I want to help develop programming for social services. What job title is this?

Question

I don't want to just be a therapist or counselor. I want to develop the actual programs that are put in place to help people in a social services field.
Any info helpful!!

Answer 1

You need to work your way up the feeding chain. You can go two routs.

1 Get yourself a professional degree in Social Work (or Mental Health Counseling)and become licensed then move on to management. The positive of this are you can do counseling with either degree and you will have a clue as to what the "real world" is like out there. The negative is it will take longer to get into making decisions that change things. The negative is your pay will be relative low (for someone with a Masters Degree)
2. Get a Masters in Public Health Administration. You will be in a decision making position more quickly and you will make more money but you will not have a good understanding of what it is like to do counseling and you will not have have a good understanding of what it is like for those giving care. I am not a big fan of this route.

If you are young and have not worked in the field much I hate to say that money comes before people these days. The plans to serve consumers are dollar driving and not care. It is going to be a big shock if you think people come first, they do not. Those of us that work in the front lines put people first, but we have no backup, and no money. Its a sad world. I wish you luck, I really do but the reality is that the decision makers do not put humans in the equation. The good news that most of the front like workers do:)

Answer 2

Lobbyist, Policy Advocate, Politician, Judge, Chief Executive Officer at a social services agency, Administrator at a social work agency. These are the people who usually create actual programs.

Clearwatervike, up above is right. Saves me from typing a lot. I work as a psychotherapist also.

Answer 3

community service.

Answer 4

civil servant