Human Services Management
The human services industry encompasses a wide spectrum of social service programs relating to:
- crime prevention and probation
- elder and child care
- housing and nutrition assistance
- mental and physical health.
Human services is a rapidly growing industry requiring increasing specialization for the professionals managing and leading social and human service organizations. While government offices and private, non-profit groups offer career opportunities for those with human services management degrees, so too do many for-profit corporations.
Management of Human Service Programs
Of the approximately 1.5 million human services workers in the U.S. (excluding child day care workers), approximately 10 percent are employed in management positions. More than half the organizations providing human services, however, have paid staff of five or fewer.
Similar to small business entrepreneurs, many human services managers are responsible for fulfilling a number of roles, which may require them to:
- draw up and oversee company budgets
- evaluate programs' effectiveness and areas for growth
- handle cases
- manage day-to-day operations
- manage employee relations (including hiring, firing and training staff)
- plan and oversee fundraising activities
- plan human service-related programs
- represent the organization to the community, government and/or other clients.
Job titles in human services management include:
- Assistant Director
- Case Supervisor
- Director
- Executive Director
- Finance Director
- Program Manager
- Program Supervisor
- Program Coordinator
- Regional Manager
- Services Manager
- Site Manager.
Career Path for Human Services Professionals
Many leaders begin their careers as caseworkers, gaining front-line experience with the clients and services their agency provides. An associate's or bachelor's degree in social work is often a prerequisite for entry-level human services jobs. Caseworkers who excel in their position can work their way into supervisory and mid-level management positions either within their own organization or within another group providing similar services.
In addition to necessary experience, higher-level management openings often require a masters degree in human services management or one of the specialties related to the particular organization's goals. In highly specialized health and mental health fields (and in most larger organizations), a PhD and extensive experience is usually required for senior management positions.
Human Services Education
Education in human services management focuses first on understanding the fundamentals of social service work. This can require students to study:
- community services
- counseling
- psychology
- public health
- public policy
- sociology.
On top of this foundation, coursework includes study of various management-related topics, such as:
- business management
- community relations
- finance and accounting
- grant writing
- human resources management
- legal issues
- marketing
- organizational behavior
- organizational development
- program planning and design.
Certificate and Degree Programs
Schools with curricula in human services management may offer undergraduate and post-graduate certificates or degrees at the associate, bachelor, masters or PhD level. In these degree programs, students can generally choose between one of the following areas of specialization:
- General Human Services
- Health Care Administration
- Non-Profit Management
- Organizational Leadership
- Public Health Management
- Public Safety Emergency Management.
Salary Expectations
In smaller organizations providing services not requiring a high degree of specialization, management salaries can vary from $40,000 to $55,000 per year. Salaries become significantly higher in larger agencies and those providing much more highly specialized health care or mental health services. In most cases, an applicant's level of education, as well as his experience, will dictate his salary range.