Nursing Home Social Services Reference/Introduction to Social Services/Overview of the Career

Overview of the Career [edit | edit source] A career in social services is usually a stepping stone to clinical social work or to becoming a Nursing Home Administrator. The career path includes social services assistant (SSA), then social services director (SSD). As a career without much headroom and high demands on empathy, time and skill and lower pay, the average time in a single job is about 12 months. (citation) Average time is not likely to be your experience as it includes very short terms and very long ones. SSDs can last longer but also are relatively short (number and citation). The work itself is good for those who are good at organization, enjoy a highly variable and circumstance driven workday. There is a very deep level of knowledge and wisdom that can be gained that over time can offer a more routinized schedule and faster implementation of major tasks. Social services assessments and insights can offer help to the nursing and administrative staff. This can have the social services person feel that they make a positive difference in the lives of residents and the staff of the nursing home. Most social services staff are women (citation). This follows the Western cultural norms of having women in situations of personal service requiring empathy, management of fluid situations and close rapport with clients. Other careers like this include: teachers, nurses, doulas, pastors, case managers, psychotherapists and masseuses. Social services can require more medical and psychological knowledge than some of these careers. It can also require more patience than some. Most of the staff that you work with in this career have a very little knowledge of your duties and capabilities. Often you will have to promote yourself and your role to nurses, administrators and CNAs. The career can be entered into naively and it may be sufficient to learn as you go within the constraints and needs of the social service tasks. It is also possible to plan out your career steps and move through these with a focus on building skills and competencies that will create a clear and easier path to management or clinical work. This book hopes to help you navigate the job of a social services worker and find the opportunities for learning and development that exist in these jobs as well as plan for your future career.