How Do I Become a Family Support Worker?

Family support workers commonly are employed by social services and help community members with a number of different issues, such as substance abuse, childcare, and all factors that impact the health and safety of family members, especially children. To become a family support worker, it might not be required by all employers that you have an undergraduate degree, but this kind of credential is extremely helpful in most cases. Not only can an undergraduate degree in a field such as counseling or psychology make it easier for you to find a family support position, but a degree program can provide you with the knowledge and skills you need to successfully assist and counsel community members in need.

As a matter of fact, to become a family support worker, it might even be a good idea to earn a master's degree in counseling. This credential is held by many social services professionals who work closely with community members. Individuals who pass through graduate programs often are given the opportunity to participate in clinical training. Clinical training is where students have the chance to apply methods and principles they learn in class to real world situations.

In order to become a family support worker, you should consider with which issues you would like to work. For example, if you are interested in counseling and assisting individuals who are dealing with alcoholism, you might want to major in a concentration such as substance abuse counseling. Individuals who are more interested in working with children should take courses in fields such as developmental and child psychology.

To become a family support worker, you also should decide in which environment you would like to work. This might not be the kind of decision that you can make without first working in several different environments. Some workers choose to work in social services centers where they assist people who are having problems at home or who have been required to seek counseling by a court of law. Other family support workers might prefer to work in group homes, where they help individuals with various physical and mental disabilities to adapt to life outside of a home.

A person who wants to become a family support worker should enjoy helping and listening to others. Aside from being empathetic, however, individuals in these positions also should be firm in teaching behaviors that have to do with child rearing and other aspects of raising a family. Family support workers often assist individuals who suffer from behavioral disorders and who, in some cases, have been convicted of crimes.