Community and Social Service Workers

This profile is based on interviews with those working in the field across Canada and confirmed through consultation with industry experts across the country.

Community and Social workers

• support members of the community by providing programs and services
• work with clients who have personal, legal, financial, housing and medical problems

Community and Social Service workers work at

• social service and government agencies
• mental health agencies, group homes
• school boards
• jails, half-way houses, detention centres
• other agencies

Community and Social Service Workers tend to

• sit a lot
  • Example: When working with clients, completing paperwork, using computers and reading
• travel in their communities for work
• drive to visit clients
• drive clients to the places they need to be
• stand for a long time when working with groups and giving presentations
• carry files and deliver things such as food hampers to clients

Community and Social Service Workers should be kind, accepting and non-judgmental. They

• need to be assertive, realistic and fair when advocating for clients
• be able to keep good professional boundaries with clients and avoid burnout

• Document Use
• Communication
• Thinking Skills – Critical Thinking

In the future, Community and Social Service Workers will need strong computer skills to manage client data, complete electronic forms and search for resources available through the Internet.