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Family service worker skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted experts

Dr. Florence DiGennaro Reed Ph.D.,

Dr. Tami James Moore

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical family service worker skills. We ranked the top skills for family service workers based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 17.8% of family service worker resumes contained social work as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a family service worker needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 family service worker skills for your resume and career

2. Foster Care

Here's how family service workers use foster care:

Coordinated supplemental in-home support services to foster care providers and relative care providers as required.
Facilitated removals and the arrangement of residential or foster care placements.

3. Child Abuse

When a child who is under 18 is mistreated by an adult, it is considered child abuse. There are many forms of intentional harm and mistreatment for example physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, medical abuse, and neglect in providing adequate basic life necessities.

Here's how family service workers use child abuse:

Reviewed and discussed information obtained by workers investigating suspected child abuse and neglect complaints to determine if allegations can be substantiated.
Conducted investigations of child abuse and /or neglect, collected evidence and information to complete an assessment addressing safety/risk factors.

4. Protective Services

Protective services are services offered to vulnerable individuals or legal representatives to protect them against potential abuse, violence, or negligence. Protective services are offered to ensure that an individual's safety stays intact and they don't fall victim to crime or exploitation. Such services include, social casework, stated appointed witness protection, home care, legal assistance, day-care etc.

Here's how family service workers use protective services:

File complaints/motions and testify in juvenile court regarding abuse/neglect cases and provide accommodations for continued protective services.
Assisted families in obtaining needed services to obtain self-sufficiency and prevent future child protective services involvement.

5. 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 family service workers use mental health:

Attended individual educational planning meetings, participated in family team meetings, and collaborated with mental health case managers and clinicians.
Arrange for other appropriate intervention including opportunities for families to participate in counseling or to receive information on mental health.

6. Court Reports

Here's how family service workers use court reports:

Documented all casework activities and developed court reports for custody hearings and presented testimony when necessary.
Prepared court reports for custody hearings and presents testimony when necessary.

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7. Family Services

Family services often refers to a division of family support that helps a family better understand how to be successful. This may include recommendations for self-care, such as physical or emotional health, or other financial support systems for families in poorer households, which may include a welfare plan or other form of government assistance.

Here's how family service workers use family services:

Provided direct supervision and technical assistance to Division of Children and Family Service trainees on cases and investigations.
Maintained comprehensive documentation on family services related to each family member enrolled as part of DMH paperwork.

8. Crisis Intervention

Here's how family service workers use crisis intervention:

Provided extensive counseling and crisis intervention services individuals to assist clients in achieving goal as delineated in service plan.
Provided management, crisis intervention, and resource/ referral services and assisted families to fully utilize available community resources.

9. Child Development

Here's how family service workers use child development:

Completed child maltreatment investigations by utilizing knowledge of child development and gathering evidence.
Conducted lectures concerning social dysfunctions, mental disorders and child development

10. Rehabilitation

Here's how family service workers use rehabilitation:

Practiced motivational interviewing techniques to assist individuals in identifying personal hurdles in order to set goals and work towards rehabilitation.
Escorted clients to rehabilitation units for application of rehabilitative therapy techniques under the direction and supervision of therapist.

11. Criminal Justice

Here's how family service workers use criminal justice:

Counseled and mentored children involved in the Criminal Justice system.
Researched, contacted, and reported patient information from social services agencies, family members, and criminal justice agencies.

12. Substance Abuse

Here's how family service workers use substance abuse:

Coordinate outreach and referral services for inpatient/outpatient substance abuse treatment, parenting classes and psychological evaluations.
Coordinated and provided community-based substance abuse prevention counseling to parents of Head Start families.

13. Money Management

Here's how family service workers use money management:

Advised clients on food stamps, child care, money management, sanitation and housekeeping.
Coordinated monthly workshops regarding health and nutrition, money management, employment and goal setting.

14. Group Homes

Here's how family service workers use group homes:

Provide transportation for children from juvenile hall, foster homes and group homes and take them to new placements.
Traveled to state contracted group homes to ensure the execution of quality and effective services.

15. Treatment Facilities

Here's how family service workers use treatment facilities:

Request copies of discharge summaries from any previous treatment facilities.3.

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What skills help Family Service Workers find jobs?

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

What skills stand out on family service worker resumes?

Dr. Florence DiGennaro Reed Ph.D.

Associate Professor and Chairperson, Director of the Performance Management Laboratory, University of Kansas

In my experience, employers appreciate real-world experience where students/recent graduates can apply the knowledge they learned in their courses to actual work settings. Thus, graduates who have had service-learning practicum courses, internships, or other relevant experiences have resumes that tend to stand out to future employers.

What soft skills should all family service workers possess?

Dr. Tami James Moore

Professor of Family Science, University of Nebraska at Kearney

Problem-solving is one of the most important soft skills in this profession. Clients are usually facing some financial problems before they seek help, so the professional will need to be able to analyze the client's current situation, explore the causes of the situation, and come up with possible solutions. Relational/interpersonal skills, especially empathy and a nonjudgmental attitude, often determine the success or failure of family case management. Professionals must avoid imposing their own perception of needs and their own values onto their client's situations. This is very difficult for new professionals, but with education and guidance, that can be overcome. The ability to be a team player is also essential to success. Individuals and families will accept and implement suggested strategies much more quickly and consistently if they feel that the professional has their best interest at the center of suggested plans.

What hard/technical skills are most important for family service workers?

Dr. Tami James Moore

Professor of Family Science, University of Nebraska at Kearney

An understanding of family dynamics is equally important to a full understanding of family functioning within the economic system. Information and fact-finding skills are essential (use of internet and professional websites to find data needed for planning and existing services for families to utilize in their efforts to successfully navigate financial matters, time management, and resource allocation.

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

Melissa McCardle Ph.D.

Professor of Social Work, Molloy College

I would suggest graduates think carefully about their experiences in undergraduate and graduate school and think about how their training translates into specific skills that their potential employers would be looking for. It is particularly important to consider the types of internship training they have had and how their internships have contributed to their abilities to engage client systems (whether those be individuals, groups, families, communities, or organizations). Be sure to highlight the skills that they feel they are are strong in and also look for opportunities to continue building new skills. Social work requires an ability to evolve with a very changing and complex environment and so it is very important that new graduates recognize that to be effective in their work, there will always be new skills and new ways of practicing to better meet the needs of those we work with. Therefore, its important to prepare for a lifetime of learning and growing regardless of the specific field of practice that is chosen.

I also highly recommend finding peers mentors and other professional mentors early and continue to build that pool. Our profession centers relationship building and that applies to more than just the client- social worker relationship. This work requires complex and critical thinking skills and it is always important to have respected other professionals to process and provide feedback in how we approach a particular challenge. It is important to build that professional support system right from the start of one's career.

Finally, stay open! Social work is one of the most diverse professions as there are so many incredible ways we practice. There are so many ways to make a difference. The National Association of Social Workers provides a good overview of the many types of careers available to graduates of social work (https://www.socialworkers.org/News/Facts/Types-of-Social-Work). Therefore, I would suggest to a new graduate that it is essential they stay open to new experiences and possible new career paths. What may seem like a long shot or even something that is of little interest, may turn out to be the most rewarding experience of all. Remember to recognize every single encounter with a client, is a privilege and a very important learning opportunity. Find the value in each person and each opportunity that comes your way.

What type of skills will young family service workers need?

Dr. Thomas Dearden Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Sociology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Indeed, the way we work is changing. The skills that young graduates will need are diverse. Transferable skills and soft skills will certainly be marketable. These include traditional crafts such as communication, but I also think the world expects more empathy from its employees. Young graduates with an understanding of racism, sexism, and environmental responsibility will become increasingly important.

Do you want to know more?

List of family service worker skills to add to your resume

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

Social Work
Foster Care
Child Abuse
Protective Services
Mental Health
Court Reports
Family Services
Crisis Intervention
Child Development
Rehabilitation
Criminal Justice
Substance Abuse
Money Management
Group Homes
Treatment Facilities
Child Protective
Provide Technical Assistance

Investigative Findings
Crisis Situations
Child Safety
Family Assessments
Social Service Agencies
CPS
Law Enforcement Officials
Domestic Violence
Direct Services
Child Care
Community Agencies
Partnership Agreements
Foster Children
Performance Standards
Low-Income Families
Community Services
Parent Involvement

In-Home Services
Court Hearings
Health Services
Community Organizations
Enrollment Process
Computer System
IEP
Community Partnerships
Financial Assistance
Health Screenings
Assess Family
Community Resources
Court System
Copa
Juvenile Court

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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