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Community worker skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted experts

Jessica Clontz,

Jessica Clontz

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical community worker skills. We ranked the top skills for community workers based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 12.0% of community worker resumes contained social services as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a community worker needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 community worker skills for your resume and career

2. Mental Health

Mental health is the state of wellbeing in which an individual can cope with the regular stresses and tensions of life, and can work productively without having any emotional or psychological breakdown. Mental health is essential for a person of any age and helps them make the right decisions in their life.

Here's how community workers use mental health:

Position: Regional Community Worker Responsibilities: - Developed and/or facilitated educational programs/groups around various Mental Health and parenting issues.
Provide assistance and education in understanding medication/side effects, improving mental health and understanding mental illness.

3. Rehabilitation

Here's how community workers use rehabilitation:

Performed a community work based assessment through the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation.
Provide Therapeutic and Rehabilitation services to the youth on-site and off-site at the request of the consumer.

4. Financial Eligibility

Here's how community workers use financial eligibility:

Obtain, verifies and calculates income and resource to determine client financial eligibility for the aged and disabled individual needs.
Obtained, verified, and calculated income and resources to determine financial eligibility for Title XX programs.

5. Community Resources

Community resources are a set of resources that are used in the day to day life of people which improves their lifestyle in some way. People, sites or houses, and population assistance can come under the services offered by community resources.

Here's how community workers use community resources:

Provided information and referrals to local agencies and organizations; coordinated community resources and state services.
Provided information and referrals to other community resources to individuals.

6. Local Community

Here's how community workers use local community:

Provide early intervention information and resources for local community members
Served as community liaison for health fairs held 4 times a year with the local community.

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7. Statistical Reports

Here's how community workers use statistical reports:

Prepared progress reports and submitted monthly status/statistical reports.
Prepare basic level ongoing or special narrative or statistical reports.

8. Community Agencies

Community agencies stand for the organizations operated to provide human service in the community.

Here's how community workers use community agencies:

Work collaboratively with families and community agencies to provide knowledge of resources available.
Provided referrals for services to community agencies as appropriate.

9. Substance Abuse

Here's how community workers use substance abuse:

Referred participants to other public assistance programs including smoking cessation, substance abuse, Cal Fresh, dental and welfare.
Implemented crisis intervention by utilizing knowledge of resources for homelessness, domestic violence, substance abuse issues, etc.

10. Law Enforcement

Law enforcement is the task of certain members of the community who work together to uphold the law by identifying, preventing, rehabilitating, or prosecuting others who break society's laws and norms. The phrase refers to the police, the judiciary, and the correctional system.

Here's how community workers use law enforcement:

Collaborated with law enforcement to ensure client safety.
Work with hospitals, physicians, medical health, attorneys, law enforcement, families, skilled nursing facilities, etc.

11. Provider Agencies

Here's how community workers use provider agencies:

Provided in-service training for provider agencies that are contracted through the State of Texas.
Work with provider agencies on changes for clients services.

12. Client Service

Here's how community workers use client service:

Developed/coordinated/explained client service and payment plans and authorized services to meet client's individual needs.
Assessed and completed necessary paperwork and documentation for each client serviced.

13. Provide Management

Here's how community workers use provide management:

Prepare reports and records to provide management information on program operations.

14. Mental Illness

Here's how community workers use mental illness:

Conducted outreach in partnership with Visiting nurse Service of New York to engage client with chronic health or mental illness.
Work with offenders/defendants from court services (CSOSA) with maintaining their mental illnesses/ co-occurring disorders.

15. Needs Assessment

Here's how community workers use needs assessment:

Completed functional needs assessments to determine eligibility for home health nursing services.
Conducted needs assessments and referred beneficiaries to financial, medical, social and other community programs and services.

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What skills help Community Workers find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What skills stand out on community worker resumes?

Jessica Clontz

Assistant Teaching Professor, Human Development and Family Studies, Program Coordinator, HDFS, Pennsylvania State University

The skills employers are looking for include teamwork, leadership, creativity, and flexibility. Although many agencies have moved to a remote service delivery model, professionals are still working as a team to meet client needs effectively. Employers want leaders who are not afraid to take on responsibility and communicate assertively. Working in human services requires you to think on your feet... a lot! Being creative will allow you to meet clients where they are instead of where you want them to be. The pandemic has made flexibility a necessary skill for all human service professionals. Schedules and activities can change at a moment's notice; therefore, you must be able to quickly adapt.

What soft skills should all community workers possess?

Jessica Clontz

Assistant Teaching Professor, Human Development and Family Studies, Program Coordinator, HDFS, Pennsylvania State University

Although the pandemic has changed much of how the human services field functions, the most important skills remain the same: compassion, empathy, creativity, maintaining personal wellness, and holding space for others. With millions of people grieving sudden deaths of loved ones, professionals will need to be prepared to be a witness and hold space for that grief. To avoid compassion fatigue and burnout, it will be helpful for professionals (and employers!) to make personal wellbeing a priority and encourage a balance between work and other fulfilling endeavors.

What hard/technical skills are most important for community workers?

Jessica Clontz

Assistant Teaching Professor, Human Development and Family Studies, Program Coordinator, HDFS, Pennsylvania State University

The pandemic forced us to redesign service delivery; therefore, professionals will need to demonstrate proficiency in tech skills such as setting up and hosting a teleconference, helping clients navigate online services, and leveraging social media for your agency. Although marketing on social media is not usually what professionals in the human services field expect to be doing, it is a necessary component among thriving organizations. Cultivating an engaging presence on social media and other platforms helps reach more people who may be in need of your services.

What community worker skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Abby Worland

Managing Director of People Rocky Mountain Prep Network Support Team, Rocky Mountain Prep

At the most basic level, all jobs and careers depend on your ability to do two things: solve problems and communicate with others. Spend your gap year developing those skills.

Many people recommend "following your passion" in your work. I would adjust that and recommend instead that you pursue work that has a purpose and mission that align with your personal values. Spend your gap year identifying what those values are. All jobs are going to have tough moments, that is the nature of work, but if the work is meaningful to you, it is far easier to be resilient.

What type of skills will young community workers need?

Richard Shin Ph.D.

Associate Professor, University of Maryland

Related to above, there have inevitably been some gaps in counselor training over the past year. Our students have not been able to engage in face-to-face, individual or group, counseling. They've not had the opportunity to develop relationships and work collaboratively with colleagues in person. Our graduates will have developed a great set of skills in terms of working in the online environment, but many will need to focus on developing their interpersonal communication, counseling, advocacy, etc. skills that are required of professional counselors.

Do you want to know more?

List of community worker skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for a community worker resume and required skills for a community worker to have include:

Social Services
Mental Health
Rehabilitation
Financial Eligibility
Community Resources
Local Community
Statistical Reports
Community Agencies
Substance Abuse
Law Enforcement
Provider Agencies
Client Service
Provide Management
Mental Illness
Needs Assessment
Program Benefits

Resource Person
Crisis Intervention
Community Outreach
Developmental Disabilities
Community Integration
Direct Delivery
Community Services
Child Care
Community Organizations
Meal Preparation
Emotional Support
Income Families
Community Events
Child Abuse
WIC
Independent Living

Contract Agencies
Scheduling Appointments
Nutrition Education
Local Agencies
Medical Appointments
Hotline Calls
PowerPoint
ADL
Government Agencies
ISP
Domestic Violence
Increase Safety
Ccad
Crisis Situations
In-Home Services

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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