Human Services Education in West Virginia
Immortalized by John Denver, the beautiful rolling hills and forests of West Virginia capture the hearts of all who see them. In addition to being a wonderful place to live, West Virginia is a state that has a great need for human services workers in a variety of occupations and roles. From its hospitals and universities, to its schools and government agencies, there are myriad opportunities for the well-educated human services worker in West Virginia. Whether you work as a Case management aide in Charleston, or a Marriage and family therapist in Huntington, you will be able to give back to Virginia and touch lives as a human services worker.
Discovering your educational path is an exciting exploration and also a critical juncture in your life that deserves careful study. We have developed a resource here at Humanservicesedu.org to help you make this life decision with confidence. By studying our database on career overviews you will be able to gather all the information you need to make this very important decision. We have information on many factors such as: salary ranges, job duties, impact on society, educational and licensure requirements. Below you will find a sampling of some of the jobs you will find in human services that are available in West Virginia.
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Once you have earned your Bachelor’s degree from a West Virginia university or college human services program, you will be able to apply for work in the following positions:
- Licensed Social Worker (Bachelor of Social Work from a CSWE accredited program)
- The licensure laws for West Virginia are very important to understand if you are interested in this career, you can learn about them here:
- West Virginia Substance Abuse Counselor (Bachelor of Sociology, Social Work or Psychology)
- You will need to apply for and receive certification to operate as an Addiction Counselor in West Virginia. You can learn about the specifics here:
- Child Life Specialist (Bachelor of Science; Child Life Specialist)
- With over 58 hospitals, West Virginia is in need of the services of many Child Life Specialists to assist with pediatric care. For example, the WVU Healthcare Children’s Hospital in Morgantown:
- Rehabilitation Case Worker (Bachelor of Social Work, Sociology, Psychology)
- If you are interested in helping people achieve their highest potential and uncover new strengths and fortitude, then a career in Rehabilitation Case Work could be an excellent fit. You can learn more about this sector here:
- Community Outreach Worker (Bachelor of Social Work, Sociology, Psychology)
- There are many different potential employers for those who have chosen this occupation. For example, here is this Non-profit group:
- Gerontology Specialist (Bachelor of Science; Gerontology)
- Case Management Aide (Bachelor of Social Work, Sociology, Psychology)
- Juvenile court liaison (Bachelor of Social Work, Sociology, Psychology or Criminal
- Criminal Justice is a fascinating sector to work in and both of these career paths can learn a lot and seek potential employment with the Division of Corrections:
- Behavioral Management Aide (Bachelor of Social Work, Sociology, Psychology)
- With over 56 school districts the demand for Behavioral Management Aides is strong in West Virginia. You can learn more about the educational sector at the State’s Department of Education website:
- Probation officer (Bachelor of Sociology, Social Work, Psychology or Criminal Justice)
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After you have completed your studies and have graduated with your Master’s degree from a West Virginia college or university Human Services program, you will have eligibility for some of the following positions:
- Licensed independent clinical social worker (Master of Social Work from a CSWE accredited school + field experience)
- Marriage and family therapist (Master’s in Counseling, Psychology or Marriage and Family Therapy)
- Licensed graduate social worker (Master of Social Work from a CSWE accredited school)
- School social worker (Master of Social Work)
- Social and community service manager (Masters in Business Administration, Social Work, Psychology or Sociology)
- Licensed certified social worker (Master of Social Work from a CSWE accredited school)
- Child welfare case manager (Masters in Business Administration, Social Work, Psychology or Sociology)
If you want to demand top dollar for your services, gain instant recognition as an expert in your field and have access to the full array of career options within your specialty, you will want to continue your studies until you have earned your doctorate. Once you have your Ph.D. you will have the full range of career options, some examples include: leading a clinical research team to study human behavior, opening your own private psychology practice, joining the board of directors for a non-profit and teaching counseling as a professor at a local university. With a Ph.D. you will have maximized your career and educational potential. While the path to your doctorate is challenging, the rewards at journey’s end are indeed tremendous.
If you wish to wisely plan out your educational future, you will want to decide on your final career goal. We can facilitate this with our excellent database on career overviews. In this section, you will be able to learn a great deal about many of the most common careers in human services. You will be able to discover a career that deeply resonates with you in terms of your interests and natural skills. You will also learn practical information such as: salary ranges, job duties, educational and licensure requirements. With this knowledge you will be able to search our database of schools, both online and located in West Virginia to find an accredited program that meets your needs. Once you have found the school that fulfills your needs, it is always wise to contact the school directly. That way, you can learn more information about your program and what the specific requirements are to apply for your program. One final thing to take into account is post-graduate field experience. Required for many advanced licenses in human services, field experience is something you will want to plan for. Keeping this in mind will help you to plan for the final component in your career, your advanced licensure.