Human service workers, also referred to as social workers, work directly with people to help them solve and manage problems experienced in everyday life. You'll find them working in hospitals and clinics, for city and county governments, and for Hospice organizations. Hospice provides palliative care to people with life-threatening illnesses in the comfort of a family home. Care teams include a human services worker who provides grief counseling to help family members cope with the passing of their loved one.
Human service workers who provide grief-counseling services usually begin working with their clients to help them prepare, as much as possible, for the death of a loved one experiencing a terminal illness. Their role is to help family members cope with the terminal illness as well as make plans for special doctor's orders such as "Do Not Resuscitate" paperwork, and funeral or cremation services. They also encourage family members to prepare legally and financially for their loved one's passing.
Many human service or social workers take on the role of grief counselors when working with families who have recently experienced the loss of a loved one. The grief counselor must understand the normal and abnormal responses people go through during the grieving process. The main role of a human service worker who provides grief counseling is to assist others to resolve their grief issues successfully. These workers help family members navigate the five stages of grief.
Five Stages of Grief Guidance
A well-trained human service worker understands the role she plays as a grief counselor and the five stages of grief loved ones experience at the death of a family member. She assists those in her care to navigate through these stages, which are denial, anger or blaming, bargaining, depression and acceptance. Her role is to act as a guide to help those under her care express and resolve their emotional, physical and mental processes experienced during grief.
Group Therapy Sessions
A grief counselor also hosts and leads group therapy sessions to help those who have experienced death talk about their feelings openly in a group setting. She acts as the informal director or moderator for the group therapy to ensure that each person participates and shares what he or she has experienced. She might start the session by sharing from her own personal experience or ask someone else to share. The purpose behind managing group therapy sessions is to provide another outlet for people to work through their grief collectively.
2016 Salary Information for Social Workers
Social workers earned a median annual salary of $47,460 in 2016, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. On the low end, social workers earned a 25th percentile salary of $36,790, meaning 75 percent earned more than this amount. The 75th percentile salary is $60,790, meaning 25 percent earn more. In 2016, 682,000 people were employed in the U.S. as social workers.
- Andrea Morini/Digital Vision/Getty Images