Human Services
You can start your career in one of a variety of job opportunities as soon as you
graduate from WNCC’s Human Services program. Some of these positions are being a family
support worker, youth program specialist, case manager, psychiatric technician, outreach
worker, caregiver, family and youth specialist, personal advocate, behavioral health
case worker and professional partner.
You can continue your education by transferring to get a bachelor’s degree, or you
may choose to pursue getting your licensure as an alcohol and drug counselor right
here at WNCC. Whichever path is best for you, you’ll find yourself in a highly satisfying
career working with individuals one-on-one or in a group setting, helping them through
difficult periods so they can lead healthy, enriched lives.
Be prepared for long hours of listening and talking with people, completing paperwork
and other insurance and required responsibilities. You will be sitting for long periods
of time and may have opportunities to travel to specific patient locations. This is
a career where you will be allotted many different career movement and advancement
positions so you can experience new opportunities, if you choose. These careers have
highs and lows from working with people who are at different phases of what they need
and what they can manage, making it highly rewarding when you see them around the
community knowing their dedication and commitment to succeed has paid off.
Human Services - Drug & Alcohol Counseling
Once you have a degree in Human Services with a Drug & Alcohol Counseling emphasis
at WNCC, you will be equipped for a variety of job opportunities right out of college.
These include being a drug and alcohol counselor, family support worker, youth program
specialist, case manager, psychiatric technician, outreach worker, caregiver, family
and youth specialist, personal advocate, behavioral health case worker and other human
services jobs, particularly those related to drug and alcohol treatment. You will
find yourself working in hospitals, clinics, rehabilitation centers, youth centers,
inpatient centers, and in patients’ homes, to name some of the locales.
As with most counseling positions, you will be working one-on-one or in a group setting
with individuals in your care. You will need to be actively listening and talking
while sitting for long periods of time. There is often a lot of paperwork to complete
and keep track of throughout your work shift. Depending on where you work and who
your patients are, you may be by yourself with a client or working with other professionals.
In clinical environments, you may have a very routine work schedule, but depending
on the situation you may be required to work longer shifts. You will need empathy,
compassion, and commitment to pursue these needed careers. The rewards are immense
when you see how far people come to surpass their addition.
For more information on any of these career options, contact Career Pathways & Advising at pathways@wncc.edu.
