A community service coordinator works to improve and manage local communities, often with individual families but also with specific demographic neighborhoods in mind. This coordinator’s job is to give advice and information in order to keep people, families, and communities safe and supported. She will also be in charge of coordinating community services with local, state, and federal agencies to promote overall health and fitness, life management skills, and self-reliance.
Counseling is an important part of this job. A community service coordinator may be assigned to a specific person or family and will work with them to identify potential issues and find solutions. A service coordinator may also be in charge of a neighborhood and its activities as a whole. She needs to know about the community’s resources, such as churches, businesses, and other types of organizations that provide people with services and activities. In this capacity, a community service coordinator will need to utilize strong interpersonal skills and resourcefulness in locating and connecting available services to the people who need them, as the range of potential problems is wide and can include psychiatric issues, hunger, drug addiction, truancy, and crime.
Once a community service coordinator has identified a problem, she must be familiar with the various services that can be used to address it. This could entail assisting children or adults with enrolling in educational programs, parenting classes, or recreational activities. In the event of a legal problem, a coordinator will refer individuals or families to the appropriate legal counsel and assist with fee negotiations. A coordinator will assist in locating and enrolling in drug treatment programs or mental health facilities if there are health issues.
A community service coordinator may be more concerned with the larger community than with individuals and families in some cases. In this case, a large part of the job’s focus is on encouraging community participation, a drug-free environment, and crime reduction. In this case, a coordinator might be in charge of organizing community events, including recruiting volunteers, coordinating participation, and enlisting the help of outside organizations like the police department. A community service coordinator will frequently oversee the creation of programs that provide child care or community activities, such as a senior center or a day care center for the neighborhood. She could also lead a neighborhood group made up of residents that focuses on and solves problems, all with the goal of allowing community members to support one another and solve problems together.