Human Services Education in New York

Hosting arguably the most famous city in the US, and also an economic powerhouse, New York is a great state to live in and one that has incredible need for human services workers. With its large urban areas that include universities, school systems, hospitals, corporations, non-profits and government agencies, New York has many human services jobs it needs to fill. You might want to work as an eligibility worker in Manhattan. Some would rather work as a marriage and family therapist helping couples mend their marriage in Buffalo. Regardless of what career appeals to you, there are many ways you can give back to your community in New York as a well-educated human services worker.

Making a decision about your educational path is one of the most important choices you will ever make. A decision that important is worthy of careful consideration and research. We have compiled a valuable resource of information here at humanservicesedu.org that will facilitate you in making an informed decision about your career in the human services field. Within our section on career overviews you will find a variety of information including: impact of the job on individuals and society, job description, salary ranges and also the educational and licensure requirements. You will find a sample of some of the jobs available in New York below, along with the level of education required to enter that career.

Once you have earned your Bachelor’s degree from a New York university or college human services program, you will be able to apply for work in the following positions:

• New York Substance Abuse Counselor (Bachelor of Sociology, Social Work or Psychology)
  • You will find the Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services website to be very informative and helpful in getting started on this career in the state of New York:
• Child life specialist (Bachelor of Science; Child Life Specialist)
  • New York has a staggering 280+ major hospitals many of whom specialize in the care of children and are major employers of Child Life Specialists for example you can visit the New York Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital website:
• Rehabilitation case worker (Bachelor of Social Work, Sociology, Psychology)
  • If you are interested in working with people who have disabilities either congenital or due to trauma in order to help them find work, being a Rehabilitation Case Worker could be an ideal career. For more information on this career arc, check out the New York Voc. Rehab. Office web page:
• Community outreach worker (Bachelor of Social Work, Sociology, Psychology)
  • There are myriad employers looking to hire people to help them connect with the local population. Among them are entities like the New York Public Library:
• Gerontology specialist (Bachelor of Science; Gerontology)
  • The country is in the midst of one of the largest demographic changes in its history. As the Baby Boomers retire and enter their golden years, there will be a need for more and more Gerontology trained workers to help with the aging population. You can learn more about the field here at the New York State Office for the Aging:
• Case management aide (Bachelor of Social Work, Sociology, Psychology)
• Juvenile court liaison (Bachelor of Social Work, Sociology, Psychology or Criminal
  • For those interested in working with Youth who are involved with the Legal and Justice Systems, this is an excellent career track. You can learn more about Juvenile Justice here:
• Behavioral management aide (Bachelor of Social Work, Sociology, Psychology)
  • There are over 500 school districts in New York and they employ many Behavioral Management Aides to assist children in unraveling and resolving their emotional traumas in order to have healthy and productive educational tenures at their schools. You can learn more about the New York school system here:
• Probation officer (Bachelor of Sociology, Social Work, Psychology or Criminal Justice)
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  • The Department of Corrections employs a huge number of probation officers to assist convicted persons in returning to society and meeting their legal obligations under probation: Find more info here

If you decide to continue your studies until you graduate with a Master’s degree from a New York college or university Human Services program, you will have eligibility for some of the following positions:

• Licensed master social worker (Master of Social Work from a CSWE accredited school)
• Licensed 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)
• School social worker (Master of Social Work)
• Social and community service manager (Masters in Business Administration, Social Work, Psychology or Sociology)
• Child welfare case manager (Masters in Business Administration, Social Work, Psychology or Sociology)

If you feel called to teach the discipline you love, then you will want to earn your Ph.D. After attaining your doctorate you will find that many career opportunities will present themselves. From a being a professor at one of New York’s many universities, to joining the management team in a non-profit in Albany or opening your own private mental health practice in Brooklyn, there are endless career opportunities once you have a doctorate in your field. You will also demand a top salary in your field and have status as an expert when you have attained your Ph.D. While the journey to your doctorate will require tremendous effort and energy, the benefits you achieve from finishing your schooling are well worth the time invested.

To start on your academic journey, you must first determine what your target career is. By studying our section on career overviews, you can begin to learn some in-depth information about possible careers in human services. Within our section on career overviews, you will find a description of how your career impacts society and people, salary ranges, educational and licensure requirements. With this information you will be able to make a wise decision on what career will meet your needs. Once you have dialed in on your career, you can then plan your education. When you know what the requirements for your career are, you can check our database of online and local schools in New York that have accredited programs that meet your needs. You will want to contact your school to learn about its particular application requirements and timing. If you plan on attaining an advanced license, you will want to know what the field experience requirements are and make a solid plan for your post-graduate employment to make sure you can meet these benchmarks.