Human Services Education in Kansas

Situated in America’s heartland, Kansas has both urban centers and rural communities that are in need of the well-educated human services worker. With its famous universities, hospitals, school system and government and non-profit agencies all in need of human services workers, opportunities for employment abound. Few careers give you the opportunity to give back to your community in Kansas the way a human services career does.

When you choose your career track you are making a decision that will impact your life for decades. This sort of decision is one that deserves careful thought and consideration. We have developed a resource here at Humanservicesed.org to help you to make this critical life choice. With our database of career overviews, state-by-state licensure laws and school programs we have compiled a huge amount of information to help make your decision making process much easier. Below we have a list of some of the more common jobs you can find in Kansas along with their educational requirements.

Upon completion of your studies and being awarded your Bachelor’s degree from a Kansas university or college human services course of study, you will be able to pick a suitable career from one of the following:

• Child Life Specialist (Bachelor of Science, Child Life Specialist)
  • As a Child Life Specialist you will be helping children at one of Kansas’ 58+ major hospitals such as this job description at Wichita Wesley Medical Center.
• Gerontology Specialist (Bachelor of Science, Gerontology)
  • You can find many job opportunities throughout Kansas at its various Long Term Care Facilities such as Kansas Assisted Living.
• liaison (Bachelor of Social Work, Sociology, Psychology or Criminal Justice)
• Kansas Substance Abuse Counselor (Bachelor of Sociology, Social Work or Psychology)
  • Substance Abuse Counselors must meet certain requirements and have a specific level of licensure or certification depending on the state. Here is the link to Kansas’ requirements.
• Licensed Social Worker (Bachelor of Social Work from a CSWE accredited school)
  • For a thorough debriefing on the requirements for licensure check out our article on the subject here:
• Community outreach worker (Bachelor of Social Work, Sociology, Psychology)
  • Here is an excellent resource for Community Outreach Workers in Kansas.
• Case Management Aide (Bachelor of Social Work, Sociology, Psychology)
  • This job is part of the Case Worker job cluster and is considered the entry level equivalent position. Here is a related job posting with the Department of Family and Children which is an excellent resource for this career arc.
• Juvenile Court Liaison (Bachelor of Social Work, Sociology, Psychology or Criminal Justice)
  • The most common organization that employs Juvenile Court Liaisons or their equivalents is the Kansas Department of Corrections which has a wealth of information about careers in Criminal Justice
• Behavioral management aide (Bachelor of Social Work, Sociology, Psychology)
  • Your career will most likely involve working for the Kansas Department of Education which is at a minimum an excellent resource for workers interested in this career.
• Probation officer (Bachelor of Sociology, Social Work, Psychology or Criminal Justice)
  • You can find jobs through the Department of Corrections such as the one described here.
• Rehabilitation Case Worker (Bachelor of Social Work, Sociology, Psychology)
  • You will find a wealth of resources on this career arc through the Kansas Department of Family and Children and their various rehabilitation services here:

Some will want to continue their studies and earn their Master’s degree from a Kansas college or university. Once you have your Master’s, you will be not only eligible for the above listed jobs, but also these careers:

• Licensed Master Social Worker (Master of Social Work from a CSWE accredited)
• Marriage and Family Therapist (Master’s in Counseling, Psychology or Marriage and Family Therapy)
• Child welfare case manager (Masters in Business Administration, Social Work, Psychology or Sociology)
• Licensed Clinical Social Worker (Master of Social Work from a CSWE accredited school + field experience)
• Social and community service manager (Masters in Business Administration, Social Work, Psychology or Sociology)

Would you like to move directly into a leadership position in a human services agency? Or perhaps you want to lead a team doing clinical research in your field? Does the thought of opening your own private mental health practice appeal to you? Would you like to be an expert in your field and teach your discipline to students? If you answered yes to any of those questions you may want to continue your education until you get your Ph.D. Once you have your doctorate you will find that you have maximized your earning potential along with gaining access to the full spectrum of career opportunities in your field. It is a challenging and difficult path, but at the end you will reap the rewards of your hard work.

In order to plan your education, you must have an end goal in mind in regards to career. By browsing our career overview section, you can get a sense of the job duties, impact on community, salary ranges, educational and licensure requirements of some of the career opportunities in the human services field. Once you have found a career that fits your natural talents and strengths and meets your goals you will be able to determine a school program that meets your needs. Using our database of schools you can find a program with an online or Kansas based school that has an accredited program to meet your educational requirements. It is a good idea to get in touch with your chosen school directly to learn about their specific application requirements. If you wish to have a career that requires advanced licensure, another thing you will want to consider is your post graduate employment to obtain field experience.