A community service coordinator focuses on the improvement and management of local communities, often working with individual families, but also focusing on specific demographic neighborhoods. This coordinator is required to provide advice and information with the intent of keeping individuals, families, and communities safe and supported. She will also be responsible for coordinating services for community members with local, state, and federal agencies designed to contribute to overall health and fitness, life management skills, and self-reliance.
One main component of this job is counseling. A community service coordinator might be assigned a specific individual or family and work with the people involved to identify potential problems and find solutions. The service coordinator might also be responsible for a neighborhood and its collective activities. She needs to be knowledgeable about resources in this community structure, such as a churches, companies, or other types of organizations that provide services and activities for people. 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 identifies problems, she must have knowledge of the wide variety of services that can be utilized to solve them. This might include helping children or adults enroll in educational programs, parenting classes, or leisure time activities. In the case of legal issues, a coordinator will refer individuals or families to the appropriate legal representation and help to negotiate fees. In the case of health issues, a coordinator will assist in locating and enrolling in drug treatment programs or mental health facilities.
In some cases, a community service coordinator will be focused on the larger community, rather than individuals and families. In this case, much of the focus of the job is to encourage community participation, a drug-free environment, and a reduction in crime. In this situation, a coordinator might be in charge of community events, including the solicitation of volunteers, participation, and the assistance of outside organizations, such as the police department. Often, a community service coordinator will supervise the creation of programs that provide child care or community activities, such as a senior center or day care organization provided for the neighborhood. She may also spearhead a neighborhood group, made up of residents, which focus on and solve problems, all with the aim of enabling the members of the community to support each other and solve problems collectively.
