In order for society to attain true social justice, individual citizens must be equipped with the knowledge and skills to take control of their lives through proper use of social service systems. In the United States the present system of social services is inadequate to fulfill the needs of all of its clients. As the economy continues to force social service staffing cutbacks, it will be more efficient to educate clients about how they can help themselves by using the system in an informed manner. This will require a restructuring of the social services field to incorporate a holistic, interdisciplinary approach in which professionals will be called human services professionals, covering all areas of service needs. Their professional education will emphasize their roles as teacher, counselor, community liason, supervisor, and change agent. Public education in elementary and secondary schools will prepare citizens for learning to help themselves and care for others by teaching how to work in groups and how to act constructively in life situations. This will require a radical change in education which has traditionally emphasized individualism and competition. Measurement of individuals' productive and contructive change will be carried out through values clarification, definition of objectives, and ongoing assessment of actions to meet personal goals. (AV)