Human services (HS) refer to a profession created in response to the human problems and needs. These services are characterized by an appreciation of people in their diversity and the desire to assist their clients within the context of their societies and environments. Human services professionals are regarded as people who hold paraprofessional and professional jobs in different employment settings such as community mental health centers. The paper provides an explanation of how human service professionals involve clients and the society in the helping process, describes the stages of it, identifies specific helping skills, and explains how client’s personal history and perceptions impact access and engagement of services.
The Role of Human Services Professionals in the Helping Process
Human services professionals have specific skills that are essential to the effectiveness of the services provision and achieving clients’ goals. As such, it is important for these professionals to realize several duties prior to engaging community and clients in the process of assistance. Such responsibilities enlighten the human services professionals on the importance of using verbal and non-verbal communication approaches to effect the positive outcome. Additionally, human service professionals engage individuals and community by showing care, understanding, and patience towards them in the helping process. Besides, they are also to possess other significant personal traits, including the ability to manage time effectively, the skills of conviction, and a strong sense of responsibility. Human services professionals working in community-based settings move around within the course of the work in search of individuals in need of help. Lastly, these specialists involve separate citizens and community in general by providing direct impact services such as individual counseling or organizing activity.
Stages of Helping Process
The first stage of the helping process is establishing a working relationship with the client or the community. In the second stage, client’s problems are identified by gathering information and conducting an assessment to identify the resources that are essential in helping the client set his or her goals. In this context, the human service professional and the customer work together to establish the objectives. In the third stage, the client is encouraged to explore available alternatives and identify the strategies for action.
Specific Helping Skills
The following are the three specific helping skills essential in all human service work. At first, identifying and choosing interventions is an essential skill to foster the growth and attainment of clients’ goals. In this context, the helper conducts a proper problem analysis to select the strategies and interventions such as referrals, direct counseling, advocacy, or assistance appropriate to helping the client realize the desired outcome. The second skill is that of planning, implementing, and evaluating interventions. It enables the human service professional to develop a plan of action for the identified problems and implement the plan systematically. Finally, process skill is also necessary for planning and the provision of services. This skill requires the specialist in the area to be motivated to fulfill the role they accepted.
Impacts of Client’s Personal History and Perception of Services on Engagement Level
The personal history of an individual is significant to understand that person properly. In particular, the environment in which one grew up influences their nature making them extrovert or introvert, for example. Most of the times, people want their children to have better experiences compared to theirs as family life and background significantly influence children’s future behavior.
Secondly, the degree to which individuals cooperate also depends on their history, awareness, and the previous experience. For instance, some individuals are cooperative while others are not depending on their family’s background and attitude. Therefore, experience and the knowledge about cultural specifications are some of greatest concerns in human service.
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