Human Services Manager
As a Human Services Manager you will be called upon to take a leadership position within the management team within a Human Services agency. This could apply in a variety of contexts in quite a few widely divergent agencies. You might be the sole office manager at your Department of Human Services branch office leading your team of eligibility workers to ensure they are meeting deadlines and improving processes to ensure client needs are met.
There are also positions on management teams where you will be expected to work with your fellow leadership team members to create new systems to help improve work flow and productivity among workers. This can take the form of inspirational speaking and writing, creation of new process models and evaluating budgets and expenditures.
The Human Services Manager directs the flow of work and resources in their office or agency to ensure that things are working at peak efficiency. With excellent leadership come excellent organizations. In some cases, the Human Services manager will be expected to help pitch in at various levels of their organization in terms of productive work during times like holidays and severe weather.
Some of the duties of the Human Services Manager include but are not limited to:
- Working with other leadership members to improve processes
- Analyzing budget and expenditures to maximize fiscal responsibility
- Creating agendas, scheduling and facilitating for meetings with employees
- Working with other members of agency management to plan, create and implement policy changes
- Directly interacting with the public to address and resolve grievances
- Acting as a liaison between upper management and legislature and employees
- Having a depth of knowledge about the organization and the various tasks performed by each worker
- Evaluation of worker productivity and management of employee leave
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How a Human Services Manager is a Service to Society
Working to promote a high degree of efficiency in their agency, the Human Services Manager performs a vital function in helping their fellow human beings. When a client enters a Human Services agency to have a need met, they will find that their experience is greatly altered by how the agency is managed. In a well-run office or agency the experience for the person seeking services is one of efficiency, minimal waiting time and properly followed rules and regulations which make the over-all experience one of ease and speed. This is an extremely important service that is tremendously helpful to the individual even if it isn’t immediately apparent that it is the organization, guidance and leadership of the Human Services Manager that helps to make the process so easy and painless.
Impact on Society
By working to help their agency operate at peak efficiency the Human Services Manager is helping to ensure that critical services are being provided to society in the fastest way possible with the least use of resources. In the case of a Human Services Manager who works at a State agency this is even more important, as the efficient functioning of Human Service organizations that use taxpayer dollars has a direct and measurable impact on society. Both in terms of critical services being provided and also in that the appropriate and minimal use of tax dollars helps to impact society in an extremely positive and important way. Human Services organizations are extremely important to the healthy functioning of modern society and as such the Human Services Manager has a profoundly positive impact on their community and on society as a whole.
Education Required to Join the Workforce
Depending on the position and the organization there are a variety of different educational requirements put forth for those who wish to become Human Services Managers. Most organizations require a Bachelor’s degree to move beyond the most entry level positions in an agency and in order to promote to management you will usually need a Bachelor of Science in a Human Services related area of study such as: Sociology, Psychology, Human Services or Social Work or a highly related field. In most cases, if you want to be able to step directly into a leadership position you will need a minimum of a Master’s degree in one of the areas mentioned above. Having your Master’s degree will allow you to promote easily into management if you are not able to move directly into a leadership position after school.
Salary Range for Human Services Manager
On a yearly basis the Human Services Manager can expect a median salary that nationally averages at $74,000. Of course this will vary from agency to agency, city to city, state to state and also due to educational level and tenure with an agency.
What’s Next to Pursue this Career?
The first step toward becoming a Human Services Manager will be to get your Bachelor’s degree in Social Work, Human Services, Sociology or Psychology. If you want to move directly into a leadership position in a Human Services Agency you will want to work towards finding an excellent Master degree program in one of the aforementioned fields of study. The careful evaluation of several schools and programs will pay dividends in the long run as you will have the ideal skill set and knowledge to succeed in a leadership position within a Human Services Agency.
2022 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary and employment figures for Human Services Manager reflect national data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed May 2023.