HSE 7-2
For the final assessment, you will select an agency in which you would like to be employed. You will research the types of services this agency offers by looking at its website, visiting the agency (if possible), emailing or interviewing someone who works at the agency. Once you have gathered the information for this project, you will explain why you selected this particular agency instead of others, write about how history and current trends have influenced this agency, what theories, values, and ethical standards you would apply if you worked at the agency, and how your personal values might be challenged, what your role in the helping process might be, and what qualifications you would need to apply for a job at that agency.
Running head: center for the visually impaired 1
center for the visually impaired 4
2-3 Final Project Milestone One: Human Services Organization Identification
TErica Huff
Intro to Human Services – HSE 101
Southern New Hampshire University
Center for the Visually Impaired
Found in Atlanta Georgia, 739 W Peachtree St Nw Atlanta, GA 30308, Center for the Visually Impaired is an agency that aims at supporting people who have either lost their eyesight or cannot see partially or entirely. I chose this agency because I felt that it would be the right way to give back to the community. When I was young, at around six years, my friend and her family got involved in a road accident. Sadly, some dust and broken glass got into her eyes, and even though the doctors tried their best, she lost her eyesight. She has partial vision; her eyesight is blurred. She tells me that when she opens her eyes, she can know if it is either daytime or nighttime by the amount of light she sees.
At first, both her parents and she found it hard to come up with the situation. It was quite a struggle for her to be able to walk or even move because she could not differentiate images. The only thing she sees are colors. For example, if her mom wears a red dress, she can only see the red color, if it is a black cloth, she can only see the black color but in a blurry form. She found it hard to accept herself; later on, she moved to another city with her family, I still keep in touch with her. She inspired me to choose this agency. I want to help out people like her and others who have a problem with their eyesight. I want to bring back colors and images in their life. I want to inspire people with eyesight problems and make them see there is a future ahead and that they can live a life with dignity even though their eyesight has a problem. And most importantly, I am doing it for the honor of my friend; she wishes to help people like herself. And I hope that by doing this, she will feel that she has made a step.
I had a number of six agencies in my mind. The other agencies that I was considering joining are YWCA of Greater Atlanta, CARE USA, Atlanta Community Food Bank, United Cerebral Palsy, Open Hand, and Right at Home. Most of the agencies offer their services to marginalized groups in society, such as the elderly, or women and girls, or the needy or the children. I decided on the Centre for the visually impaired because that is where my heart is. I feel that it is the agency that will help me to reach my goal of inspiring people, motivating people, and making a positive impact on their lives. I also think that it is the agency that will help me build on my reliability skills and communication skills. This is because I will be able to meet with people who I can relate to because I have an idea of what it feels to lose eyesight, either entirely or partially, through my friend.
I want to be employed at this agency because I have a dream of helping the blind see. I do not mean giving them eyesight but to help them to be able to have an idea of how beautiful the world is even without having vision. Also, I am a passionate person, and I apply it to everything that I do. Therefore, if this agency would employ me, it will have allowed me to be able to help out people passionately. More so, through being employed in this agency, I will be able to achieve my mission of inspiring people and impacting positively as well as giving people hope.
The agency offers a variety of services for its clients. Some of the services include community-based services that give the clients instruction and training in communication skills, food and nutrition, personal care, and many more. It also has services for the youth as well as the children below five years who lost their eyesight. It has the STARS program, Social, Therapeutic, Academic, Recreational Services, for the school-aged children. It also has a vision clinic and rehabilitation services for the clients. The agency has eye professionals, caregivers as well as therapists, and volunteers as well.
Reference
Center for the Visually Impaired. https://www.cviga.org/services/ 7-2 FINAL PROJECT 9
7-2 Final Project Submission: Agency Exploration
AUTHORS NAME REMOVED
HSE 101
Southern New Hampshire University
Running Head: 7-2 FINAL PROJECT 1
Human Services Profession
The agency I have selected is Upstate Cerebral Palsy in New York. I have chosen this particular agency because it provides services that I am passionate about. I also chose this agency because I am currently employed there, have held multiple positions, and I am inspired by the services they provide and the clients they support. This agency is directly connected to my future goals and was a driving force in my decision to earn a Human Services degree. I have considered being employed by Mohawk Valley Community Action Agency as an Assistant Teacher. My son is enrolled in their Head Start program and I am very pleased with the services they provide to him and our family. I enjoy working with children, families, and their communities but I chose not to pursue this agency further because I feel I am most successful working specifically with individuals with developmental disabilities.
I would like to continue my employment in this agency because when I am helping this population I have a strong sense of fulfillment and joy. I believe it is very important to love what you do. I make a difference in clients lives every day that I go to work, and for me there is nothing better than that. There is also a lot of potential for growth within this agency. I have held three different positions since being hired and am in the process of advancing to another. This agency is very supportive of their employees, offering low-cost health insurance, retirement packages, and life and accident insurance policies.
Agency Description
Upstate Cerebral Palsy offers services to people of all ages with developmental disabilities and their families. This includes early childhood intervention therapy, school-age education, and adult day habilitation programs directly within the agency. Residential placement for both children and adults is offered, along with respite services for those that live at home. Recreation, art, music, and therapy programs are provided to clients. Another service provided assists adults in finding and retaining employment. Community inclusion activities are offered to help promote socialization for clients. The agency also provides assistive technology and adaptive equipment to their clients, including wheelchairs, tablets and other devices for communication, and altered silverware to assist them in eating independently.
A wide range of professionals are employed within the Upstate Cerebral Palsy agency. This includes nursing staff, managers, coordinators, administration, and secretarial positions. Direct Support Professionals that assist clients with daily living in residential services as well as in their homes are employed. School-based positions including teachers and aides are hired in the education department. This includes art, music, and physical education teachers. Behavior Specialists and Behavior Specialist Assistants also work here to assess and provide individualized plans to teach positive coping skills to clients. The agency also employs speech, physical, and occupational therapists to assist clients in reaching their full potential. This is also a great agency for those who have no experience in this field because many of the workplace environments are conducive to mentoring and on-site training.
History and Current Trends
Upstate Cerebral Palsy was originally located in a school in Utica, New York. The agency was established by local community leaders Eiddon L. Jones, Maurice Sheehan and Harry Gosling in 1950. The men all had family members that were diagnosed with cerebral palsy, and they wanted to provide programs and services to children that were diagnosed with developmental disabilities. No such services existed at the time. The agency has evolved greatly over time. In the beginning, there was one clinic that consisted of five staff providing services to seven children. In 1974, in combination with expanding service delivery, the NYS Department of Health licensed UCP as a treatment and diagnostic center (UCP website, n.d.). Today, Upstate Cerebral Palsy includes over 80 locations and over 2,000 employees, and continues to provide support to individuals with differing abilities in the form of programs and services (UCP website, n.d.). The mission of the agency is “At Upstate Cerebral Palsy, we provide innovative programs and services that support people and create opportunities to fulfill life choices…one person at a time, through everyday miracles (UCP website, n.d.).
The history of the human services field is similar to that of this agency because both recognized the importance of helping those in need. According to Woodside and McClam, The first almshouse was built in Massachusetts in 1662 for dependents such as people with mental illness, the elderly, children, the able-bodied poor, those with physical disabilities, and criminals (2015). The history of Upstate Cerebral Palsy, however, shows that it was designed to provide services specifically for individuals with developmental disabilities. Current trends will create new challenges in service delivery for this agency, including economic downturns and vast diversity of individuals (Woodside & McClam, 2015). According to the text, the shift in economy can negatively effect the workforce by lowering compensation and decreasing benefits (Woodside & McClam, 2015). For this agency, diversity can include age, color, disabilities, gender, national origin, race, religion, and sexual orientation. Professionals will need to be able to learn skills that enable them to provide services to all individuals. There are consistent trends between this agency and the human services field, including the use of use of advocacy as a helping skill and ensuring clients remain active participants in their services (Woodside & McClam, 2015). These trends are similar to those in the history of human services.
Theories, Values, and Ethics
Having a code of ethics for human service professionals is important. In combination with ethical decision making, the code provides a guide for professionals regarding their responsibility to clients, to their agency, and to society as a whole (Woodside & McClam, 2015). In this agency, the code of ethics would greatly impact my provision of services by setting standards which I must adhere to throughout employment. For me, it will be easy to implement sections of the code that relate to the treatment of clients. The code of ethics states Human service professionals respect the integrity and welfare of the client at all times. Each client is treated with respect, acceptance, and dignity (Woodside & McClam, 2015). I strive every day to treat others how I would like to be treated and approach situations without bias. I believe I will have the most struggles implementing standards that involve situations with unethical colleagues. For example, the Human Services Code of Ethics states .respond appropriately to unethical behavior of colleagues. Usually this means initially talking directly with the colleague and, if no resolution is forthcoming, reporting the colleagues behavior to administrative staff (Woodside & McClam, 2015). I personally do not like conflict in the workplace and would prefer to go directly to my supervisor. I am aware that these types of situations happen in the human services profession and am working to improve my communication skills between myself and my co-workers during those times.
The theory I chose to explore that human service professionals use within Upstate Cerebral Palsy is the Developmental Theory. According to the text, “The developmental theory approaches problems from the life-span perspective and defines them in terms of life crises or tasks that occur during a lifetime” (Woodside, 2015). Within this theory, experts believe that human development is an on-going process and there are stages and phases that happen from the point of conception to the time of death. The way that an individual handles these stages and crises varies greatly based on their traits, characteristics, personalities, and childhood experiences. (Woodside & McClam, 2015). This theory can be very helpful for human service professionals because it gives them an understanding of the processes and stages that people usually experience in their lifetimes, and can also be used to differentiate between “normal” and “abnormal” issues (Woodside & McClam, 2015). Clients in this agency are tasked with daily goals and activities to foster independence. However, due to things like inexperience, low self-esteem, and lack of positive praise in past environments, they often have a difficult time engaging in these tasks. Human service professionals at UCP utilize this theory to find tasks that are relevant to the clients’ interests and incorporate methods that encourage them to complete their goals. When teaching money goals, for example, clients are often brought into the community to make a purchase of their choosing and are encouraged to participate in the tendering process. This proves to be effective in both teaching life skills and reinforcing clients capabilities.
Role in the Helping Process
The role of Residential Manager at Upstate Cerebral Palsy is utilized in many stages of the helping process. Employees in this role need to be able to take notes, either mentally or in writing, to complete documentation at the end of their shifts. This falls into the ‘preparation stage.’ According to the text, “….the helper establishes a tone of cooperation and collaboration to establish a foundation for rapport and trust between client and helper. This occurs when the client believes that the helper understands his or her world” (Woodside & McClam, 2015). This is part of the ‘initial arrival’ stage, and is very important when working with individuals with developmental disabilities. Residential managers need to know their individuals and develop trust in order to successfully work with them on a daily basis. This proves to be useful especially in the instances of new staff that have not had the time to build the relationships. The implementation of the ‘intervention strategies’ stage is also used in many responsibilities of this role. When residential managers meet with the treatment teams and families of individuals, desired goals and skills are discussed. It is then the manager’s responsibility to ensure that the goals are worked on and completed (UCP website, n.d.). This role utilizes the termination stage as well. There are instances where individuals age out of residential facilities, are able to live more independently, or are in need of different treatment and services than what are offered at this agency. In those instances, it would be the residential manager’s responsibility to begin the referral process and bring necessary information to treatment team meetings.
Career Opportunities
I am currently employed at Upstate Cerebral Palsy as a Direct Support Professional/Residential Counselor. I am interested in pursuing a position as a Residential Manager. Qualifications required to apply for this position include having at least an Associates Degree in human services or a related field, although a Bachelors Degree is preferred, as well as 15 credit hours completed within the field. (UCP website, n.d.). Other requirements include a minimum of one year experience, valid driving license, knowledge of basic computer programs, fingerprint clearance, and the ability to make independent decisions (UCP website, n.d.). As an employee of this agency for four years, I possess all of the listed qualifications except for a degree.
Summary of Learning
In this course, I studied the six aspects that form human services, including interdisciplinary nature, the helping relationship, management principles, professional roles, and professional activities (Woodside & McClam, 2015). An area that stuck out to me was the management perspective, which is composed of networking, forming teams and partnerships, and using case management (Woodside & McClam). All of these will help me to effectively manage my work environment and provide assistance to clients. Human services is a complex web of helping agencies and organizations that have the primary goal of helping people in need (Woodside & McClam, 2015). Throughout this course, I have gained a better understanding of the organizations my agency works with and how they work together. As a residential manager and human service professional, I will be using a vast network of human services to provide the best care for my clients, including mental health services, education, and employment assistance. According to Woodside & McClam, Providing clients with opportunity and supports to be self-sufficient is key to successful service delivery (2015). As a Direct Support Professional, I encourage independence with my clients in everyday tasks. As a Residential Manager, I will train new staff to do the same. Participating in this course has also provided me with the Human Services Code of Ethics. I was able to explore its in-depth components, along with ethical decision making, and am now able to effectively apply both to my profession.
7-2 FINAL PROJECT 8
References
Upstate Cerebral Palsy website. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://recruiting.ultipro.com/UNI1017UCPGU/JobBoard/0920ff2f-86b9 -48b7-8930-03e668c278e1/?q=&o=postedDateDesc
Woodside, M. & McClam. (2015). An Introduction to the Human Services, 8th Edition. [MBS Direct]. Retrieved from https://mbsdirect.vitalsource.com/#/books/undefined/ 1
Running head: HSE 101 FINAL PROJECT
9
HSE 101 FINAL PROJECT
Human Services Profession and Agency
Student Name
Southern New Hampshire University
Human Services Profession and Agency
Human Services Profession
The agency I would like to work for is Easter Seals New Hampshire. I would like to start off understanding the role of the human service professional more on a local level before broadening my career to working in other countries. I eventually want to do work with an agency such as Cross-Cultural Solutions that help under developed countries, however I dont believe I have the skills or experience to work at that level yet. I would like to work with an agency such as Easter Seals New Hampshire because they have a long history helping people and their families and have several support services to individuals, families, and the community. I believe working for an agency such as Easter Seals would help me to gain a wealth of knowledge and learn how an organization operates to help improve peoples lives.
According to Easter Seals New Hampshire (2015), multiple services are provided to help individuals, families, and communities focusing on those living with disabilities and special needs. Services include working with Autistic individuals in areas such as: sensory integration, speech and language therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and teach social skills. Camp and recreation services are offered to individuals and families with disabilities. Children and family services offer childcare and referral services, family support service, foster family programs, pediatric outpatient services, and assess early childhood development. Community based services consist of residential services, day services that help people with disabilities find work, and whole life services that focus on clinical supports. There are dental centers that offer various dental care services to the public and military and veteran services to help with employment, mental health issues, financial issues, substance abuse, and deployment support. There are residential and education services and senior services such as; adult day care, adult rehabilitation, and in home assistance. In addition, there are special transit services that offer transit to those with disabilities and for the elderly. The substance abuse service offers treatment programs. Finally, the workforce development offers job training, development, and employment placement for people with disabilities. They provide cleaning services and assists youths in obtaining the skills they need to be successful (Easter Seals New Hampshire, 2015).
There are many different professionals and nonprofessionals that work for Easter Seals. There are the people in leadership roles such as the board of directors and the executive staff. There are human resource personnel, senior vice presidents of the various programs, IT professionals, human service professionals, social workers, advocates, community liaison, therapists, partners in the health care field, partners in the teaching professions, corporate sponsors, volunteer staff, and even national representatives. Together as a team, everyone affiliated with Easter Seals supports or works to help improve the lives of people living with disabilities or special needs.
History and Current Trends
According to Easter Seals New Hampshire (2015), Edgar Allen lost his son in an accident. The medical industry did not have the services needed to save his son. So, Edgar sold his business and began a fund raising campaign in order to raise money to build a hospital in his town. Edgar soon realized children with disabilities were shunned from public view. This realization prompted Edgar to establish the National Society for Crippled Children in 1919. The birth of the seal came when the organization launched its first Easter seals. The logo on the seal was a lily, which represented a sign of spring. The seal became nationally recognized and support quickly grew for people with disabilities. Due to the popular recognition of the Easter seal, the organization changed its name to Easter Seals in 1967. The mission of Easter Seals is to help people and their families living with disabilities.
The history of the human services field is similar to the history of Easter Seals in that human services developed out of the need to help individuals or populations to live a better life (Woodside & McClam, 2015). The difference with Easter Seals is that the agency specifically works to help people and their families living with disabilities. Whereas, the human services field seeks to help populations in need that may or may not be living with a disability.
Current trends impact the work of Easter Seals, which revolve around striving to make a better life for those living with disabilities. Individuals with disabilities have many needs such as: medical and dental issues, mental health concerns, social and environmental needs, family support issues, transportation needs, financial concerns, work related needs, adult rehabilitation and home assistance needs. These same needs relate to the human service field. For instance, individuals that may need help from human service professionals may be young children or young teens that have no parental guidance. Young pregnant teens may be shunned from their family and may be in need of shelter, food, and healthcare. Homeless people depend on shelter from inclement weather and may rely on food banks for their only meals. Human service professionals working in shelters or food banks can offer support to the homeless and provide contacts within the community to help them find the support services they need. There may be elderly individuals that need financial assistance with prescription medications and health care or new immigrants coming into the United States from other countries that need assistance with adjusting to cultural, society, or language issues. All of these individuals in one way or another need help in their lives.
Theories, Values, and Ethics
In order to help and protect clients, human service professionals adhere to a code of ethics to guide them in their ethical behavior when working with clients, their colleges, and the community. The code of ethics would impact my actions of providing services at Easter Seals in that as a human service professional I hold a responsibility to encompass the ethical codes of respecting confidentiality, privacy and work towards obtaining the proper training and knowledge necessary to help the clients at Easter Seals. As a human service professional, I would inform clients of the purpose, set goals, and limitations of the professional/client relationship and respect the overall integrity and privacy of the client. In addition, I would be responsible for staying current with the laws at a local, state, and federal level in the communities in which the agency is located. I would act as an advocate to change regulations that conflict with the ethical rights of a client and stay on top of social issues within the community. I would have to recognize the right of the client to accept services or refuse them. In addition, it would be important to collaborate with colleges remembering to keep consultations confidential and work towards solving any conflicts that arise. Finally, I would stay educated on culturally diverse populations and sociopolitical issues.
The ethical standards that would be more challenging to implement would be related to social issues within the community. This is due to the fact it would take work advocating for the necessary changes that may need to occur within the agency socially that conflict with the ethical rights of the client. The ethical codes related to confidentiality and privacy would be less challenging, as I believe it is very important to protect the clients right to privacy and confidentiality and agree that information may only be shared with the consent of the client unless the client was going to cause harm to themselves or to others.
The theory I would institute at this agency is the Motivational Theory to help ones self. For example, I would help to motivate an individual in obtaining work. I believe anyone with a disability has the right to work. It would be important to set goals based on the individuals strengths and follow-up with the action plan set into place.
Role in the Helping Process
Based on my research, I would like to take on an advocates role in advocating for important issues specifically related to the individual or family living with disabilities. First, I would sit down and develop a relationship and build trust with each client at Easter Seals. I would then help the client to look at their situation and focus on their strengths. We would then develop goals together to help solve their problem. If necessary, I could go before a congressional committee to assist the client with disabilities. I would also encourage the client to take action. For example, helping a disabled client obtain work may involve supplying the client with contact numbers of employers looking to hire based on the individuals strengths. I could advocate to hire the individual with disabilities, as an employer cannot discriminate based on ones disabilities. It would be important to encourage the client to make the phone calls necessary to setting up interview appointments or updating a resume. Once the client obtains work, it would be important to offer support during the stressful adjustment to working in a new job and follow-up as needed. As the client becomes more comfortable in their new position and their needs are met, I would motivate them in looking ahead to the future and start withdrawing from the helping process (Excellent change, 2010).
Career Opportunities
An entry-level position I would be interested in pursuing at Easter Seals would be the Community Liaison position. According to Easter Seals of New Hampshire (2015), this position requires a Bachelors Degree in Social Work, three years of working with at-risk seniors, and must have strong skills in communication and collaboration (Easter Seals New Hampshire, 2015). In order to pursue this position, I would have to go on to obtain my Bachelors Degree in Social Work. I would also need to gain experience with working with seniors and gain more experience in working within the community. Currently, I work in the health care profession. Over the years, I have gained strong communication and collaborative skills needed for this entry-level position. Responsibilities in this position, requires assessing the needs of the at-risk seniors, coordinating care, finishing reports, participate in meetings, committees, conferences, and education providers. In my current profession I have gained crucial skills in assessing needs of individuals, attend meeting, participate in committees, attend conferences, document patient care, and educate patients and the public on important health related issues. I feel this position is obtainable if I pursued my Bachelors in Social Work and volunteered more often within the community.
Summary of Learning
Throughout history the human service field has worked to help individuals, families, and communities meet their needs. As a Registered Nurse (RN) and student at Southern New Hampshire University, I have learned about the different roles of human service professionals and nonprofessionals. I have also learned about how different agencies operate and the impact of service delivery. In my everyday life, I will be able to take the knowledge I have learned and use it to help my patients and my community.
As a RN, I come in contact with many different professionals in the human service field. There are health educators, mental health counselors, doctors, psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, and human service professionals and nonprofessionals. Often times, I encounter patients with substance abuse issues or behavioral disorders. Through my research in this class I have discovered there are services in the Rockingham County area I reside in that can help patients with substance abuse issues. A couple agencies are: The Center for Life Management and Community Partners. I understand I can take an active role in the referral process and can refer patients to agencies like these to patients in need. I have learned about community-based services including outreach and wrap around services. I now feel more confident in reaching out to the community. In fact, I would like to work closely with the outreach programs in our local community in order to help improve the health and wellness of individuals and the community at large.
Acting as an advocate for clients, I have learned to go through the steps in the helping process. I will have to look at the unique needs of the population and any environmental influences. In addition, I will have to know the laws at the local, state and federal level within Rockingham and Hillsborough County. It will be important to develop cooperative working relationships with agencies within the community and learn the resources available (Woodside & McClam, 2015).
As I work in my current profession as a RN and in my community, I will abide by the principles of the Code of Ethics in order to guide my ethical behavior. I plan to continue on learning and educating myself so that I may go on to build my profession and ultimately help improve the lives and welfare of individuals, their families, and my community.
