Part 1

Have you ever thought about what you want to do with your life after high school? College? What do you want to do for work?

Let's consider the human services field.

From the list below choose a position that interests you.

Administrative

Development Director: This position oversees fundraising activities for the organization and helps to create a strategic plan for raising money; meets with the program director and the executive director to decide how much money an organization needs to function
Executive Director: An executive director maintains all high-level administrative tasks crucial to an organization's programs; manages/oversees the entire organization
Program Director: The program director implements and oversees or directs human services programs for an organization
Grant Writer: A grant writer fulfills the requirements of the application process for corporate donations, trusts, grants, and government funding for an organization
Direct Services

Clinical Social Worker: A clinical social worker helps people with mental health and substance abuse issues and a variety of other individual or family problems overcome obstacles.
Probation Officer: A probation officer is a correctional treatment specialist who monitors people who have committed a crime and helps them to keep from committing more crimes.
Physical Therapist: This professional treats diseases and disorders through rehabilitation.
After selecting a position, think about what kinds of responsibilities your position will have. What are the pros and cons of working in the position that you've selected?

Write an essay of at least five-hundred words about the position you selected. A thorough description will have at least three pros and three cons for that position. Include why you chose the position (How do the pros outweigh the cons for you?). Cite any/all information from resources, should you choose to use them.

Part 2

Step 1: The following is a situational exercise. Read and use the information that you've learned in this lesson to follow the instructions.

You are a counselor at a homeless shelter, and you are meeting with a client for the first time. You introduce yourself and begin to try to establish trust between the two of you. You explain a little bit about your experience as a counselor and success stories of people that you know who have recovered from homelessness. In an attempt to help the client, you begin to ask questions to discover this person's needs.

Step 2: Make a list of the questions that you would ask this person.

Step 3: List other problems that you think may go along with homelessness.

Step 4: Think about any services and/or resources that may available to help your client.

Step 5: Write ideas for solutions to the problems you listed in Step 3.