We all need a little assistance some time. You’ll get it at NECC as you prepare for a career helping individuals and families to improve their lives. This Human Services Associate Degree program will prepare you for a career working with people with emotional and social problems, developmental disabilities, mental illness, or substance abuse problems.
Why Choose NECC?
At NECC you’ll train as a generalist, learning how to work with people of all ages and backgrounds. This ensures a wide range of career paths after graduation. With this program you will:
Prepare to work with people with emotional, social, or developmental issues.
Learn how to help those with mental illnesses or addiction problems.
Benefit from supervised clinical experiences in social services settings.
Earn your degree in a program that contains the National Community Support Skill Standards, and is accredited by the Council for Standard in Human Service Education.
Be well-prepared to transfer to a four-year program to complete your bachelor’s degree.
Because of NECC
You can pursue a wide variety of entry-level positions, or continue your education at a four-year school. Growth opportunities in the field are projected to be strong. Upon completion of the Human Services Associate Degree program you can:
Pursue career paths as a case manager, outreach worker, advocate, mental health worker, or a counselor (crisis, residential, addiction).
Work in a variety of public or private settings including hospitals, clinics, residential facilities, or human services agencies.
Be able to take advantage of MassTransfer Pathways and other transfer agreements to save thousands of dollars while you earn your bachelor’s degree in human services or a related field.
Quote:
I’m excited about my human services career … I like working with people and helping them any way I can.
Barbara Conrad, Human Services
Program Costs
For the 2024-2025 academic year, non-health for-credit courses have a cost of $263/credit for in-state students.
Prospects for employment within the human services are projected to be excellent according to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Employment Projections 2006-2016, the New Hampshire Employment Projections 2004-2014 and the U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Outlook Handbook for 2006-2016.Graduates who choose to directly enter the workforce, are recruited by a variety of community agencies who work with children, adolescents, adults and seniors in a range of settings such as: Graduates who choose to directly enter the workforce are recruited by a variety of community agencies who work with children, adolescents, adults and seniors. They work in a range of settings such as:
Hospitals
Schools
Vocational programs
Residential programs
Day habilitation programs
Day treatment programs
Graduates may be given titles such as:
Case manager
Outreach worker
Advocate
Mental health worker
Crisis counselor
Residential counselor
Addiction counselor
Career Paths
Career Paths
The broad based skills of the program provide a foundation for a wide range of professional pursuits. Graduates who pursue advanced degrees will have opportunities to choose among many fields including:
Social work
Guidance counseling
Labor negotiations
Human resources
Academic advising
Organizational psychology
Mental health
Vocational rehabilitation
Licensing and Credentialing for Graduates
Licensing and Credentialing for Graduates
There are a variety of licenses and certifications possible to graduates of the Human Services Program. Graduates from any of the NECC Human Service Certificate or Associate Degree programs are eligible to apply for credentialing through the National Organization of Human Services (NOHS) as Human Services Board Certified Practitioner. Successful graduates of the Human Services Associate Degree program are eligible to pursue licensure within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as a Licensed Social Work Assistant (LSWA).
External Online Resources
External Online Resources
Learn more about the current job market and trends within Human Services by visiting the following web sites:
Below are some college where students may consider transferring:
Lesley University: Human Services Program, Bachelor of Science Human Service Administration, Human Service Counseling, and Human Service Management
Cambridge College: Human Services Program, Human Services
Springfield College: School of Human Services
Salem State: School of Social Work
Hesser College: Bachelor of Science in Psychology
Salem State College: School of Social Work
Merrimack College: Bachelor of Science in Human Services Administration
Program Pathway
A pathway is the most efficient sequence of courses semester-to-semester recommended for students to complete their degree. View the suggested pathway for the Human Services Associate Degree.
Learning Outcomes
Student Learning Outcomes - Human Services
Human Services
Demonstrate development of basic clinical skills, techniques, and approaches consistent with Council for Standards in Human Services, Community Support Skills Standards, Bureau of Substance Abuse Services, and International Credentialing and Reciprocity Consortium. To include screening, assessment, orientation, crisis intervention, case management, treatment planning, documentation, consultation with other professionals, and appropriate referral of clients and families.
Describe historical overview of confluence of factors that shaped institutional and direct professional service delivery models with clients & communities, including, but not limited to bio-psycho-social, economic, political, and legal issues.
Provide accurate written & oral, clinical assessments of general health and welfare of clients, their families, and communities guided by ethical standards set forth by the Council for Standards in Human Services Education, and the National Associate of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselors.
Analyze the effect of the injustices caused by prejudicial and/or discriminatory treatment as they pertain to individuals, families, groups, and institutions, (e.g. race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, ageism, social class, immigrants, et al.)
Demonstrate a professional level of comfort and expertise with the mechanisms involved in the administrative aspects necessary to deliver services provided by human services agencies and their interacting institutions (e.g. Health Maintenance Organizations, Department of Children and Families, courts, schools et al.). And apply knowledge, skills using data and other management systems to develop/improve administrative services involved in delivery of care.
Emily Thompson of Amesbury had a perfectly good job as a licensed nurse assistant (LNA), but always felt there was something missing. She found what she was looking for when she enrolled at Northern Essex Community College and participated in the internship program. Read Emily’s story.
