Human Services Education in Tennessee
Tennessee is located in the American Southeast and is a beautiful state in need of human services workers. For the well-educated human services worker, there are many career opportunities in the state of Tennessee. Whether you want to work as eligibility worker in department of human services in Memphis, or as a vocational counselor in one of Tennessee’s high schools, there are many human services opportunities available. From its hospitals to its universities and government agencies, Tennessee has many human services positions in search of qualified workers.
As you plan for your future, keep in mind that few choices are as crucial as determining your career path. When you are making such a far reaching decision, it is always wise to be well informed. We here at Humanservicesedu.org are committed to providing an excellent resource to help make this important life decision that much easier. We have created a database of career overviews, state-by-state licensure regulations, salaries ranges and educational requirements for some of the most common human services jobs Armed with this information, it will be a far easier task to find a career that fits your natural talents and interests. We have created a list below of some of the jobs you can find in Tennessee and their related educational requirements.
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Once you have finished school and been awarded your Bachelor’s degree from a Tennessee university or college human services course of study, you will be able choose from one of the following careers:
- Licensed Bachelor of Social Work (Bachelor of Social Work)
- It can sometimes be a confusing process to understand licensure laws for Social Work, fortunately we have written an article that will help you to understand in clear terms exactly what steps you need to take to become licensed in Tennessee. You can find our article on licensure here:
- Tennessee Substance Abuse Counselor (Bachelor of Sociology, Social Work or Psychology)
- Each state has its own regulations around certification for Addiction Counselors you can find out Tennessee’s version here:
- Community Outreach Worker (Bachelor of Social Work, Sociology, Psychology)
- This career is one that has one of the broadest bases in terms of potential employers. From corporations, hospitals, government agencies to non-profits, there are many who are trying to establish a dialogue with their community. One example is the University of Tennessee:
- Case Management Aide (Bachelor of Social Work, Sociology, Psychology)
- Behavioral Management Aide (Bachelor of Social Work, Sociology, Psychology)
- With over 158 school districts the State of Tennessee is in need of many Behavioral Management Aide’s to help its children succeed at school.
- Probation Officer (Bachelor of Sociology, Social Work, Psychology or Criminal Justice)
- If these occupations are of interest to you, then you will want to thoroughly research these careers and others in Criminal Justice at the Department of Correction website:
- Rehabilitation Case Worker (Bachelor of Social Work, Sociology, Psychology)
- The Department of Voc. Rehab. is an invaluable source of information as well as a likely employer for those interested in this career arc:
- Child Life Specialist (Bachelor of Science, Child Life Specialist)
- With over 96 major hospitals, the demand for Child Life Specialists is very high. For example, the East Tennessee Children’s Hospital is a major employer of this occupation:
- Gerontology Specialist (Bachelor of Science, Gerontology)
- Juvenile Court Liaison (Bachelor of Social Work, Sociology, Psychology or Criminal Justice)
If you decide to continue your education and earn your Master’s degree from a Tennessee college or university you will be able to add the following career options to those presented above:
- Licensed master social worker (Master of Social Work from a CSWE accredited)
- Marriage and family therapist (Master’s in Counseling, Psychology or Marriage and Family Therapy)
- Child welfare case manager (Masters in Business Administration, Social Work, Psychology or Sociology)
- Licensed clinical social worker (Master of Social Work from a CSWE accredited school + field experience)
- Licensed advanced practice social worker (Master of Social Work from a CSWE accredited school + field experience)
- Social and community service manager (Masters in Business Administration, Social Work, Psychology or Sociology)
If you want to have the maximum number of career options, the highest earning power and expert status in your field, then you will want to continue school until you have earned your doctorate. With a Ph.D. your options will include everything from: leading research teams in clinical studies, teaching future generations of human services workers at a university, moving directly into a leadership role in a human services agency and opening up your own private mental health practice once you have your advanced licensure. You will have the greatest amount of choices within your field once you have your Ph.D. and while it is a difficult task, it is also filled with tremendous rewards.
In order to understand your first steps towards your educational goals, you must have an idea of what career you would like to end up in. By reading our content on career overviews you will be able to make an informed decision to be able to find the career that fits your unique personality, out of the many career possibilities for a human services worker. You will find job descriptions that include: day to day duties, your impact on your community, salary ranges, along with educational and licensure requirements. Using this valuable resource of information, you will be able to glean which career paths play to your personal interests and natural talents. You will then be able to make use of our database of schools, including both online and schools based in Tennessee, to find an accredited program that meets your educational needs. Once you have found a school that is a great fit for you, you will then want to contact your school and get current information on their application process. If you find yourself intrigued by a career that involves advanced licensure you will also want to think about post-graduate employment to gain the requisite field experience.