Loyola University Chicago
Human Services
About Us
Social and human services assistant is a generic term for individuals with a wide variety of job titles, including human services worker, case management aide, social work assistant, community support worker, mental health aide, community outreach worker, life-skills counselor or gerontology aide.
Human services assistants provide direct and indirect client services to ensure that individuals in their care reach their maximum level of functioning. They assess clients’ needs, establish eligibility for public benefits and help clients obtain them, arrange for transportation and escorts, monitor and keep case records, organize and lead group activities, assist clients in need of counseling or crisis intervention, administer food banks and emergency fuel programs, help clients with daily living and communication skills, and provide emotional support.
Although the human services field is broad and diverse, it is unified by the goal of meeting human needs by applying an interdisciplinary base of knowledge and skills, focusing on prevention as well as remediation of problems, and improving the overall quality of life of individuals, families and communities through direct services to clients. The human services profession also promotes improved service delivery systems by addressing the quality of direct services provided and by seeking to improve accessibility, accountability and coordination among professionals and agencies in delivering human services.
