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Social and Human Service Assistants

Assist other social and human service providers in providing client services in a wide variety of fields, such as psychology, rehabilitation, or social work, including support for families. May assist clients in identifying and obtaining available benefits and social and community services. May assist social workers with developing, organizing, and conducting programs to prevent and resolve problems relevant to substance abuse, human relationships, rehabilitation, or dependent care.

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A look at the work

  • Assess clients' cognitive abilities and physical and emotional needs to determine appropriate interventions.
  • Develop and implement behavioral management and care plans for clients.
  • Keep records or prepare reports for owner or management concerning visits with clients.
  • Visit individuals in homes or attend group meetings to provide information on agency services, requirements, or procedures.
  • Submit reports and review reports or problems with superior.
  • Interview individuals or family members to compile information on social, educational, criminal, institutional, or drug history.
  • Provide information or refer individuals to public or private agencies or community services for assistance.
  • Advise clients regarding food stamps, child care, food, money management, sanitation, or housekeeping.

A selection of source-listed tasks; duties vary by role and employer.

Interests involved in this work

These source scores describe occupational work activities. They are separate from your personal test results.

Hands-on

2026-02 · Machine Learning/Expert

1.3 / 7

Investigative

2026-02 · Machine Learning/Expert

2.8 / 7

Creative

2026-02 · Machine Learning/Expert

2.0 / 7

Helping people

2026-02 · Machine Learning/Expert

6.1 / 7

Enterprising

2026-02 · Machine Learning/Expert

3.6 / 7

Organizing

2026-02 · Machine Learning/Expert

4.6 / 7

Skills to explore

Source-reported importance on a 1–5 scale. Try a course, project or conversation to learn what these skills involve.

Active Listening

Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

2020-08

4.0 / 5

Social Perceptiveness

Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

2020-08

4.0 / 5

Speaking

Talking to others to convey information effectively.

2020-08

4.0 / 5

Service Orientation

Actively looking for ways to help people.

2020-08

3.9 / 5

Reading Comprehension

Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.

2020-08

3.8 / 5

Coordination

Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.

2020-08

3.8 / 5

Critical Thinking

Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.

2020-08

3.6 / 5

Monitoring

Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

2020-08

3.6 / 5

Writing

Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

2020-08

3.6 / 5

Persuasion

Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.

2020-08

3.4 / 5

Plan a small next step

Talk to someone doing this work, look for a supervised activity, and explore the subjects that interest you. Admission, licensing and current program requirements should be confirmed with the relevant institutions.

Source preparation category: Job Zone 4 of 5 · 2020-08. This category describes typical preparation, not your eligibility.

Related study fields

Source crosswalk connections are research leads, not required qualifications.

Developmental Services Worker →

Human Services, General →

Explore all related study fields →

Source & methodology

O*NET-SOC code 21-1093.00 · Database 31.0 · Retrieved Oct 14, 2026. Dates on individual observations describe their source periods.

How interest exploration matching works →

Data: O*NET® 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Used under CC BY 4.0. StudyIndex normalizes the presentation and adds exploration features; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these additions.