Hi I came for yarn stuff but I saw in your bio that you work for human services! What is that like? What kind of schooling did you need for it? I am looking at career ideas! Thanks for your time!
Hi! Nice to meet you! There will always be yarn stuff here (tour de fleece starts on the 4th!!)
In my province, "human services counsellor" means a specific thing, with specialized training and roles - you can learn about it here. I have a diploma of Human Services Counselling. Fun fact - while I have the training and worked in the role, I don't have enough experience to register, because I went back to school and changed professions. I still have a heart for HSC work though!
HSCs are called different things in different places, but basically they are the frontline workers for delivering community services. Shelter workers, supportive housing case workers, group home employees, disability support workers, behavioural and educational support workers can all be HSCs. Personally I had roles in housing support, behavioural support in a school and mental health support in a residential program.
What you do as an HSC depends on your role. The through-line is connecting people to the support they need, and there's a lot of crisis work, teaching emotional regulation/distress tolerance skills, supporting independence, and a focus on helping the client with daily functioning. It can be really hard - in my area there's been an increase in overdoes and HSCs are often the ones administering naloxone. HSCs often hear stories of trauma and abuse, and can be the targets when someone is feeling triggered or responds aggressively to a situation. At the same time, it's incredibly rewarding when the right supports and systems are in place and you can see your clients grow.
