Standard 36 of the Human Services Code of Ethics states that “Human service professionals hold a commitment to lifelong learning and continually advance their knowledge and skills to serve clients more effectively.”

Being in the human service field, one should be committed to always keep up to date in current trends in the field, especially where health insurance is involved.  It is important to stay current because new policies and legislature can limit the services we can or cannot provide clients.  An area that I hope to improve on is my interviewing skills, such as with counseling.  I sometimes don’t know what to say or ask, and I tend to just ask question after question without reflecting.  In addition, I want to be more active in my community and volunteer more often just because I feel like it would make me a more well-rounded human service professional.  I would like to eventually attend graduate school, perhaps Hunter College, to obtain my masters in social work (LMSW), with the possibility of pursuing the clinical social work degree  (LCSW) later on.  With the clinical degree I would be able to provide psychotherapy to clients in treatment for drug and/or alcohol addiction, which has been my goal for some time.  The plus side of being a licensed social worker, clinical or otherwise, is that I can work with any population and don’t necessarily have to stick with one in particular.  This appeals to me since I am a person who frequently changes my mind, or gets bored and seeks change.  A certificate program that I would attend would be for the Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor (CASAC) certificate.  I also plan on taking advantage of any free seminars or webinars that are sometimes offered by city or state government agencies.  With this certification, along with my education, I believe I would be of greater value to my clients and be able to provide them better service.  

National Organization for Human Services. (2015). Ethical Standards for Human Service Professionals. Retrieved from http://www.nationalhumanservices.org/ethics