Are you interested in Direct Service Work?
Direct Service careers offer a large array of opportunities to work with others in need of support to as self-sufficiently as possible. There are entry level, paraprofessional, and professional level jobs – working with people with disabilities, people with traumatic brain injuries, people with mental illness, people with chronic alcoholism and substance abuse, and elder Alaskans who need support.
Care is provided in different settings:
- Person’s home
- Residential facilities
- Community facilities
- Out in the community
- Clinics and offices
- You name it, we are probably there
Care is provided in a variety of ways:
- Personal and hygiene care
- Physical care
- Emotional care
- Behavioral health care
- Coaching
- Rehabilitation
- Recreation therapy
- Listening
- Counseling
- Advocacy
- And a variety of other verbs
Although not totally comprehensive, click here to see a list of qualities appreciated by all direct service professionals when looking to hire someone new.
Entry Level Jobs
Many jobs will train you on the job, or require minimal training before hiring you.
To read a fact sheet about working with people with developmental disabilities, click here.
To read a fact sheet about working with people with mental illness click here.
To read a fact sheet about working with seniors, click here.
To find job opportunities, go to our job bank page or the Alaska Job Center Network.
There are opportunities for professional development. There are also opportunities to cross train within the professional; that is to be knowledgeable about people with mental illness and people with developmental disabilities.
There are many opportunities to move up to paraprofessional jobs.
Paraprofessional
Many jobs within direct service careers have some training requirements. Some allow you to get the training by a community provider; some require training by a college or university. This is not an exhaustive list, if you see a career missing, please let Heidi know.
Personal Care Assistant
training can be found in a varied of locations. You must go through training before working as a personal care assistant, but after training, you may work as for an individual themselves or through an organization. PCAs may work with children and adults with disabilities or people with multiple disabilities (including brain injuries, mental illness, and substance abuse issues). Personal care assistance (PCA) provides support for Alaskan seniors and individuals with disabilities. PCA services provide support related to an individual’s activities of daily living (i.e. bathing, dressing, eating, etc.) as well as Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (i.e. shopping, laundry, light housework). PCA is provided statewide in Alaska through private agencies.
There are programs to help PCAs gain additional training to become CNAs. There are other programs to give additional professional development and/or advance to degreed positions.
For more information:
Go to the State’s webpage that list training programs:
http://www.hss.state.ak.us/dsds/pca/documents/pcatrainerlist.pdf
http://www.yuut.org/training.html
http://www.uas.alaska.edu/healthscience/program_file/programs/pca-cna-bridge-course.html
Certified Nurse Aide
training can also be found at a variety of locations, this vocation, however, is licensed by the state http://www.dced.state.ak.us/occ/pub/nua4070.pdf. The training requirements include a minimum of 60 hours classroom instruction and 80 hours of clinical/skills training. While a CNA can work with all populations – to work as a CNA, most of the time a CNA will find work within the elder care system. There are many ways to specialize within this field and there are many opportunities to get additional education.
There are programs to help CNAs gain professional development and education to advance to degreed positions.
For more information:
http://avtec.labor.state.ak.us/CNA-A.htm
http://www.opagak.org/NewFiles/CNA_PCA_training.htm
http://www.uas.alaska.edu/sitka/programs/cna.html
http://alaska.jobcorps.gov/programs.html#service
Long-Term Care Apprenticeship Program
This is a series of specialty courses designed for certified nursing assistants (CNAs) working in long-term care facilities (e.g. Pioneer Homes, nursing homes). CNAs can specialize in dementia care, restorative care, geriatrics, and leadership.
Also, during the second phase of the program will focus on specialty courses designed for in-home and community based service providers (hands-on workers) resulting in a Direct Service Specialist Occupational Endorsement offered through Prince William Sound Community College
For more information:
/http://trusttrainingcoop.org/ltcap/index.html
Distance Delivered Alzheimer's Disease & Related Disorders (ADRD) Certificate Program
A 6-week distance delivered program for ADRD training for in-home and community-based caregivers for more information download the following brochure ADRD Certificate Program or contact Marilyn durocher at 1-800-478-6653 or E-mail her at marilyn.durocher@uas.alaska.edu
Children Behavioral Health Aide – Residential Services Certificate
While not always currently necessary, having a certificate in children’s behavioral health is becoming the standard for organizations working with children with mental illness or severe emotional disturbance. As more children come home to Alaska through the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority’s Bring the Kids Home project, there will be more need for children behavioral health aides and residential providers.
For more information:
Chemical Dependency Treatment Counselor Technician
Technicians work with counselors to help chronic alcoholics and substance abusers to overcome addiction. To do this, most organizations require aides to have the chemical dependency certificate.
After becoming a technician, a person can become a Chemical Dependency Counselor – with additional training and experience.
For a generic introduction into the field, view this video: http://online.onetcenter.org/link/summary/21-1011.00
For more information:
http://www.akcertification.org/pdf/CT.pdf
Learn As You Earn Program
Speech Language Pathologist Assistant
If you work with infants, toddlers, or children with speech and language difficulties.
For more information
http://www.alaskachd.org/learn/
Learn As You Earn Program
Associate Degree in Disability Services
If you provide community, familial, workplace, educational, or respite support to children or adults with disabilities, you can enroll in our distance delivered courses. They are taught using video and print instructional materials, homework activities completed in your community, and audio conferences. You can enroll for either professional development or University of Alaska credit.
For more information
http://www.alaskachd.org/learn/
Occupational Endorsement in Conflict Resolution
For more information
http://hums.uaa.alaska.edu/Conflict_Resolution.htm
Case Manager, Care Coordinator, Case Coordinator
help manage the services an individual gets to become as self-sufficient as beneficial. Care coordinators work with different agencies to facilitate transportation, rehabilitation, housing, personal care, and other needs. Usually needs some level of experience and/or education to hold this role.
Opportunities for professional development are wide and varied.
For more information:
Occupational Endorsement in Conflict Resolution http://hums.uaa.alaska.edu/Conflict_Resolution.htm
UAA Human Services Associate Degree http://hums.uaa.alaska.edu/AASRequirements.html
UAA Human Services Bachelors Degree http://hums.uaa.alaska.edu/bachelorsdegree.html
Professional
Many jobs require educational and/or licensure and/or national certification. Many of these jobs can be attained by working while gaining the additional educational requirements (like Tina in the commercials!). This is not an exhaustive list, if you see a career missing, please let Heidi know.
Chemical Dependency Treatment Counselor
Counselors work to help chronic alcoholics and substance abusers to overcome addiction. To do this, most organizations require counselors to have the chemical dependency certificate.
For a generic introduction into the field, view this video: http://online.onetcenter.org/link/summary/21-1011.00
For more information
http://www.akcertification.org/pdf/CT.pdf
Human Service Worker
provide many types of assistance to people with disabilities, people with substance abuse issues, people with mental illness, people with traumatic brain injuries, and the elderly. Human service workers work in a variety of settings and work doing a variety of specialties. Working with paraprofessionals and professionals, human service workers work with clients/consumers to encourage self-sufficiency.
Opportunities for professional development are often available.
For a generic introduction to this field, view this video: http://online.onetcenter.org/link/summary/21-1093.00
For more information on education in Alaska
Occupational Endorsement in Conflict Resolution http://hums.uaa.alaska.edu/Conflict_Resolution.htm
UAF Rural Human Services Certificate
http://www.uaf.edu/rhs/index.html
Learn as you Earn Degree: http://www.alaskachd.org/learn/index.html
UAA Human Services Associate Degree http://hums.uaa.alaska.edu/AASRequirements.html
UAA Human Services Bachelors Degree http://hums.uaa.alaska.edu/bachelorsdegree.html
UAF Tanana Valley Human Service Associate Degree
http://www.tvc.uaf.edu/programs/hums/
Social Worker
People who work to better the social welfare of others as licensed social workers. Social Workers work with all groups of people. A person can work in a variety of settings with a social work degree, residential, office, clinical, or otherwise.
There are many opportunities for educational and professional development. To be considered a social worker you must hold a baccalaureate in social work (BSW), from there you can get your Master’s Degree in Social Work (MSW), and your Doctorate (DSW). You can also become licensed as a social worker, including as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker.
For a generic introduction into the field, view these videos: http://online.onetcenter.org/link/summary/21-1021.00
http://online.onetcenter.org/link/summary/21-1022.00
For More information on educational opportunities in Alaska
University of Alaska – Anchorage http://socwork.uaa.alaska.edu/
University of Alaska – Fairbanks http://www.alaska.edu/socwork/
UAF Center for Distance Education: http://www.distance.uaf.edu/
UAS Sitka http://www.uas.alaska.edu/sitka/StudentServices/stserv_programs.htm
For Information on Licensure
http://www.dced.state.ak.us/occ/pcsw.htm
Counselors (LPC, LMHC, PhD, Clinician, LMFT, etc)
Working, via a variety of methods, to assist people with personal, family, and mental health problems. Counselor responsibilities will vary depending on clientele and specialty. They may work in a variety of settings, including office, clinical, residential, and other places. To be licensed in Alaska as a counselor you must have a Masters Degree or a Doctorate.
For a generic introduction to the field: http://online.onetcenter.org/link/summary/21-1014.00
For More Information about Education in Alaska
University of Alaska Anchorage http://www.uaa.alaska.edu/psych/
Alaska Pacific University Anchorage http://www.alaskapacific.edu/degs/mscp/
University of Alaska Kenai http://www.kpc.alaska.edu/academics/index.html
University of Alaska Fairbanks http://www.uaf.edu/psych/
University of Alaska Southeast http://www.uas.alaska.edu/socsci/disciplines/psychology.html
Ph.D. Program in Clinical-Community Psychology
The Joint UAF-UAA PhD program in Clinical-Community Psychology with a Rural, Indigenous emphasis would like to be listed. The program is five years long, including a one-year pre-doctoral internship. Students are enrolled in both UAA in Anchorage and UAF in Fairbanks. For information please see: http://psyphd.alaska.edu/ or in Anchorage contact Anissa Hauser at 907 561-2880, in Fairbanks contact Paul Landen at 907 474-7012.
For More Information on Licensure
http://www.commerce.state.ak.us/occ/ppco.htm
Gerontology Specialty
More and more workers at all levels and in all specialties are needed to help our elders in Alaska. There is graduate level training available.
For more information go to
http://elders.uaa.alaska.edu/about.htm
Early Interventionist
Provides direct intervention techniques and strategies that support families in fostering the growth and development of their infants and toddlers with disabilities and/or developmental delays. Early interventionists usually have Master Degrees and specialties in speech/language, occupational therapy, and other related occupations.