Advocate Career

Interested in Becoming a Patient Advocate?

Always wanted to be a Patient Advocate?
Patient advocates represent patients in response to health care and insurance providers and large health care institutions. They provide counseling and information to patients about their rights as well as intervene with health care providers as needed.

Degrees for Patient Advocate
While few accredited colleges offer patient advocacy degrees, patient advocates generally pursue associate's, bachelor's, master's or doctorate degrees in public health, social work, health care, or related medical fields and build their patient advocacy careers on this foundation.

Preparing for Patient Advocate Work
As you consider a career as a patient advocate, it is advantageous to get one-on-one experience with patients in a medical setting or specific training in some of the following ways:

• Volunteer at a health care facility
• Coordinate services for patients
• Get involved in health care reform efforts
• Train in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)

Not only must patient advocates have a solid understanding of the health care industry, insurance and patient rights, but they must also understand the laws, policies, regulations, practices and treatment options involved with managed health care programs.

Interested in Becoming a Social Worker?

Do You Have What it Takes to Be a Social Worker?
Social workers provide services to help disadvantaged people improve the quality of their lives. They work to help with the stresses of modern life in areas such as poverty, abuse, addictions, terminal illness and unemployment. Services provided by social workers vary depending on the field, but the overall mission is to assist disadvantaged people deal with difficult periods in their lives.

Degrees for Social Workers
A Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) is the degree specific to the position, but some social workers qualify with degrees in psychology, sociology or even education. A Master of Social Work (MSW) is usually required for clinical work, and it is also becoming the minimum requirement of some organizations. Social workers must get licensed by their state.

Preparing to Work as a Social Worker
Gaining experience in hospitals, community centers, schools, prisons and senior centers can all prove beneficial when becoming a social workers. Some of the fields of work to choose from include:

• Medical and public health social workers
• Child, family and school social workers
• Mental health and substance abuse social workers
• Researchers, planners and policymaker social workers

The Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that the position of social worker is one of the fastest-growing occupations in the country, and it is expected to grow by as much as 30 percent over the decade.

Interested in Becoming a Health Care Administrator?

Health care administrators plan, coordinate and supervise different facets of health care. They may specialize in overseeing a specific department or manage an entire health care facility. In a small facility, such as a nursing home or rehabilitation center, health care administrators handle much of the day-to-day operations. In a larger facility, such as a hospital, they often operate on a tier system, with several assistant administrators directing one aspect of the clinical setting and then reporting to one head administrator.

Degrees for Health Care Administrators
Regardless of where they work and the specialties they choose, most health care administrators hold a master's degree in health services administration or a related field. For entry-level positions in smaller facilities, a bachelor?s degree may be adequate. Health care administrators in nursing care facilities are required to be licensed and to participate in a state-approved training program.

Preparing for Health Care Administrator Work
The demand for health care administrators continues to increase as the need for improved efficiency, advanced technology, enforcement of complex government regulations and improved preventative care becomes increasingly important in the health care industry.

Health care administrators may be required to perform the following duties:

• Establish policies and procedures
• Evaluate personnel
• Coordinate with other department administrators
• Secure the privacy of patient records
• Procure new equipment for the facility
• Organize patient flow

With the rising age of the baby boomers, the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that jobs in the medical field will grow faster than average through 2016.

Interested in Becoming a Patient Advocate?

Always wanted to be a Patient Advocate?
Patient advocates represent patients in response to health care and insurance providers and large health care institutions. They provide counseling and information to patients about their rights as well as intervene with health care providers as needed.

Degrees for Patient Advocate
While few accredited colleges offer patient advocacy degrees, patient advocates generally pursue associate's, bachelor's, master's or doctorate degrees in public health, social work, health care, or related medical fields and build their patient advocacy careers on this foundation.

Preparing for Patient Advocate Work
As you consider a career as a patient advocate, it is advantageous to get one-on-one experience with patients in a medical setting or specific training in some of the following ways:

• Volunteer at a health care facility
• Coordinate services for patients
• Get involved in health care reform efforts
• Train in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)

Not only must patient advocates have a solid understanding of the health care industry, insurance and patient rights, but they must also understand the laws, policies, regulations, practices and treatment options involved with managed health care programs.

Earn Your Degree Online in Health and Human Services

Accelerate your career with an online degree in health and human services. Find certificate, associate, bachelor's and master's degree programs in health care, counseling, social work, psychology and other human services to reach your goals.

Degrees in Health and Human Services
Most positions in health and human services require a minimum of a bachelor's degree to qualify for employment, but a master's or doctoral degree could prove beneficial when seeking career advancement. If you're ready to seek a purposeful career that touches the lives of others, choose an online degree program in health and human services from the list below.

Associate Degrees in Health and Human Services

• Associate of Arts in Human Services
• Associate of Arts in Health Care Administration
• Associate of Arts in Health Care Administration—Medical Records
• Associate of Arts in Health Care Administration—Pharmacy Practice
• Associate of Arts in Psychology

Bachelor's Degrees in Health and Human Services

• Bachelor of Science in Human Services
• Bachelor of Science in Human Services/Management
• Bachelor of Science in Health Administration
• Bachelor of Science in Health Administration/Health Information Systems
• Bachelor of Science in Health Administration/Long-Term Care
• Bachelor of Science in Psychology

Master's Degrees in Health and Human Services

• Master of Science in Counseling/Marriage, Family, and Child Therapy
• Master of Health Administration
• Master of Health Administration/Education
• Master of Health Administration/Gerontology
• Master of Health Administration/Informatics
• Master of Science in Psychology

Doctoral Degrees in Health and Human Services

• Doctor of Health Administration
• Doctor of Philosophy in Industrial/Organizational Psychology

Earn Your Online Degree in Health and Human Services

If you're interested in a field of work that assists and encourages the physically ill, poor, abused, aged and challenged members of our society, a career in health and human services could prove rewarding. From counseling to public health, opportunities exist for those who want to uplift and heal the public. Do you have what it takes?

Careers in Health & Human Services
Due to the aging baby-boomer generation, individuals with degrees in health and human services are in high demand.Are you ready to start a successful career in public service?Find a wide variety of careers in health and human services below.

Health Care

• Dietitian:Assist clients in attaining an optimum level of physical health through nutrition and diet.
• Healthcare Administration: Plan, coordinate and supervise different facets of health care.
• Healthcare Manager: Ensure the business of delivering healthcare to patients is appropriately planned, coordinated, and performed according to facility regulations.
• Healthcare Services Manager: Oversee the administration of various facets of health care and manage healthcare facilities.
• Laboratory Technician: Perform routine tests for diagnosing, treating and preventing disease in health care facilities.
• Medical Administrative Assistant: Perform administrative tasks such as filling out insurance paperwork, updating medical records and coordinating lab work and hospital admissions.
• Medical Billing Specialist: Handle invoicing for physicians and health care providers.
• Medical Insurance Coding Specialist: Employ coding systems to ensure physicians and health care facilities are reimbursed by Medicare and insurance companies.
• Medical Records Specialist: Maintain, organize and evaluate patients' medical records for accuracy and completeness.
• Occupational Therapist: Help patients suffering from physical, mental, emotional or developmental conditions learn how to perform tasks.
• Physical Therapist: Help patients with physical disabilities to improve flexibility, muscle strength and overall health.
• Radiation Therapist: Work with specialized machines to administer radiation therapy to patients as prescribed by radiologists.
• Radiology Technician: Operate X-ray equipment to produce pictures of broken bones, cancers, tumors and other diseases for medical diagnosis.

Human Services

• Case Manager: Tasked with helping improve the lives of others by managing their safety, development and progression.
• Child Advocate: Main support group for abandoned and abused children living in the custody of the child welfare system.
• Child Social Worker: Arrange and deliver personal, psychological or social services that protect children and families at risk.
• Emergency Medical Technician (EMT): Respond to emergency calls and provide care to injured or ill patients before transporting them off to the hospital.
• Geriatric Care Management: Coordinate elder care and provide support to families who care for aging relatives.
• Patient Advocate: Represent patients in response to healthcare, insurance providers and large healthcare institutions.
• Pharmaceutical Technician: Assist pharmacists in drugs stores, assisted-living centers, nursing homes and hospitals.
• Social Worker: Provide services to help disadvantaged people improve the quality of their lives.
• Speech Therapist: Work to overcome physical problems that impede the speech of their clients.

Psychology

• Clinician: Called on to offer professional counseling services to individuals or groups.
• Counselor: Help people understand the basis of their problems, phobias, fears, crises and anxieties while providing guidance on how to cope with and resolve them.
• Drug Counselor: Provide support and therapy to individuals recovering from alcohol or drug abuse.
• Family Counselor: Provide advice, guidance, therapy and support to families with emotional issues.
• Guidance Counselor: Provide educational, social and career counseling for students.
• Marriage Therapist: Applies "family systems" concepts to couples counseling to help husbands and wives resolve emotional conflicts affecting their marriage.
• School Counselor: Help students prepare for academic success by encouraging healthy interactions with peers, family and academics.
• Substance Abuse Counselor: Work with behavioral problems or other disorders that contribute to the overuse of drugs and alcohol in clients.
• Therapist: Help individuals struggling with depression, addictions and life challenges to discover new and healthy ways to deal with stress and anxieties.
• Youth Counselor: Helping children and teens work through social, family and personal challenges.