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Human Services Assistant

29 Credit Technical Diploma

The Human Services Assistant Technical Diploma program prepares learners through hands-on, practical experiences to provide client-centered support in a variety of community, residential, and social service settings. Learners develop skills in interviewing, communication, case management, documentation, group facilitation, and ethical decision-making. Coursework emphasizes understanding human behavior across the lifespan, substance use, and the dynamics of helping relationships. Through applied learning, learners build foundational helping skills and confidence to assist human service professionals, contribute to client support activities, and prepare for further education or entry-level employment in the field. As an embedded credential, this program ladders fully into the Human Services Associate Degree program.

This program may require a Criminal Background Check and/or Health Record

Acceptance to Northcentral Technical College will not be denied based on a criminal background or health record.

Learn More

Found in These Career Fields:

Human Services

Approximate Program Cost

$5,025
Tuition & Fees: $4,799
Books & Supplies: $226

Starting Salary

$22,880–$37,440
Average, based on the NTC Graduate Outcomes Report

Financial Aid

Available
Total financial aid offered may not exceed the estimated Cost of Attendance (COA).

Available

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Get Started

The application takes just a few minutes to complete.

A Closer Look

Detailed Program Information

Take a deeper dive into the details of this program. This section offers information to help you evaluate whether the program fits your goals, interests, and timeline. Use it as a tool to guide your decision-making process.

Availability

Courses for this program may be available at a variety of campus locations through multiple modes of delivery if you meet the admission requirements and prerequisites.

100%
Wausau
100%
Antigo
100%
Medford
100%
Phillips
100%
Spencer
100%
Wittenberg
100%
Online

* Campus and online availability of courses and programs may be subject to change.

Outcomes

Graduates will be able to…

  • Utilize community resources
  • Apply human services interventions and best practices
  • Uphold the Ethical Standards and Values for Human Service Professionals

Careers

Some of the potential careers graduates can pursue are:

  • Social Services Assistant
  • Family Support Worker
  • Home Based Assistant
  • Mental Health Technician

Courses

The Human Services Assistant Technical Diploma is a 29 Credit program. The following is a typical semester breakdown of the courses within the program.

Credit for Prior Learning Available

First Term

College 101 1.00 cr
Introduction To Human Services 3.00 cr
Intro To Interviewing & Counseling Skills 3.00 cr
Written Communication 3.00 cr
Intro to Psychology 3.00 cr
Boundaries & Ethics - Helping Professions 3.00 cr

Second Term

Foundations Of Case Management 3.00 cr
Group Facilitation 3.00 cr
Developmental Psychology 3.00 cr
Understanding Substance Use 3.00 cr
Professional Readiness 1.00 cr
View All Detailed Course Information

Pathways

Pathways at NTC are designed to help you progress toward your career and education goals, one step at a time. Many programs are structured to build upon each other, allowing you to earn valuable credentials along the way.

Completing the Human Services Assistant Technical Diploma Earns You:

48% of the total credits in the Human Services Associate Degree (29 of 60 credits)

45% of the total credits in the Substance Use Disorder Counseling Associate Degree (29 of 64 credits)

Cost of Attendance

2025–2026 Estimated Academic Year Budgeted Cost of Attendance

The estimated Cost of Attendance (COA) is a budget that includes categories of expenses that a student can expect to incur while attending college. The COA does not reflect actual charges. It is an average based on the estimated living costs typical of our region. In determining the cost of attendance, Northcentral Technical College uses the budget established by the Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) Financial Aid Budget Work Group. This budget is used to determine financial need for all students who apply for financial aid. A student’s cost of attendance is composed of all educational expenses that can be included for financial aid purposes that a student may accrue while pursuing their education for the year (or semester, if enrolled less than a year). A student’s financial aid cannot exceed their cost of attendance. Schools are required to provide a fuller picture of what it may cost students to pursue their degree, not just what they will owe in tuition/fees and books/supplies.

Please Note: this COA budget estimate assumes full-time attendance for two semesters — Fall 2025 and Spring 2026.
Student Living With Parents (Home) Student Living on Own (Other)
Full-time Tuition (based on a total of 30 credits, 15 credits fall and 15 credits spring)
In-State Tuition & Fees
$4,932*
Out-of-State Tuition & Fees
$7,286.60*
In-State Tuition & Fees
$4,932*
Out-of-State Tuition & Fees
$7,286.60*
Living Expenses (Housing & Food) $3,182 $10,305
Books / Supplies $1,463 $1,463
Transportation $4,103 $4,103
Personal Expenses $3,065 $3,065
Loan Fees $85 $85
Total Estimated Cost Of Attendance
In-State
$16,830
Out-of-State
$19,184.60
In-State
$23,953
Out-of-State
$26,307.60

* Tuition listed is based on approved rates for the 2025–2026 academic year. Rates are approved each March by the Wisconsin Technical College System Board and estimated budgets are updated at that time.

For the 2025–2026 academic year, the Wisconsin Resident tuition rate is $152.85 per credit plus a minimum $5.00 material fee and $13.44 per credit activity fee. Out-of-State resident tuition is $229.28 per credit plus a minimum $5.00 material fee and $13.44 per credit activity fee.

Students awarded Federal Direct Loan(s) also have an average of the mandatory loan fees automatically added to their COA.

Students with disability-related expenses may contact the Financial Aid Office to have their additional expenses considered. Disability-related expenses include but are not limited to: personal assistance, equipment, and supplies. The Financial Aid Office may potentially include disability expenses in the COA that are not provided by other assisting agencies.

NTC also offers a Net Price Calculator to help estimate costs.

For more information regarding billed tuition and fees visit https://www.ntc.edu/admissions/tuition-fees

We’re happy to answer any questions you may have about how the financial aid process works. Please feel free to reach out for more information.

NTC Financial Aid Office

715.803.1647
financialaid@ntc.edu

Additional Information

Scholarship Opportunities

Additional funding may be available to assist with your training through external sources.

Functional Abilities Criteria

The following is a list of functional skills and abilities necessary to practice as a human services and/or substance use disorder counseling professional. If you believe you are lacking in any of these areas and will require outside assistance to succeed, it is your responsibility to contact the Center for Access and Accommodations to receive assistance.

Fine Motor Skills

Students must be able to:

  • Pick up objects with hands.
  • Grasp small objects with hands.
  • Handwrite with a pen or pencil.
  • Key/type (e.g., use a computer).
  • Pinch/pick or otherwise work with fingers.

Physical Endurance

Students must be able to:

  • Participate in classroom, online, field experience, and community-based activities for extended periods of time.
  • Maintain attention and concentration throughout educational and field experience activities.

Hearing

Students must be able to:

  • Hear and comprehend spoken communication.
  • Hear emergency notifications and alarms.

Visual

Students must be able to:

  • See objects up to 20 inches away (e.g., information on a computer screen).
  • See objects up to 20 feet away.
  • Use depth perception.
  • Use peripheral vision.

Emotional Stability

Students must be able to:

  • Adapt to changing environments and stress.
  • Deal with the unexpected.
  • Focus attention on tasks.
  • Cope with their own emotions.
  • Cope with strong emotions in others.

Analytical Thinking

Students must be able to:

  • Transfer knowledge from one situation to another.
  • Process and interpret information from multiple sources.
  • Analyze and interpret abstract and concrete information.
  • Evaluate outcomes.
  • Solve problems.
  • Prioritize tasks.
  • Use long-term memory.
  • Use short-term memory.
  • Maintain schedules, meet deadlines, and complete required tasks within established timeframes.

Critical Thinking

Students must be able to:

  • Identify cause-effect relationships.
  • Synthesize knowledge and skills.
  • Sequence information.
  • Make decisions independently.
  • Adapt decisions based on current information.

Safety Awareness

Students must be able to:

  • Move safely within educational and field experience environments.
  • Recognize and respond appropriately to emergency situations.

Interpersonal Skills

Students must be able to:

  • Establish rapport.
  • Interact with others.
  • Collaborate.
  • Respect differences.
  • Manage interpersonal disagreements.

Communication Skills

Students must be able to:

  • Speak English.
  • Read English.
  • Write English.
  • Listen to and comprehend spoken and written information.
  • Communicate with others.
  • Manage information.

Technology Skills

Students must be able to:

  • Use computers and electronic devices.
  • Access information electronically.
  • Utilize technology commonly used in educational and workplace settings.
  • Navigate electronic communication platforms.

Admissions Process

Our application process takes just a few minutes to complete, but we want to make sure you have the things you’ll need on hand to complete the application. We’re here to help if you have any questions while submitting your application.

Before you apply, you should know

This program may require a Criminal Background Check and/or Health Record. Acceptance to Northcentral Technical College will not be denied based on a criminal background or health record, however, a check may be required for placement at clinical sites or field experiences.

Fill out our application

The application can be submitted online and takes just a few minutes to complete. There is no fee to apply.

Apply Now

What’s Next?

We’ll review your application and let you know if we need anything else. If you’re all set, your acceptance letter will be emailed to you.