A group of Community Services Worker students at Herzing College
Updated December 2023
What will your life look like after community services worker (CSW) training? Where will you work, and who will you work with?
This is, obviously, a key question for anyone considering a career in community services.
Our goal in this post is to give you a clearer idea of your options and opportunities as a freshly graduated CSW.
Every CSW position we talk about here focuses on helping people improve their lives through education, compassion, and access to expert support. Each of these career paths is inspiring and rewarding in its own way.
Being a CSW is all about making our communities safer and healthier, and ensuring everyone has access to the services and help they deserve.
Which path should you choose? It all depends on the kind of social work you're interested in. Which topics interested you most during CSW training? What kind of work environment are you looking for? Is there a particular group in society you'd like to serve?
Let's take a look at four very popular job options for community services workers. These are career paths we've seen our own grads take over the years—and one of them could be perfect for you.
1. Working with Adults Who Need Specialized Care & Support
Working with adults as a community services worker means supporting and assisting people who are dealing with major life challenges—like homelessness, mental health issues, unemployment, poverty, and domestic abuse.
You could be employed at a shelter, in a residential care centre, or with a day program.
You could help women escape and recover from abusive relationships, provide employment and life skills coaching, find safe housing for adults living on the streets, or simply provide companionship and social activities for seniors who need specialized care.
Some CSWs work as gerontology aides and specialize in assisting seniors who need ongoing support.
There are many options within this broad field. After training, you can explore different adult-focused CSW positions to find just the right fit for your talents and goals.
2. Supporting At-risk Youth & Children With Special Needs
Do you feel inspired to work with young people who are going through difficult life challenges? You could specialize in youth work after community services training.
Youth workers are employed at community centres and residential care facilities that specialize in supporting young people who are struggling with mental health issues, aggressive behaviour, suicidal thoughts or actions, or intellectual disabilities.
Youth workers also deal with children who have suffered child abuse or other forms of trauma related to family violence and disruption.
Youth care facilities typically offer a wide range of services, including:
- Therapeutic programs
- Crisis intervention
- Counselling and life skills coaching
- Academic support
- Foster care
- Activities that promote physical health and connection with the local community—like rock climbing, trips to the park, gym and pool, camping, volunteer work, and winter sports
As a community services worker, you would help to deliver these programs, ensuring each child stays on track with their individual plan of care. You'll follow their progress and use the knowledge and skills learned in CSW training to offer specialized support to each young person you work with.
3. Working at a Detoxification Centre
Community services worker training includes addiction counselling, so if this feels like your calling, you'll be prepared for work at a detox centre (or program) after college.
CSWs help with intake and interview new clients. They also provide counselling, addiction education, and support services for family members.
Canada offers a range of addiction treatment and rehabilitation facilities, each with their own approach, range of services, and target audience. Some places offer addiction counselling to adults and youth and the families of people struggling with substance abuse and/or gambling.
There are programs just for women that offer treatment, health and wellness, and awareness education. And there are all-male detox programs that offer residential addiction treatment for adult men. They offer intervention services, after care, and housing for program participants.
4. Working at a Halfway House
Halfway houses exist to help eligible ex-offenders transition safely back into their communities. They're designed to support people who have completed a prison sentence or qualified for parole and need help getting their lives back on track.
Before getting admitted to a halfway house, ex-offenders have to meet certain criteria. The intake team looks at their criminal history, how they behaved while in prison, and whether they've made positive changes while serving out their sentence. And once an ex-offender is admitted to a halfway house, they must follow strict rules or risk being sent back to prison.
What's your role as a CSW at a halfway house? You'll help evaluate and admit new residents and deliver a range of programs, including:
- Addiction counselling
- Job search and employment support
- Life skills coaching
- Finding safe, permanent housing for residents within the local community
If you're passionate about making sure deserving people get a second chance at life, working at a halfway house could be your ideal path after community services worker training.
Getting started with CSW training
If you're seriously considering becoming a community services worker, check out the CSW training from Herzing College. The training is no more than 12 months long and includes an internship to give you some real-world experience before you graduate.
An admissions advisor can answer all your questions about courses, how to apply, tuition costs, financial aid, and more.
Chat live with an advisor now. Or click below to explore the program in more detail. We're here to help!
