Human Services

Human Services

Chapter 1

This chapter starts with a description of the human service professional. A brief historical review of the human service education and its need to help the professionals during the 1960s is given. Light is then shed on the bachelor's degree and the associate degree, and the different courses of study that are available these days. The chapter explains how the human service professional of today is a generalist who adopts many roles by working with the mental health professionals.

This chapter also converges on indentifying the similarities and dissimilarities between the human service professionals and the mental health professionals. Roles of the various health professional such as the psychologist, psychiatrists, counsellors, social workers, nurses, and psychotherapist are explained. The functions of these mental health professionals along with their affiliation with different bodies such as the American psychological association (APA) and American psychiatric association (APA) and APNA are outlined.

Eight characters of the human service professional are explored with their importance highlighted. These are:

Relationship building

Empathy

Genuineness

Acceptance

Cognitive complexity

Wellness

Competence

Cross-cultural sensitivity

The importance of these characters to individuals and the need to incorporate them in their lives is elaborated. By delving into various developmental theories as to how an individual's personality is formed, this chapter suggests the adult development approach as explained by Robert Kegan to explain how positive growth can take place. An activity has also been provided in this chapter to help the reader determine how many of the eight qualities of a helper he or she may have as well as ways in improving these qualities.

By reading this chapter, the readers will realize the significance of being aware of the professional identity. This awareness helps individuals in determining who they are and in setting their professional limits on themselves. By understanding the meaning of being a mature professional and being open to change and regarding life as being a constant transformational process, the individuals can motivate themselves to improving themselves and their profession.

Chapter 2

This chapter starts with reviewing the history of the human service profession and the need to examine its history. The forerunners to the human services profession are identified and how this profession has evolved with time along with the many changes that have occurred. The human service professionals and the need to enhance their role is explained. A general view of the modern human service professional is given that explains the many changes that it has ...