Many people who work in Human Services careers work in facilities such as nursing homes, mental health centers and youth service agencies. They are involved in providing assistance to people with disabilities or other special needs, providing training in life skills and generally in helping people live as independently as possible.

Human Services workers should have a very strong commitment to promoting patient and client advocacy, and a strong interest in the welfare of their patients. They should have excellent communication and interpersonal skills, and be able to develop relationships with patients, their families, and with other healthcare workers to achieve their goals.

People who work in a human service career can often face the often under-appreciated managerial supervisors who oversee and provide a crucial organizational structure for work that occurs in human service across the country (Collins, 2001). The successful managerial supervisor must be able to create and develop the organizational culture in which client-centered practice can occur, balance the demands of administrative leadership with those of workers who see clients, keep a client-centered focus amid the paradoxes that arise in the process, and maintain a healthy professional presence.

For a health care and human service organization the use transformational leadership is something which is highly crucial. The reasons are that transformational leadership typically appeals to the values of equality, justice, collective well being and liberty (Collins, 2001). These values are easily engaged in employees involved in health care and human service organizations. Once these needs are engaged it is possible to energize, motivate and focus the followers on the goals of the organization. In health care and human service organization, it is relatively easy to form a relationship of mutual needs, aspirations and higher values.

There are many different types of skills which are applicable for the different types of careers in human service administration. Case Managers require excellent interpersonal skills, and the ability to work well with both clients and other healthcare workers. They must have excellent verbal and written communication skills, and good problem-solving, decision-making and organizational skills. They should also be able to work both independently and as part of a team of healthcare workers. Program Directors must have strong leadership skills, as well as excellent interpersonal and communication skills. They should also have good organizational, time-management, problem-detection and problem-solving skills. A good Program Director also has a strong commitment to patient welfare. Direct Care Counselors must have a strong interest in patient advocacy and a commitment to improving the lives of their patients. They must also have excellent interpersonal and communication skills, as well as good organizational skills, good judgment, and good decision-making and problem-solving skills.

Leadership is something which is important in running any organization (Kotter, 1996). Without the emphasis on contiguous commitment and the right modeling of leadership standards, business ethics cannot be achieved in an organization (Schneider, 2002). The ethics of leadership, no matter how the leader carries it, will reverberate in the workplace, and will directly influence choices and decisions make by workers or the leader’s followers. This is important in human service because workers and their attitudes directly affect clients and their well-being. Leadership is what sets the tone to shape the working environment in an organization (Schneider, 2002). Working in the health service field is something which can be stressful and tiring, a healthy work environment is something which should be aimed for. When a leader influences the actions of his or her followers through modeling and reinforcement, the leader has succeeded in reproducing his certain behavior, characteristics or habits (Waldman, de Luque, Washburn, & House, 2006). The question as to whether the behavior, characteristics or habits is ethical or morally correct is not the focus. The fact that followers do reflect on leaders is the key, this is why we need leaders who are ethical. Ethics, or ethical thinking begins within a person, it involves free will (Resick, Hanges, Dickson, & Mitchelson, 2006). Ethics is generally reflective conduct; it is when one knows what is morally right, to what is wrong. Running a human service program requires a blend of providing for the clients’ needs as well as running a good business.  Both must be considered high priorities, because if one aspect is neglected, this could lead to the jeopardy of both. Making good business, client needs and professional goals may in times come in conflict; this is when ethical decisions need to be made.

Utilitarianism is guided by the principle of utility or the “greatest happiness principle” (Lachman, 2006). This is where one bases his or her actions according to what would benefit the majority. Or, which action will produce the greatest amount of happiness for the greater number of people. When it comes to healthcare and utilitarianism, one must measure out what the resources which are present, these are time, medication and finances, we must think of these in terms of the greatest need, and which action will benefit the most given these resources (Lachman, 2006). An action can be justified in giving either the most amount of pleasure or the least amount of pain. One must first evaluate his or her commitment in society, and when it comes to healthcare, this is adhering to the needs of clients.

Euthanasia is still the subject of medical debate especially in regards to ethics in human service decision making; many nurses and physicians have ethical views on euthanasia which are not quite well understood (Quaghebeur, de Casterle, & Gastmans, 2009). This not only affects the medical field, but can be seen in the perspective of human services because it deals with life and the value of life. It is not only nurses spend their hours in a position of caring for a person who is need of palliative care; human service workers are also involved in the field where the request for euthanasia is not uncommon. The caring for such clients, mixed with their feelings as well as their involvement with euthanasia is very complex. There are a number of personal conflicts as well as moral uncertainties in this area. Fears and guilt also exist.

On a general theoretical level, it is believed that nurses need to be able to develop an ethical view on euthanasia which supports the hospital or clinic’s beliefs (Quaghebeur, de Casterle, & Gastmans, 2009). Human service workers also have different ethical views on this, they may coincide with how healthcare providers see this issue as well. This way, a path for an organized debate on the issue can be voiced out. There are a number of different views in ethics which can be seen in nursing.