Get the real story on what it is like to work in the industry from someone who works with those at risk of homelessness.
CHERYL
SERVICE MANAGER HOUSING SUPPORT
What attracted you to working in the community service sector?
I
actually fell into the role by chance, being in an abusive marriage and
seeking help lead me to develop an interest in counselling which then
lead me into other areas of community service. I have never felt any
desire to leave community service work
What qualifications are necessary to deal with the requirements of the job?
It depends of the area of community service you chose to work in. I have qualifications in Aged Care, Gerentology,
Alcohol and other Drugs, Community Services, Mental Health, Disability,
Psychology, Sociology and OHS. Life experience is often taken into
account for those without qualifications and often a person is employed
and then trained.
What has been your most challenging moment?
Definitely making the change from working with Multicultural Aged
clients to working with AOD clients, although there is a parallel
between all types of clients in community services. The issues of PSTD,
Addictions, Helplessness and Homelessness, Abuse and Misrepresentation
is a theme in the majority of vulnerable groups
What sort of pay can you expect working in community services?
This depends on the region/state one works in as well as the level of
grading aimed for. For the coal face workers the pay is less than in
other ‘white
collar’ workers, moving into management roles brings higher salaries
but removes the worker from regular interaction with the client group
they chose to work with. The general understanding is that no one,
other than high level management, ever got rich working in community
service.
What kind of roles or career paths would be considered community services?
There are so many career paths in community service it depends largely
upon where the individual wishes to be. The company I work with has
Youth, Mental Health, AOD, Homelessness, Employment, Childcare,
Financial Counselling, Community Development programs so the choice is
varied.
What type of personality is needed?
I
Incredibly patient and flexible! Community Service workers need the
ability to accept individuals without judgement and to understand that
no outcome is ever guaranteed. It can take a thick skin to work in this
field, clients in crisis can be particularly tunnel visioned and
centred on their own issues and not even notice or acknowledge when the
worker has achieved something significant for them. This doesn’t always
happen and often the clients are grateful and appreciative though.
Where can people go to get experience to gain employment in a community services role?
Most community service organisations are happy to have volunteers join
them for any period of time the volunteer wishes to nominate.
Volunteering is a great way to gain experience in several different
sectors to determine exactly where the individual prefers.
Knowing that you have personally helped to make a difference in an individuals life is a heady reward. I
have had clients who have been on the brink of suicide who have managed
to turn their lives around and succeed and knowing that I was present
during this change is an amazing feeling. In aged care I got a lot of
chocolate and cups of tea!!
What courses should I be considering to have a career in community services?
The best course to start with would be Cert IV in Community Services to
get a feel for the sector and then chose to specialise if desired. If you already have a strong leaning toward a particular sector then study in that area. When I first started studying for Community Service I had no idea where exactly I wanted to work so I started with and AssDip
in Community Work, this lead me to the aged sector where I felt most
comfortable, I spent 7 years in this study completing my BA major Psych,
sub major Sociology and GD in Gerentology and yet with a change of living area I transitioned into Mental Health and AOD and started studying again.
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