Social and Community Service Manager Career Overview

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Social and community services provide invaluable resources to struggling, underserved, or marginalized populations, addressing issues such as food scarcity, homelessness, and addiction. Often, these services focus on particular subsets of the population, such as children or older adults. To coordinate these programs and ensure that their benefits are accessible to those who have the most acute need, strong leadership is essential. Social and community service managers provide this leadership.

For those who have a passion for social services, a zeal for aiding those in need, and an affinity for administration, this role may be an ideal fit. Pursuing an advanced education can help pave the way for a career in this important field.

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A social and community service manager may work for a government agency, a nonprofit organization, or even a for-profit social services provider. These professionals are tasked with supervising programs that support public well-being, and directing the workers or volunteers who perform different services.

Ultimately, a social and community service manager is tasked with making certain that these programs run as efficiently as possible and ensuring that the people who need these services can easily access the assistance they require.

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While the day-to-day duties associated with this role can vary, a typical job description might look something like this:

• Working with members of the community to identify programming needs and identify vulnerable or at-risk populations
• Overseeing the administrative aspects of social support programs, including budgeting, staffing, and scheduling
• Evaluating data to ascertain the effectiveness of programs and to establish the most efficient allocation of resources
• Planning activities to promote programs within the city or region and supporting broader activities to foster a sense of community

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To succeed in this role, it’s important to develop the right portfolio of skills, including administrative expertise, leadership capabilities, and familiarity with the basic principles of social work. The career trajectory for a social and community service manager generally follows this outline:

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An undergraduate degree program is an opportunity to build foundational skills and gain exposure to how social and community services work. This may mean earning a bachelor’s degree in social work or a related field, such as public policy.

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Before assuming a position of leadership or authority, it’s important to have practical experience in community and social services. This may include entry-level positions as a social worker, an addiction recovery counselor, or a related position.

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Earning a more advanced degree not only provides a broader scope of skills, but also allows for the development of leadership competence. Earning a Master of Social Work (MSW), for example, can lead to more competitive salary ranges and to positions of greater authority or autonomy.

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Through this combination of classroom education and hands-on training, aspiring social and community service managers can cultivate valuable competencies like communication, problem-solving, and managerial ability.

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As with workers in the field of social work and community services administration as a whole, managers enjoy the rewards of both meaningful work and competitive compensation.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median annual salary for a social and community service manager was approximately $74,000 in 2021. Several factors can affect the salary range, including level of education and years of experience, as well as the sector a manager works in. For example, social and community service managers who worked in local government earned a median salary of $93,420, the BLS reports.

The BLS also forecasts strong job growth for this role, specifically projecting employment growth of 12% between 2021 and 2031. This is faster than the average for all professions (5%), and can be attributed to multiple factors. One of the primary drivers of growth is the aging population, as older Americans increasingly rely on social and community services. Another factor is the increased awareness of substance use issues, including the opioid and fentanyl crises, and the growing need for addiction recovery services, which social and community service managers often direct.

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Sound management can optimize the accessibility and efficiency of social and community services, ensuring that assistance is available to populations in need. To become a social and community service manager, seeking advanced training is paramount. Regis College’s online Master of Social Work program is an opportunity to hone the leadership abilities and social work competencies needed for long-term success in this role. The curriculum helps students develop advanced knowledge of social work concepts, with courses such as Human Behavior and Social Environment, Diversity and Cross-Cultural Issues, and Social Welfare Policy.

Students in this program can gain the skills required to thrive in a broad range of social work positions and have a real impact on the lives of the people they serve. Consider the benefits of this online program today.