Human Services Without Walls

Human services professionals can work in a variety of environments, including group homes, hospitals, and inside the homes of patients. While each setting allows you to fulfill your passion for working with children and families, there are many reasons to consider becoming an in-home human services professional.

  1. See Families As They Really Are

Family preservation can be difficult when you can’t tell what’s really going on behind the walls of the home. When the family is outside the comfort of the home, they can act differently and give different cues than you would see in the home environment. The home environment also allows you to engage each member of the family more closely, in order to help them. As such, some professionals feel that they can do their jobs more effectively while working in the child’s home.

  1. You Never Get Bored

All kinds of social work is challenging, and that’s certainly true for in-home services as well. If you’re looking for a job in which you never know what to expect, this is it. Each day, you’ll visit different homes, meet unique families, and come up with creative solutions. There’s never a dull day in this line of work.

  1. You Appreciate What You Have

After working with children in the home, many professionals report a profound sense of gratitude for their lives. By going into the home of each family, learning about their struggles, and striving for family preservation, you can learn to appreciate all that you have. There’s nothing like seeing struggle up-close and intimately to make you appreciate your life as it is.

  1. You Learn New Skills

No two families are exactly alike, so you will often have to continue learning and growing your skillset. With each new case, you may acquire new communication skills, new techniques for working with children, and more. While you can never predict what’s coming your way, you can be sure that whatever happens will give you an opportunity to grow in your profession.

  1. You Make a Real Difference

When human services is called to a home, there is a reason. No matter why you’re working with a family, you know you’re there to make a difference. You never have busy work to just fill the time. Instead, every task on your to-do list is important. After putting in the work and hours to help families, you get to see amazing results. That in itself is a great reward.

  1. You Keep Children Safe

There are few, if any, jobs more honorable than those that protect the most vulnerable people in our society. When you’re working with children in their homes, you may just be the first line of defense between the children and potentially unhealthy environments. While the work can be hard and sometimes emotionally tiring, it is worth it in the end, knowing a child is safe because of your efforts. 

 

Pathways of Pennsylvania has been serving communities in Pennsylvania since 1981. Every individual has a right to lead a meaningful and positive life, and we are changing lives, one day at a time. Pathways of Pennsylvania is comprised of four companies: Children’s Behavioral Health, Inc., Pathways Community Services, LLC, Raystown Developmental Services, Inc., and The ReDCo Group, Inc.

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