healthcare jobs Archives - Penn-Mar

The Best Careers That Involve Helping People: Finding Meaning and Making a Difference

nvenn — Mon, 10 Apr 2023 18:30:40 +0000

We spend a large portion of our lives working, so it’s important to find a career that we enjoy and brings meaning to our lives. Often, this can mean choosing a career that involves helping people, which can lead to personal fulfillment, professional growth, and a positive impact on society as a whole. In this article, we’ll explore the best careers that involve helping people and that make a difference in the world—focusing on roles that are positive for both the worker and those they help—and explain why finding a meaningful job is so important.

The Importance of Helping Others and Finding Meaning in Work

Helping others is a fundamental human value that can lead to personal growth, stronger communities, and a more compassionate society. When individuals choose careers focused on helping others, they experience a sense of personal fulfillment and satisfaction, knowing their work directly contributes to the well-being of others. This alignment of personal values and work leads to increased job satisfaction, reduced stress, and a balanced work-life integration.

Top Careers That Involve Helping People

Registered Nurse: Nurses provide care to patients in various healthcare settings, such as hospitals, clinics, and nursing homes. They assess, monitor, and support patients’ physical and emotional well-being, collaborating with physicians and other healthcare professionals.
Social Worker: Social workers help individuals and families navigate difficult situations and access resources. They work in various settings, including schools, hospitals, and nonprofit organizations, advocating for clients and helping them overcome challenges.
Mental Health Counselor: Mental health counselors support clients in managing and overcoming emotional and mental health issues. They provide individual, family, and group counseling and develop treatment plans to help clients achieve their goals.
Physical Therapist: Physical therapists help patients recover from injuries, manage chronic pain, and improve their overall mobility. They design customized treatment plans to help clients regain their strength and function.
Occupational Therapist: Occupational therapists assist people with disabilities, injuries, or illnesses in developing or regaining the skills necessary for daily living and work. They help clients adapt to their environments and promote independence.
Speech-Language Pathologist: Speech-language pathologists diagnose and treat speech, language, and communication disorders. They work with clients of all ages, from children with developmental delays to adults recovering from strokes or dealing with other conditions.
Teacher: Teachers have a direct impact on the lives of their students, fostering their intellectual, social, and emotional growth. They design lesson plans, assess student progress, and support students in achieving their educational goals.
Nonprofit Manager: Nonprofit managers oversee the operations of organizations dedicated to making a positive impact on society. They work on fundraising, program development, and community outreach to ensure the organization’s mission is successfully carried out.
Emergency Medical Technician (EMT): EMTs provide critical medical care to patients during emergencies. They respond to emergency calls, perform life-saving procedures, and transport patients to medical facilities.
Environmental Scientist: Environmental scientists work to protect the environment and promote sustainable practices. They conduct research, develop policies, and educate the public about environmental issues to create a healthier and more sustainable future.
Direct Support Professional (DSP): DSPs are an essential role in the Health and Human Services sector. They provide assistance and support to individuals with disabilities, helping them achieve their personal goals and maintain a high quality of life. Learn more about what a Direct Support Professional does and how you can make a difference in this role.

Choosing a career that involves helping people can lead to a fulfilling, meaningful life. Whether you’re drawn to Health and Human Services—such as a Direct Support Professional role—or another profession that positively impacts others, there are numerous options to explore. Consider your skills, interests, and educational background as you seek a career that aligns with your desire to make a difference. Ultimately, finding a job that benefits both you and those you help will lead to a rewarding and satisfying career.

If you’re looking for a great career that involves helping people, consider a career in healthcare by becoming a Direct Support Professional! At Penn-Mar Human Services, our mission is to support people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to live courageous lives full of self-determination, independence, and equity. Our approach is innovative, person-centered, and successful. Through meaningful employment, community inclusion, and residential choice, the people Penn-Mar supports are empowered to live their best lives.

If you’re interested in a career in healthcare and want to make a difference in the lives of others, consider filling out an application to join our team! We offer a wide range of employee benefits and competitive compensation. You can also get involved by learning more about our services or signing up to volunteer with us today!

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Strategically, It’s All About the “Change Work”

Penn-Mar Editor — Wed, 30 Jun 2021 19:02:00 +0000

By Gregory T. Miller, President and Chief Executive Officer, Penn-Mar Human Services | Chief Executive Officer, Penn-Mar Foundation

Gregory Miller
President & CEO Penn-Mar Human Services

It has been a busy summer at Penn-Mar, to say the least.

Our Gala committee pulled off a spectacular Evening Among the Stars on June 5th where guests were treated to an outdoor experience and at-home Party-in-Place gatherings in keeping with COVID restrictions. You can read all about the evening’s highlights and fundraising successes in this month’s Guest Blog.

It was fitting that the 29th Annual Gala & 40th Anniversary celebration was the backdrop to introduce our new visual brand and tagline – Live Courageously. Our Direct Support Professionals, Residential Supervisors, and Program Managers showed so much courage, dedication, creativity and resilience during the pandemic and to express our appreciation for their contributions, this year’s Annual Impact Award was presented in their honor.

All the while, behind the scenes, from March until May, our Strategic Planning Team was holding a series of meetings to identify key issues to be considered as Penn-Mar works toward fulfilling its mission and achieving its vision of the post-COVID future.

Guided by our brand promise that Penn-Mar Human Services is an organization driven by passion and guided by purpose, we developed a strategy that identified 12 priorities with these three requiring immediate action:

Attracting and retaining team members committed to “building a legacy of good” for the entire Penn-Mar community.
Advancing our commitment to a culture which supports people “on their own unique journey to achieve their personal best.”
Developing and utilizing data-informed processes to select, sequence, and manage our priorities and resources.

As many of you know, our ability to attract and retain team members is essential for us to continue to provide quality, innovative services to people with disabilities. Our recent decision to increase wage scales for DSPs is an important piece of this pressing matter.

And in order for us to be successful, it is imperative that we nurture a person-centered culture for both the people we support and the team members providing the services.

Management guru Peter Druker famously said, “You can’t manage what you don’t measure.” So that’s where the data-informed processes come in.

We have a million things going on at any one time so we need to use data to find out what deserves our most pressing attention today, next year, and possibly the year after that. We will be creating internal processes for results-based accountability, relying on the data to inform everything we do. This decision-making innovation promises to be a game changer for our business.

It’s important to remember that our Strategic Plan is designed to serve the organization; we don’t serve the Plan. As we delve further into the implementation, we need to stay agile, to pivot when necessary, continually reviewing our progress and making adjustments along the way.

Because there are so many competing priorities, we have to be careful not to go a mile wide and an inch deep. It will be all about allocating resources to ensure the best use of everyone’s time based on the priorities of the organization.

In a nutshell, our Strategic Plan is about the change work, not the routine, every day work of turning on the lights and functioning for the day.

That’s how we’ll positively impact the future of Penn-Mar: We’ll put the necessary changes in place so that over time they become routine and we can move on to other objectives.

It will require an allocation of resources in terms of time and materials to ensure the strategies are living and breathing each day and ultimately wrapped into the culture – and success – of our organization.

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