Health and Human Services Professional Development

Human Service Professionals Author: Mikki Sherwood I teach a course for graduate students that is called “Current Issues and Trends in Family & Consumer Sciences.”  At the beginning of each semester I teach about the history of FCS. I have sections about the scientific roots of FCS, the  early leaders  of the discipline, and how FCS has evolved in more than 100 years.  I also cover the basic philosophy of FCS, explain the importance of the integrative nature of the discipline, and describe  Bronfenbrenner’s Systems Theory  in detail. My students all ask me why I think they need to have this information. I tell them to consider the fact that at some point they will be in the job market, in competition with many other people. They will need to be able to explain their unique attributes to a potential employer. One of the unique attributes of someone that studied FCS is that he or she has the ability to look at various aspects of the functioning of...

Avoiding Burnout: Human Services Program Administration Professionals by   Mikki Sherwood   on   August 16, 2013   It is personally rewarding to work in a human development and family studies (HDFS) career. It is also challenging in many ways as professionals in the area of FCS and HDFS face unique challenges. For instance, often those that work in HDFS are at the mercy of government funding, leading to a feeling of insecurity related to employment possibilities. In addition, we tend to make less money than those working in other areas of family and consumer sciences (for example, consumer studies or entrepreneurs). Those of us that work in the helping profession also face a daunting array of regulations regarding proper documentation of expenses and activities (in other words, A LOT of paperwork). Finally, we can feel as if we are spinning our wheels if we do not see change occurring in those with whom we work. When we don’t perceive improvement in the qualit...

Teaching FCS, A Fulfilling Career by   Kathleen Clark   on   May 12, 2015   Would you like a career that is rewarding, challenging, and no two days are ever the same? Have you ever thought about becoming a family and consumer sciences teacher? Experience and training in culinary arts and nutrition, child development and care, family relationships, consumerism, and fashion merchandising are just some of the areas you could possibly teach. Currently, there is a shortage of highly qualified family and consumer sciences teachers in half of the states across America (see AAFCS –  Werhan’s article on continued demand for FCS teachers ). This is a great opportunity to get certified and make a difference in the lives of young students, their families and the surrounding communities. You will need to earn a bachelor’s degree in family and consumer sciences education, student teach, and get a state certification or license. You can teach the youth of today how to...