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Job Description: Case management aides perform community contact work. They work with disadvantaged people to help them secure public services. Case management aides are paraprofessionals. Aides work closely with professionals to help troubled individuals learn more effective ways of living. They assist case workers with routine tasks so more clients can be helped. They may perform some clerical work.
Social and human service assistant is a generic term for this occupation. Assistants may also be called human service workers, case aides, social work assistants, community support workers, mental health aides, community outreach workers, life skill counselors, or gerontology aides. They usually work under the direction of professionals from a variety of fields, such as nursing, psychiatry, psychology, rehabilitative/physical therapy, or social work.
In the military these workers are called caseworkers and counselors.
Duties: Civilian case management aides may:
- Counsel individuals or family members regarding behavior modifications, rehabilitation, social adjustments, financial assistance, vocational training, child care, or medical care
- Counsel parents with child rearing problems
- Counsel children and youth with difficulties in social adjustments
- Interview individuals to assess social and emotional capabilities, physical and mental impairments, and financial needs
- Refer clients to community resources for needed assistance
- Arrange for day care, homemaker service, prenatal care, and child planning programs for clients in need of such services
- Lead group counseling sessions to provide support in such areas as grief, stress, or chemical dependency
For more detailed information on tasks, knowledge, skills, abilities, work activities, work contexts, job zones, interests, work styles, work values, and related occupations, visit the O*Net Online, a division of the National Center for Occupational Information.
Military caseworkers may perform some or all of the following duties:
- Interview personnel who request help or are referred by their commanders or other agencies
- Identify personal problems and determine the need for professional help
- Counsel personnel and their families
- Administer and score psychological tests
- Assist counselors in teaching classes on human relations
- Keep records of counseling sessions and give reports to supervisors
Working Conditions: Case management aides and caseworkers normally work in offices, hospitals, or clinical settings. Others may work in group homes, shelters, sheltered workshops, or daycare programs. Typically, they work a standard 40-hour week with occasional evenings and weekends. Some local travel may be required to visit homes of individual clients. The work, while satisfying, may also be emotionally exhaustive. Understaffing and relatively low wages may add to job stress.
Educational Requirements: While civilians usually do not need a bachelor's degree for entry into this occupation, employers increasingly seek individuals with relevant work experience or education beyond high school. Certificates or associate degrees in subjects such as social work, human services, gerontology, or one of the social or behavioral sciences meet most employers' requirements. Some jobs may require a bachelor's or master's degree in human services or a related field such as counseling, rehabilitation, or social work. Human services degree programs have a core curriculum that trains students to observe patients and record information, conduct patient interviews, implement treatment plans, employ problem-solving techniques, handle crisis intervention matters, and use proper case management and referral procedures. General education courses in liberal arts, sciences, and the humanities also are part of the curriculum. Some degree programs require completion of a supervised internship. Educational attainment often influences the kind of work employees may be assigned and the degree of responsibility that may be entrusted to them. For example, workers with no more than a high school education are likely to receive extensive on-the-job training to work in direct-care services, while employees with a college degree may be assigned to provide supportive counseling, coordinate program activities, or manage a group home. Social and human service assistants with proven leadership ability, either from previous experience or as a volunteer in the field, often have greater autonomy in their work. Regardless of the academic or work background of employees, most employers provide some form of inservice training, such as seminars and workshops, to their employees.
Military job training consists of 8 to 10 weeks of classroom instruction, including practice in counseling. Course content typically includes orientation to counseling and social service programs; interviewing and counseling methods; treatments for drug and alcohol abuse; and, psychological testing techniques. Further training occurs while on the job and through advanced coursework. High school students may prepare for this job by taking courses in social studies, English, speech, health, and psychology.
Outlook: The estimated number of social and human service assistants (to include case management aides) in Tennessee is 3,050. It is projected there will be an increase of 48 percent in this occupation through the year 2012 with 205 job openings annually. For additional information on this occupation, visit the nationally recognized Occupational Outlook Handbook online.
The military services have about 1,000 caseworkers and counselors. On the average, they need about 100 new caseworkers and counselors each year. For more information regarding Enlisted Personnel in Support Services Careers visit Today's Military online.
Military service: Military caseworkers and counselors are enlistees in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, or Coast Guard.
| 10% | 25% | Median- 50% | 75% | 90% | |
| TN Annual | $15,920 | $18,400 | $23,480 | $28,760 | $36,670 |
| US Annual | $16,180 | $20,350 | $25,580 | $32,440 | $40,780 |
*Some salaries are listed at an hourly rate. Those that include a single dollar amount are considered hourly wage.
Wage and salary data provided by:
- Bureau of Labor Statistics, Tennessee Department of Labor website
- TN Department of Labor & Workforce Development website
- Bureau of Economic Analysis website
For an explanation of salary data please visit acinet.org
Last updated on: January 23, 2008