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Human services worker skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted experts

Dr. Florence DiGennaro Reed Ph.D.,

Dr. Dianna Cooper

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical human services worker skills. We ranked the top skills for human services workers based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 10.7% of human services worker resumes contained client orientation as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a human services worker needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 human services worker skills for your resume and career

1. Client Orientation

Here's how human services workers use client orientation:

Complete intake on all new arrivals and facilitate client orientation as assigned.
Handled competition of intake paperwork and assist in client orientation as assigned.

3. Patients

Here's how human services workers use patients:

Care for mentally disabled patients on a daily basis-Grooming-Bathing-Toileting-Programming-Transportation-Medical Visits-Hospital Stays
Document all activities and relevant facts related to patients and report to supervisor as needed, when requiring additional follow-up investigation.

4. Program Operations

Program operations refer to a series of planning, testing, and forecasting procedures for the functioning of the specific program. Budgeting, delegation, supervision, management, and evaluation are all vital to program operations.

Here's how human services workers use program operations:

Monitored program operations and subcontracted services to ensure that all grant level funds were used appropriately to meet established performance goals.
Supervised clients and program operations within the guidelines set by the department of corrections.

5. Client Supervision

Here's how human services workers use client supervision:

Conduct client supervision and urine surveillance as needed.

6. 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 human services workers use mental health:

Participated on team of clinicians in the review of all cases requiring contracted services according to mental health managed care guidelines.
Contributed direct patient care to mental health residents through therapy sessions, activity programs, and individualized treatment.

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7. 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 human services workers use community resources:

Explain eligibility requirements, form completion requirements, community resources for financial assistance, housing opportunities, and tenant selection methods.
Apprised medical/nursing staff of policies and procedures relating to eligibility for various clinics and of available community resources.

8. Crisis Intervention

Here's how human services workers use crisis intervention:

Provided crisis intervention, financial assistance and case management services for the express purpose of preserving family self-sufficiency and preventing homelessness.
Provide documentation on after-hours case management to facilitate a smooth transition to assigned crisis intervention specialist during normal business hours.

9. Vital Signs

Vital signs are a set of values indicating different body systems' performance. They are measurements of the body's most basic functions. The four major vital signs used in medicine to assess a patient are body temperature, pulse rate, respiration rate, and blood pressure.

Here's how human services workers use vital signs:

Documented and maintained records of resident activities, such as vital signs, eating habits, and/or daily behavior.
Noted and maintained record of patient activities, vital signs, eating habits, daily behavior, etc.

11. Direct Care

Direct care is the act of identifying people with special needs and offering the necessary care for them.

Here's how human services workers use direct care:

Certified in Prevention and Safety Strategies, Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Direct Care In-Service.
Provided direct care to children with various physical and mental disabilities

12. Child Care

Child care means the care, supervision, or guidance of a child by a person other than the child's parent, guardian, or custodian for periods of less than 24 hours. Childcare could be either center-based such as a daycare or a nursery or home-based care such as nannies or family daycare.

Here's how human services workers use child care:

Provided information to child care assistance applicants of their rights and responsibilities by personal interview or telephone.
Gathered necessary information to determine and maintain eligibility for child care assistance program.

13. CPR

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation or CPR is a medical procedure that involves chest compression to help a patient breathe. This artificial ventilation helps in keeping the brain function in place and regulates blood throughout the body. CPR is a lifesaving procedure that is used in emergencies.

Here's how human services workers use cpr:

Completed training in CPR, restraint and first aid.
Trained in CPR and PASS.

14. Public Assistance Programs

Public Assistance Programs are programs designed to improve the lives of members of the public by offering them the assistance they need either in cash or in-kind like foods, clothes, and everyday items. These programs are often offered by the government to alleviate poverty in the populace. NGOs are also involved in providing public assistance programs.

Here's how human services workers use public assistance programs:

Completed in-depth interviews of applicants for federal and state public assistance programs to determine their initial and eligibility for assistance.
Perform needs assessments and conducts in-depth interviews of clients to determine eligibility for medical services and/or medical public assistance programs.

15. Developmental Disabilities

Here's how human services workers use developmental disabilities:

Provide support to various client organizations that provides community-based treatment and recovery to adults with developmental disabilities.
Monitored individuals with developmental disabilities, observe, document, and report on individuals behaviors.

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What skills help Human Services Workers find jobs?

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

What skills stand out on human services 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 human services workers possess?

Dr. Dianna Cooper

Associate Professor, Campbellsville University

The "change theory" used in social work practice follows several steps, including engaging, assessing, planning, intervening, evaluating, terminating, and following up. Soft skills are most likely to occur in engagement, intervention, and termination. Social workers are trained to "start wherever the client is," understanding that clients can be individuals, families, groups, communities, or organizations. Social workers are trained to respect the client as the expert in their needs, honor self-determination, use a strengths-based approach, and respect difference while using inclusion. The training turns into soft skills such as being empathetic, warm, genuine, and respectful. Social workers also develop skills in knowing when to listen and when to nudge the client toward action. Social workers are trained to intervene and, when change is completed, to terminate. Helping clients know when to end services also requires soft skills of talking about hard topics, seeing a brighter future and setting goals, recognizing when change is happening, and saying goodbye respectfully.

What hard/technical skills are most important for human services workers?

Dr. Dianna Cooper

Associate Professor, Campbellsville University

Hard or technical skills are most likely to occur in the stages of assessing, planning, intervening, and evaluating change theory. Social workers are trained to gather lots of information and then analyze strengths and needs. Social workers present their assessments to clients and work together to create goals and the steps that reach goals when executed. The process involves using the client's vision of what "better" looks like. Social workers then use evidence-based techniques to move the client toward the goal and define measures to know when the goal is met. The technical skills used in this process include analyzing many types of information repeatedly, knowing what resources exist and how to refer, knowing how to design effective goals and steps to achieve goals, researching current evidence-based practices, defining and measuring progress, and setting limits and timeframes.

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

Melissa Bell

Associate Professor/Social Work Program Director, Chatham University

I advise new graduates to carefully consider their priorities when evaluating their first job opportunities. With numerous career paths and an abundance of job openings, it's essential for them to reflect on factors such as location preference, the social environment, and the support of peers in the workplace. Additionally, they should not overlook practical considerations like transportation and commuting. Articulating what matters most to them, as well as what holds less importance, can assist them in clarifying their career goals and making informed decisions. Moreover, It's crucial for new graduates to recognize the importance of being dependable, reliable, and skilled, and to thoroughly understand the job requirements of the positions they are considering. They should assess how they can achieve success in their careers by reflecting on their strengths and weaknesses. Recognizing areas for further skill development is paramount for professional growth and effectiveness in one's chosen career path. By addressing these areas, individuals can better serve the needs of their clients and communities, fostering success both personally and within their professional endeavors.

What type of skills will young human services 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 human services worker skills to add to your resume

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

Client Orientation
Social Work
Patients
Program Operations
Client Supervision
Mental Health
Community Resources
Crisis Intervention
Vital Signs
Social Services
Direct Care
Child Care
CPR
Public Assistance Programs
Developmental Disabilities

Substance Abuse
Mental Illness
Emergency Situations
ADL
Incident Reports
Medical Appointments
Child Protective
Patient Care
Recreational Events
TANF
Client Behavior
Local Policies
Client Service
Intake Paperwork
In-Depth Interviews

Client Problems
Professional Boundaries
Financial Assistance
Independent Living
Role Model
Generate Reports
Crisis Situations
Referral Agencies
Head Counts
Client Rooms
Student Performance
Oral Hygiene
Court Reports

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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