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ommunity Service Workers operate within the community to help and support the most vulnerable individuals. They are often the first point of contact for people seeking help and assistance. They work to provide support for people with physical and/or mental disabilities or restrictions. These can also include addiction support and working within domestic violence settings.
As a community service worker, your role is a blend of caregiver, social worker, teacher, and mentor. As a result, you will help clients develop the skills and coping mechanisms they need to live an independent and fulfilling life.
Al Rose, Addictions and Community Service Worker instructor at ABM College, says it is important to remember that you will be working to support people in helping themselves. “The client is in charge, and we’re not the boss of them, we don’t know what’s best for them, we can only help them support themselves and figure that out,” Rose explains.
It is important to have certain skills if you are considering a career as a community service worker. You will need emotional intelligence, self-awareness, and a persuasive personality. You will also need good listening skills, a cooperative attitude, and the ability to work within a team. If this sounds like you, below are five reasons to consider becoming a community service worker.
As a community service worker, you make a difference just by showing up to work every day. There are people relying on you to get out of bed and help them. This is why, despite its challenges, it is a career with a very high level of job satisfaction.
Rose says you can see the changes people make in their lives because of your support. “You can actually see the changes that you can help support somebody make,” she explains.
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No one actively chooses for his or her life to fall apart. Just as one tragic event can knock a person down, so too can one helping hand aid them in getting back up.
This career allows you to witness the changes you help people make directly. You will see people grow and become successful in achieving their goals. This in turn can help you grow as an individual as well.
A community service worker can work in various front line positions providing supporting roles. You can work for non-profit, private, and government sectors. These are a few popular options:
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A community service worker position is a great starting point to enter the social services industry. Rose suggests that a diploma can be a great place to start for someone thinking of continuing their education.
“It gives them (students) an ability to start in the field to see if they really want to be there, without fully committing to a master’s degree,” she says. If you want to pursue further education, then a diploma can help open the doors to university.
The role of a community service worker is important for a sustainable and functioning society. You are helping individuals develop skills and coping mechanisms, which leads to a stronger community. The need for such positions remains stable despite the economy.
The labor market conditions over the next 10 years suggests that the supply and demand in this industry will remain steady.
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If you are thinking about a career focused on empathetic support and enjoy watching people make a positive change in their life, then you may want to consider a career as a community service worker.
Starting out is as simple as enrolling in an online diploma program from ABM College!
Contact us now to learn how we can help you.
You can also read more industry-relevant blogs here.
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Get started on the road to becoming an ABM College graduate today with our free information kit. In it, you will learn about all of the exciting programs we offer, our philosophy, information about our campuses, and lots more.
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