Some have health problems. Some abuse alcohol or another substance. Others have not had enough education to be self-sufficient. The list of who needs help is very long. And so is the list of career opportunities for helping people.

These careers focus on helping people learn the skills to solve their problems themselves. Having a caring attitude is essential, but being mentally tough is also important. You can't fix everything for everybody, and you'll

burn out if you can't leave your work at the office. And while the primary reward for these careers is a sense of satisfaction, workers also can earn a comfortable living.

Ask yourself: How do you want to help? Whom do you want to help? What special skills do you have to offer? Here's information about career fields to get you started.

Social Workers: The Obvious Choice

There are more than 604,000 social workers practicing in the United States today. And the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects the demand to grow at above-average rates. A social worker performs many tasks. He or she:

* assesses the client's needs through interviews and observation

* consults with and counsels the client .

* works through referrals to other human service professionals

* writes reports and case files

* assists the client to find solutions to his or her problems.

Social workers often specialize. Clinical social workers provide psychotherapy. Child welfare social workers assist children and their parents. And occupational social workers coordinate assistance programs for employees with personal problems.

Some social workers share their skills with their communities. Lizette Corman, a psychotherapist and clinical social worker, works with a community outreach program that helps people with chronic mental illness. The program offers counseling and guidance as well as clinical help. "Giving someone clinical attention only goes so far if you're dealing with a person who doesn't have a pair of shoes on his feet. We help people put their lives together," she says. She cites empathy as an essential skill for social workers. And she adds that you have to understand your own developmental pathway "before you can guide others on that journey."

A bachelor's degree in social work, psychology, or counseling is the minimum educational requirement. A master's degree in social work is necessary for advancement. In addition, social workers need a state license. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 4 out of 10 social workers are employed by government agencies. These agencies deal with mental health, child welfare, and public health. Others work in private social service agencies or health care facilities.

Helping People One-on-One

Counseling is another growing career area. Professional counselors work in many of the same settings as social workers, often in cooperation with social workers. However, they tend to focus on a specific issue the client needs help with. Specialties include: school counselors; rehabilitation counselors; vocational counselors; mental health counselors; marriage and family counselors; spiritual, ethical, religious, and values counselors; and adult development and aging counselors. School systems in particular are experiencing a shortage of qualified counselors. Professional counselors must have at least a master's degree. Depending on the field, a professional license or certification may be required.

Tina McMechen earned her master's in rehabilitative counseling. She works as a student development specialist in the Office of Disability Support Services at the University of Arkansas in Little Rock. The office serves students with disabilities of all types: learning, hearing, mobility, medical, and psychiatric. It also assists students with all aspects of college life. McMechen begins with an initial interview in which she gathers general information about the student, his or her disability, and academic needs.

At the end of the process, McMechen writes letters to professors on students' behalf and explains their needs. But she also teaches students "self-advocacy." She coaches each student in exactly what to say to the professor. As for the rewards, McMechen notes, "The treasures that you obtain are intangible. There's nothing like the smile you get when you've helped a student in a jam or the grateful sigh of relief you hear when a student's financial aid finally comes through."

If you want to work in these fields but a professional degree doesn't interest you, you still have options. The demand for human service workers and assistants may well grow 73 percent by 2008. Job titles include social service assistant, case management aide, social work assistant, residential counselor, mental health aide, child abuse worker, community outreach worker, and gerontology aide.

Hospital Workers

You've probably heard a few bad jokes about the quality of hospital food. However, what a sick person eats is often critical to recovery. One of Jennifer Myer's duties as a clinical inpatient dietician is to complete a nutritional assessment for every new patient at the hospital where she works. Dieticians also provide group classes or individual counseling. Dieticians need an undergraduate degree in nutrition, and in some cases, a master's degree.

Patient advocates help patients and their families understand their rights and benefits within the health care system. Many advocates work directly for hospital public relations departments in order to improve a specific client's experience. Others work for advocacy organizations to improve all patients' experiences.

Special Skills

Maybe you're interested in helping people with speech or hearing problems. Speech pathologists and audiologists assess and treat speech or hearing disorders. The work can be quite varied. For example, an audiologist might test students for hearing disorders, or select and fit hearing aids for elderly patients. A speech pathologist might work with a stroke victim, a person who can't swallow, or someone who stutters. About half of speech pathologists and audiologists work in schools. Others work for health care facilities. They all have at least a master's degree. Celia Hooper earned a Ph.D. in the field because she wanted to teach and do research at a university. She's part of the three percent of speech pathologists who hold doctorates.

Maybe you have a special skill in music, art, or sports. Specialized therapists use art, music, and recreation to improve the lives of their clients. Therapists assess, treat, and rehabilitate individuals. They often work with health care providers, social workers, and counselors. There will be increased demand for these therapists. This is due to the number of people in long-term care and the expansion of services for people with disabilities. At present, the field is still small. A bachelor's degree with training in the use of the specific therapy is required.

Ride a Trend

One reason why the demand in the helping careers will increase is the aging population. In the next 25 years, the number of Americans over the age of 65 will almost double from 35 million today to 60 million. Various community organizations provide activities and counseling for the elderly. They also offer help with shopping and bill paying, as well as companionship to elders. An emerging field is the geriatric care manager, who serves as both financial advisor and counselor and assists people in planning for their long-term needs.

Make a Start

If you know you want a career helping others, but aren't sure which direction best suits you, make a start by volunteering.

If you're not sure how to get started, here are a few guidelines.

1. Make a list of times you are available to volunteer. Think about whether you want to volunteer over a period of time or just on one or more occasions.

2. Write down which skills you have to offer and which skills you want to learn.

3. Now, make a list of organizations and institutions in your community where you might want to work. They might include community centers, religious groups, local public schools, local hospitals, and nursing homes. You might also consider a national organization such as Big Brothers/Big Sisters.

4. To narrow the list, think about what kind of work environment you'd like to experience. Consider what you want to achieve from your volunteering.

5. Start contacting your top picks.

You can help others and test your commitment at the same time.

Hot Jobs Helping Others

Do you enjoy the food feeling you get when you help someone? You could make a career out of feeling good--in a career helping others. Workers in the helping professions make a difference in people's lives, and reap many rewards.

Jobs and                               Minimum            Median
Responsibilities                       Education          Salary [*]
Social Workers
help people solve problems by          Bachelor's degree $40,000-
counseling them or referring                             $52,000
them to other services
Counselors
have many of the same responsibilities Master's degree   $35,000-
as social workers: They evaluate                         $42,000
and help people deal with problems
Human Services Assistants
assist in providing services in        High school       $21,000
community-based social service         diploma
programs
Speech Pathologists
diagnose, prevent, and treat speech    Master's degree   $44,000
problems
Audiologists
diagnose, prevent, and treat hearing   Master's degree   $48,000
problems
Recreational Therapists
design activities to help people       Bachlor's degree  $29,000-
improve their mood or mobility                           $38,000
(*.)Salaries vary depending on level of experience and place of employment.
Sources: Therapeutic Recreation Practitioner Analysis, [C] 2000 by the
National Recreation and Park Association; American Speech-Language-Hearing
Association "2000 Ommbus Survey Salary Report", National Association of Social
Workers; National Board for Certified Counselors; U.S. Bureau of Labor

Statistics.

COPYRIGHT 2001 Weekly Reader Corp.
COPYRIGHT 2001 Gale Group