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Social and community service workers

OaSIS code 42201.00

Social and community service workers administer and implement a variety of social assistance programs and community services, and assist clients to deal with personal and social problems.

Overview

Also known as

  • Aboriginal outreach worker
  • Addictions worker
  • Child and youth worker
  • Community development worker
  • Community service worker
  • Crisis intervention worker
  • Developmental service worker
  • Drop-in centre worker
  • Family service worker
  • Group home worker
  • Income maintenance officer - social services
  • Life skills instructor
  • Mental health worker
  • Rehabilitation worker - social services
  • Social services worker
  • Veteran services officer
  • Welfare and compensation officer
  • Women's shelter supervisor
  • Youth worker

Main duties

This group performs some or all of the following duties:

  • Review client background information, interview clients to obtain case history and prepare intake reports
  • Assess clients' relevant skill strengths and needs
  • Assist clients to sort out options and develop plans of action while providing necessary support and assistance
  • Assess and investigate eligibility for social benefits
  • Refer clients to other social services or assist clients in locating and utilizing community resources including legal, medical and financial assistance, housing, employment, transportation, day care and other services
  • Counsel clients living in group homes and halfway houses, supervise their activities and assist in pre-release and release planning
  • Participate in the selection and admission of clients to appropriate programs
  • Implement life skills workshops, substance abuse treatment programs, behaviour management programs, youth services programs and other community and social service programs under the supervision of social services or health care professionals
  • Meet with clients to assess their progress, give support and discuss any difficulties or problems
  • Assist in evaluating the effectiveness of treatment programs by tracking clients' behavioural changes and responses to interventions
  • Advise and aid recipients of social assistance and pensions
  • Provide crisis intervention and emergency shelter services
  • Implement and organize the delivery of specific services within the community
  • Maintain contact with other social service agencies and health care providers involved with clients to provide information and obtain feedback on clients' overall progress
  • Mobilise and coordinate volunteer resources and activities for a range of organizations such as human service agencies, health care facilities, arts and sports, etc.
  • May maintain program statistics for purposes of evaluation and research
  • May supervise social service support workers and volunteers.

Additional information

  • Progression to professional occupations in social services, such as family and marriage counsellors, social workers, and probation and parole officers, is possible with additional training and experience.

Similar occupations classified elsewhere

Exclusions:

  • Managers in social, community and correctional services (40030)
  • Educational counsellors (41320)
  • Social workers (41300)
  • Therapists in counselling and related specialized therapies (41301)
  • Instructors of persons with disabilities (42203)
  • Activities leader - seniors (in 54100.01 Program leaders and instructors in recreation and sport)

NOC hierarchy breakdown

NOC version

NOC 2021 Version 1.0

Broad occupational category

4 – Occupations in education, law and social, community and government services

TEER

2 – Occupations usually require a college diploma or apprenticeship training of two or more years; or supervisory occupations

Major group

42 – Front-line public protection services and paraprofessional occupations in legal, social, community, education services

Sub-major group

422 – Paraprofessional occupations in legal, social, community and education services

Minor group

4220 – Paraprofessional occupations in legal, social, community and education services

Unit group

42201 – Social and community service workers

Occupational profile

42201.00 – Social and community service workers

Work characteristics

Work characteristics gathers the various components describing the work environment of each occupation, such as employers, work activities, and the work context. Each category displays up to 10 descriptors in descending order based, firstly, on their attributed ratings by the level of complexity (for Work Activities) or other measurement dimensions (for Work Context), and secondly, in alphabetical order. The whole list of descriptors and their ratings can be expanded at the bottom of each page.

Work Activities

Proficiency or complexity level
Assisting and Caring for Others
5 - Highest Level
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
4 - High Level
Performing for or Working Directly with the Public
4 - High Level
Applying New Knowledge
3 - Moderate Level
Clerical Activities
3 - Moderate Level

Work Context

Structural Job Characteristics

Structured versus Unstructured Work
Degree of freedom to determine tasks and priorities
3 - Moderate amount of freedom
Work Week Duration
Worked hours in a typical week
2 - Between 35 to 40 hours

Physical Work Environment

Physical Proximity
Physical distance from others
4 - Close (at arm’s length)

Physical Demands

Sitting
Duration
3 - About half the time
Standing
Duration
2 - Less than half the time
Bending or Twisting the Body
Duration
1 - Very little time

Interpersonal Relations

Contact with Others
Frequency
5 - Every day, almost continuously
Duration
5 - All the time, or almost all the time
Work with Work Group or Team
Importance
4 - Highly important
Frequency
4 - Every day, a few times per day

Workplaces/employers

  • Community organizations and establishments
  • Correctional facilities
  • Government agencies
  • Group homes
  • Mental health agencies
  • School boards
  • Shelters
  • Social service agencies
  • Substance abuse centres

Skills and abilities

This section displays the various competencies required for an occupation. Each category displays up to 10 descriptors in descending order based, firstly, on their attributed ratings by the level of proficiency (for Skills and Abilities) or importance (for Personal Attributes) and secondly, in alphabetical order. The whole list of descriptors and their ratings can be expanded at the bottom of each page.

Abilities

Proficiency or complexity level
Multitasking
4 - High Level
Verbal Ability
4 - High Level
Auditory Attention
3 - Moderate Level
Categorization Flexibility
3 - Moderate Level
Deductive Reasoning
3 - Moderate Level

Skills

Proficiency or complexity level
Social Perceptiveness
5 - Highest Level
Negotiating
4 - High Level
Oral Communication: Active Listening
4 - High Level
Persuading
4 - High Level
Coordinating
3 - Moderate Level

Personal Attributes

Importance
Collaboration
5 - Extremely important
Concern for Others
5 - Extremely important
Service Orientation
5 - Extremely important
Social Orientation
5 - Extremely important
Stress Tolerance
5 - Extremely important