By Emmanuel T. Erediano
Variety News Staff

A MAJORITY of human services agency staffer lack the essential professional training to handle complex human problems, according to Area Health Education Center program director Dr. Faye Untalan.
Untalan, who is also with the University of Hawaii, said personnel in some of the most critical areas such as child protective services, mental health, probation and parole, need to be highly skilled.
Last week, 56 participants completed advanced training in counseling and case management conducted by Untalan.
The training sessions held at Chacha Ocean View Junior High School from February 26 to March 9 were developed for employees of the Department of Public Health, the Public School System, the Community Guidance Center and the Division of Youth Services.
Untalan said most of the services that participating agencies provide require professional training but a majority of the staff do not even have bachelor’s degrees.
Only 25 participants from PSS — counselors and vice principals — have bachelor’s degrees or higher, she said.
None of the 12 participants from Public Health have bachelor’s degrees, as most of them are in entry level positions.
Untalan added that many of them are providing exceptional services to their consumers however.
“The training was to provide basic essential skills for people whose work involves providing direct services,” she said.
Over 50 percent of the trainees have only a high school education, she added.
According to Untalan, dealing with cases like child sexual abuse in a family setting, family violence and neglect require specialized training in human behavior and human development.
Northern Marianas College is now working on a program that will pave the way for the establishment of case management training for human services workers.
Untalan said even a person with a bachelor’s degree in psychology “is not necessarily prepared to handle complex human problems.”
She added, “We need more psychologists, and social workers to deal with the many human problems we see today such as substance abuse. It requires a lot of training and experience to feel confident. You need a lot more — you need psychiatrists and social workers trained in mental health.”
At the same time, Untalan said she was impressed with the training participants’ willingness to learn.