Week 9 Discussion Response to Classmates
I NEED THIS TODAY 08/01/2020 BY 10PM
Please no plagiarism and make sure you are able to access all resources on your own before you bid. You need to have scholarly support for any claim of fact or recommendation regarding treatment. APA format also requires headings. Use the prompt each week to guide your heading titles and organize the content of your initial post under the appropriate headings. Remember to use scholarly research from peer-reviewed articles that is current. Please follow the instructions to get full credit for the discussion. Each classmates document is attached.
Read your classmates’ postings. Respond to your classmates’ postings.
Respond in one or more of the following ways:
Demonstrating basic consultation skills (e.g., empathy, validation, positive regard, etc.).
Utilizing open-ended questions and perception checking
Engaging in collaborative solution development with your consultee regarding their identified areas for growth and/or areas for strengthening their portfolio
Clarifying what your consultee would find helpful from you and respond to the consultees needs.
1. Classmate (K. McLean)
Good afternoon Class:
The two parts in my portfolio that I can use help with are in the sections; Ethical Guidance and believe it or not my introduction. The ethical guidance section of my portfolio I think can use better guidelines than I have chosen. I think my introduction is weak and can use more of something.
2. Classmate (T. Carter)
Throughout working on this portfolio, I had a hard time identifying protective and risk factors. Identifying factors that could help prevent a client from falling into recidivism or other social problems. I guess for me I assume that each client is different so it is hard to identify it for a particular group of people. As far as areas of competency as a counselor, I find it difficult relating to individuals from different life journeys and sometimes when it’s drug-related I’m frankly a little scared. I also struggle in the area of public speaking but I would like to eventually work in groups. I enjoyed the exercises during Pre-practicum 2 when we worked on hosting a group. That’s more than 2 areas but I welcome the peer consultation.
3. Classmate (J. Herring)
Thank you for taking the time to provide feedback in areas of my portfolio where I am struggling a bit.
One of the areas I feel that needs more work is Diversity and Ethical Considerations. I feel that I am hitting the talking points in a round about way but am not drawing specifics to the areas of concern. For example, in Hawaii culture and diversity is what makes this island so unique to the rest of the world however I don’t feel I am getting that point across well enough.
The other area I struggle with is Theories of Prevention. Although I found a lot of research that would support Solution-Focused group type therapy for homeless or at risk youth in this area, I am not sure if the information I provided is enough and clear enough for the reader to understand how this can help to address the homeless population in my community.
Required Resources
Dougherty, A. M. (2013). Prevention and consultation. In R. K. Conyne & A. M. Horne (Eds.). Prevention practice kit: Action guides for mental health professionals (pp. 13-28). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.
Newman, D. S., & Ingraham, C. L. (2017) Consultee-centered consultation: Contemporary perspectives and a framework for the future, Journal of Educational & Psychological Consultation, 27(1), 1-12, DOI: 10.1080/10474412.2016.1175307
COUN 6785: Social Change in Action:
Prevention, Consultation, and Advocacy
Social Change Portfolio
Chasity Bilzing
Introduction: Addressing the Homeless Population in Oahu, Hawaii
The state of Hawaii is a place that many people dream of visiting in a lifetime. The luscious scenery and picturesque beaches seen in photos of Hawaii are a vision that many people that have never visited think about when planning a vacation. Where this information about the islands is very true, it does not paint a picture of what the islanders call the real Hawaii. Those that live here are able to experience first hand the not so glorious aspects about life in Hawaii and one of the biggest concerns of the community being that a majority of the population is suffering from living in poverty Due to the high numbers of individuals living in the community living at or below the poverty level, the homeless population continues to grow in the state. This portfolio specifically addresses communities living in poverty as well as the homeless population of Oahu, Hawaii.
Part 1: Scopes and Consequences
The growing population of the homeless community in Oahu, Hawaii sparks a major concern in the mental health community that could be dramatically changed with a prevention program aimed at addressing direct concerns with those individuals that are homeless in the community. The island of paradise is one that does not lack scenery and tranquility for many vacationers, however those living in the community struggle in various financial areas as well as lack the mental health support that many need in order to be successful living the rich island lifestyle. Research on the homeless population in Oahu states that Hawaii has the highest number of homeless population per capita in the nation (Engfer, 2017). Compared to a national average of 19 homeless individuals per 10,000; Hawaiis homeless population is 45 to every 10,000 (Engfer, 2017). When looking at the data compared to the national average as well as the geological size of the state in comparison to others, the homeless community should be a major concern for the state as well as the rest of the nation. The direct consequences of the homeless community is that mental health concerns as well as addiction concerns can lead to high levels of crime, exposure to disease, or even suicide (Engfer,2017). It also puts children and youth at further risk of developing many of the same issues and increases the risk of teen runaways in the area (Engfer, 2017).
Homelessness in Oahu, Hawaii can be addressed by putting in place a prevention program aimed directly at mental health awareness and services in the community.
Part 2: Social- Ecological Model
In order to configure if this plan is suitable for the community as well as obtainable, risk and protective factors should be evaluated in order to determine various levels of awareness. The Social-Ecological Model helps to identify risk and protective factors at five different levels that include individual, peer, family, school, and community/culture (Swearer & Hymel, 2015). Applying the Social-Ecological Model to address a prevention program for homelessness in Hawaii that is aimed directly at mental health awareness and services in the community will help to determine the need for social change on this topic in the community.
Individual- Risk factors that can lead to homelessness in the community are age, childhood trauma, substance use, and mental health issues. Many reports on those found homeless in Hawaii have one or all of these risk factors that could place an individual at risk for becoming homeless on an individual level. Protective factors include receiving services for mental illnesses and substance abuse, an absence of substance use, as well as developed coping skills.
Peer- Risk factors that involve peers that could contribute to homelessness in this community include: having negative peer influence, being involved with other peers that are homeless, lack of social skills and antisocial behaviors. Peer influence begins to weigh heavily on an individual’s life choices beginning in early adolescence and therefore could either positively and negatively influence choices that lead to homelessness (Tyler & Ray, 2019). Protective factors include having close peers that positively influence the individual and having developed social skills and confidence that aids in decision making.
Family- Risk factors that involve the family include: having family members that were previously or currently homeless, experience abuse and/or violence,financial stress and poverty and dealing with divorce and separation. In Hawaii, family influence is the most important factor in the decision making process and life choices of an individual. In most cases, individuals that experience one or more of these risk factors are more than likely to be put at higher risk of becoming homeless (Tyler & Ray, 2019). Protective factors include financial stability, living with both parents present, and no experiences with abuse and violence in the family.
School- Risk factors that involve school include: no graduating high school/dropping out and a lack in quality of education based on low standards of learning as well as financial stress (Tanabe & Mobley, 2011). The school systems in Hawaii have some of the highest numbers of teen dropouts as well as a low standard of education in the state(Tanabe & Mobley, 2011) . The quality of education is low due to many of the state living below poverty and lack of funding for school systems. Protective factors include: successful graduation from high school and investment in higher education/vocational programs post graduation.
Community/Culture: Risk factors that involve community and culture include: living in an area of poverty, housing availability, and employment difficulties. As stated previously, Hawaii has some of the highest numbers of those individuals living in poverty in our country making housing unaffordable to many (Engfer, 2017). Many of the state thrives financially from local and family businesses due to cultural responsibility and tradition (Engfer,2017). Protective factors include: living above the poverty line, being employed, and having access to affordable housing.
Part 3: Theories of Prevention
Tackling and properly addressing homelessness in Hawaii is a major issue that includes many different pieces to discuss in order to find an overall solution. Since homelessness in the state has been an ongoing issue for so many years there may not be one solution that can address the issue. Solution-focused therapy was designed to push clients to solve problems that were currently existing so that they may move forward in life (Franklin, Zhang, Froerer, & Johnson, 2017). With Solution-Focused Therapy, the cause of the problem is relevant however, not necessary in finding a solution for the current problem (Franklin, Zhang, Froerer, & Johnson, 2017). Through various types of research on the topic of homelessness in Hawaii, the causation behind the problem is different in each individual and family however, little research supports a solution-focused method in order to drive change in this area specifically. Solution-Focused therapy seems appropriate in this situation to focus on ways to solve the rise in homelessness and not on homelessness itself.
Researchers in Waikiki, Hawaii did a study on homelessness in youth using a solution-focused method. Participants were placed in a group setting where they worked to move past the reasoning behind what made them homeless and refocus on ways to move forward from their current situation (Walker, 2008). Solution-Focused techniques such as goal-setting and focusing on the strengths of others were used to guide participants in finding ways to get out of their current situation (Walker, 2008). The same type of approach could be very useful when working with the homeless population in Hawaii. Since homelessness is so widespread, the use of grouping individuals that have similarities in their situation can help focus on the needs of the community. During group techniques such as goal setting, focusing on strengths, and miracle questioning can be applied and results recorded in a series of 12 weeks.
Part 4: Diversity and Ethical Considerations
Hawaii is full of a diverse population of people that have decided to call Hawaii home. These people come from all walks of life, age rage, from all over various parts of the world. The same is true about the homeless population in the state. Being homeless is simply a way of life for many that live here (Engfer, 2017). Many individuals find living a simple life holds true to the original culture of the island. Due to this, the demographics of different populations that are homeless is also diverse (Engfer, 2017). Although very diverse and difficult to pinpoint, the homeless adolescent and youth population is a common theme that is continuously looked at in various studies over time. Ethical considerations when working with the homeless youth population need to be considered when looking into ways to solve homelessness on the island. When working with youth, professionals should be aware that consent is necessary from a parent or legal guardian before proceeding with treatment or studies or any type (Tyler & Ray, 2019). Obtaining consent is not all the time easily obtained since many parents are not available or unwilling for their children to participate or be questioned about anything (Tyler & Ray, 2019). Many of the homeless population of children tend to also be runaways. Many of the youth that have been found homeless is due to underlying factors such as childhood trauma, abuse, or simply always have been raised homeless from birth (Tyler & Ray, 2019). These factors are essential when forming a plan to better help the population since many of the homeless population have been found to be children and adolescents.
Part 5: Advocacy
As professional counselors advocate for target groups it is imperative to become aware of multicultural and social barriers that may be present at various levels. The Multicultural and Social Justice Counseling Competencies (MSJCC) was formed to ensure that professionals are thinking of all aspects of how their work can affect individuals and groups across all levels and to ensure that counselors adhere to guidelines to provide counsel and information that is well-rounded and researched (MSJCC, 2015). Various barriers are examined in addressing homelessness in the state of Hawaii to better understand how to best address the problem.
Institutional: When looking into school systems and organizations in Hawaii a major barrier to addressing social change towards homelessness would be the state’s value and funding of the education that many students are receiving or not receiving. The funding for many extracurricular and informative programs are not available in the budget for schools and therefore would have a difficult time providing programs and support for addressing mental health concerns or students as well as addressing their needs due to homelessness (Swearer & Hymel, 2015). If the state cannot provide funding or support for needed mental health concerns, a barrier would present itself in further this social change proposal. Professionals could advocate easily in the school systems by volunteering their time to speak with different groups about mental health and homelessness and how it can affect children.
Community: When looking at community barriers to change, values and social norms should be held important to professionals advocating for change (MSJCC, 2015). As stated previously, in many cases of homelessness, the individual has grown up always being homeless and is considered a traditional way of life on the island. Although being homeless puts many adolescents at risk for additional challenges in life, it is a traditional and cultural norm that is very sensitive to the communities that have always been homeless (Engfer, 2017). Pushing for change is this area could unintentionally upset community members based on cultural values and community norms and traditions.
Public Policy: Many of Hawaiis public policies dealing with the homeless population try to be as open as possible in addressing the fact that homelessness is a major problem in the state. The Hawaii Homelessness Initiative has been created in the last five years to place major focus and funding on creating support for the homeless community and formulating policies that address these needs of the state (City and County of Honolulu, 2019). Although there had been a decrease in the amount of homeless individuals in the state, the numbers still continue to be higher than other states. One action that may advocate for further public policy is for professionals to present themselves and advocate on the state level to further input and address the specific needs of the community.
References
City and County of Honolulu (2019). Approaches to Homelessness. Retrieved from: http://www.honolulu.gov/housing/homelessness/ohou-what.html
Engfer, K. (2017). Homeless in Paradise: A Phenomenological Study of Psychological Dynamics with the Homeless on Oahu. Journal of Ethnographic & Qualitative Research, 12(2), 142156
Franklin, C., Zhang, A., Froerer, A., & Johnson, S. (2017). Solution focused brief therapy: A systematic review and metasummary of process research. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 43(1), 1630.
https://doi-org.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/10.1111/jmft.12193
Multicultural and Social Justice Counseling Competencies. (2015). Retrieved from: https://www.counseling.org/docs/default-source/competencies/multicultural-and-social-justice-counseling-competencies.pdf?sfvrsn=20
Swearer, S. M., & Hymel, S. (2015). Understanding the psychology of bullying: Moving toward a social-ecological diathesisstress model. American Psychologist, 70(4), 344-353.
Tanabe, C. S., & Mobley, I. H. (2011). The Forgotten Students: The Implications of Federal Homeless Education Policy for Children in Hawaii. Brigham Young University Education & Law Journal, 2011(1), 5174.
Tyler, K. A., & Ray, C. M. (2019). Risk and protective factors for substance use among youth experiencing homelessness. Children and Youth Services Review, 107.
https://doi-org.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2019.104548
Walker, L. (2008). Waikiki Youth Circles: Homeless youth learn goal setting skills. Journal of Family Psychotherapy, 19(1), 8591. https://doi-org.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/10.1080/08975350801904213 COUN 6785: Social Change in Action:
Prevention, Consultation, and Advocacy
Social Change Portfolio
Tammy Carter
INTRODUCTION
[Social Change in Action: Recidivism in America]
Within the legal concept, the term recidivism refers to the tendency of an offender to recommit the crime they committed. A report by the California Department of Corrections, more than 65% of offenders released from the prison system end up returning to prison within three years (California Innocence Project, 2020). Additionally, 73% of the recidivist were found to have committed new crimes or violated their parole within the first year. The highest recidivism is seen among criminals who had earlier committed property crime. The California Department of Corrections states that these criminals have a higher likelihood of recidivism compared to others convicted of serious crimes (California Innocence Project, 2020). The rates have been shown to increase continually, with the estimates being at 62% failure in rehabilitation for the benefit of the ability of prisoners to get the right environment to learn and change (California Innocence Project, 2020).
Compared to the national statistics, California shows similar trends to that of the national rates/ statistics. A report by the Pew Center in April of 2011 showed the average national recidivism rate to be 43% (Agenyi, 2017). Another report by the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) indicated that the recidivism rate was 68% among a sample of 405,000 prisoners in 30 states with the duration of recidivism being three years after being released from prison. The rate increased to 77% within a period of five years. A bigger concern is that the national statistics indicates that 37% of all prisoners arrested within 5 years of release were taken back to prison within 6 months after their release (Agenyi, 2017). At the same time, by the end of the year more than half of the prisoners (57%) are often re-arrested.
PART 1: SCOPE AND CONSEQUENCES
[Social Change in Action: Recidivism in America]
Goal Statement: Develp a more stable societal culture that encourages, but also allows former convictsto re-enter the society.
Mentally, convicts who are in and out of prison are unable to survive in the society or assimilating into the society. At the same time, the society gets to develop a negative perspective of the prisoners with the fear that they can always revert to their crimes or even commit bigger crimes. As such, mentally, recidivism is affecting the balance within the society in terms of re-acceptance of anyone who was convicted of a crime and imprisoned. The rates of recidivism increase the negative perception of the society when welcoming back convicts released from prison since there is the fear they will repeat the same crime in six months if not within a year. The convicts are the most affected since the society starts painting a negative picture about them and their capability to survive in the society. Finding work becomes an issue, getting a good lifestyle becomes an issue, and they become unable to survive independently forcing them back into crime.
Economically, recidivism places significant burden on the economy due to the amount the government invests in the management of prisons. If rehabilitation cannot be efficient as projected the costs invested in the management of the correctional facilities is done twice. The costs of managing the process of incarceration, rehabilitation, medical care, and even vocational trainings within the correctional facilities are often part of the taxpayers’ contribution. By re-investing the same efforts and finance towards ensuring that, the convicted are catered for results in huge financial burdens in the economy. Recidivism also results in the reduction of the number of workforce available within an economy. Re-incarceration often results in a significant reduction in the number of skilled workers able to work on a normal shift. Reduction in the number of workers results in reduction of productivity and economic growth. At the same time, re-incarceration leads to significant reductions in performance levels. Significant contributors in the economy end up lagging behind due to low performance rates and worker burnouts.
PART 2: SOCIAL-ECOLOGICAL MODEL
[Social Change in Action: Recidivism in America]
One of the most significant risks of recidivism among offenders is substance abuse. Offenders who have become addicted during their incarceration or before incarceration are at a higher risk of relapsing even after being released from prison due to the ease in accessing the drugs within the society. The hardship in terms of getting a stable working environment, a stable earning, and decent job often increases the desire to relapse back to drugs as a way out. However, this is interconnected to family perception and values about prisoners. The society is skeptical about the re-entering of offenders into the society. The same perception is also adopted into the work environment leading to inability of employers to trust past offenders in their business or give them a chance to work in their organization.
Another significant risk of recidivism among past offenders is association with gangs or criminal activities. Gang members have shown high recidivism rates compared to non-gang affiliated past offenders. The association with gangs often places offenders at risk of being part of a criminal activity. Lack of a table societal setting that allows them to find the right support to remain stable in the first year after being released increases the possibilities of a past offender considering crime as a way out of their predicaments. Considering the ease in accessing finances and even association with people who do not judge among gangs, offenders easily associate with crime and gangs.
PART 3: THEORIES OF PREVENTION
[Social Change in Action: Recidivism in America]
One of the theories that can be efficient in the management of recidivism in the society is theory of containment. According to Lilly, Cullen, and Ball (2018), the theory of containment refers to the evaluation of the relationship between personal and social controls. The theory considers there are various external social factors and internal qualities that insulate individuals from engaging in criminal activities even in situations where the ecological variables induce engagement in crime (Lilly, Cullen, & Ball, 2018). The theory is implemented as a barrier to helping offenders from doing the same crime again. The structures of the theory act as defense models to help protect the offender from being engaged in external pressures. The determination of the specific factors/ triggers to certain actions might work for the benefit of the offender since they can avoid the scenarios that might trigger recidivism.
The second theory to consider is the rational choice theory that considers that crimes are committed out of free will of the criminal. According to the rational choice theory, a criminal is responsible for their actions and the decision to commit a crime is dependent on their decisions rather than factors/ triggers (Newman & Clarke, 2016). A decision is dependent on the evaluation of choices and ramifications of the actions of an individual even before they make the decision. As such, when an individual is convicted of the crime, the theory considers that the actions of the individual are an evaluation of both the positives and negatives. The consequences of a decision are considered as deterrence that the offender should consider in either taking the action or not.
PART 4: DIVERSITY AND ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS
[Social Change in Action: Recidivism in America]
The African Americans are the most affected population that is affected by the issue of recidivism in America. The African American population is living in abject poverty or is lacking the necessary cultural support to thrive in the predefined society. Most of the African-American populations have to work more than the Hispanic Whites to make ends meet. The number of incarcerations among the African American population increases yearly with a significant percentage being within correctional facilities even for crimes they did not commit. Lack of a support system that allows them to remain stable, have a decent job, and have a support system from families and friends to help them when in need (Doherty, Cwick, Green, & Ensminger, 2016). The society already has a negative perception towards the minority groups, which is a foundation for the high number of hate crimes committed by African Americans.
The biggest factor leading to the increase in recidivism among the African Americans is racism. According to Lockwood, Nally, and Ho (2016), racial inequality has increased the possibilities of offenders being re-incarcerated due to racial profiling that in some cases are done due to personal biases. For ex-prisoners, re-entering the society with the available biases only complicates their rate of preventing possible recidivism. The lack of a stable environment to support the ex-offenders and give them a platform to develop themselves while assimilating into the society leads to recidivism and more sentencing. A community where racial inequality is high often leads to an increase in recidivism among the African American population. Among other African Americans, the perceived negativity in the society towards them is a factor that often leads to many of the population being incarcerated or held for small crimes. Forceful arrests and warrantless arrests are among the leading issues related to first time and even subsequent arrests of African American population.
PART 5: ADVOCACY
[Social Change in Action: Recidivism in America]
One of the programs to consider for recidivism in the society is the Reintegration of Ex-Offenders (RExO) Program that was established with the focus of reducing the number of arrests within the society. Since its establishment, the program has not shown positive outcomes considering the program has not shown any form of adjustments in the number of recidivism among the population. One of the approaches in enhancing cultural relevance of the program is through establishing a community awareness program where the statistics of the issue are discussed and associated to the consequences of the issue in relation to the society. Discussing the issue on a public platform allows the society to be involved directly in the process, raise their concerns, their fears, and change their perspectives towards offenders.
Another approach to consider would be lobbying with the involvement of the local and state governments on some of the changes needed to improve on its effectiveness within the society. Establishing a lobbying program ensures that the awareness program is run continuously and the society is involved even if it is done in stages. The advantage is that there is proper planning, proper engagement of the key players and implementation of changes is attained efficiently. The engagement of the society and other third-parties helps increase the scope of the program and enhance the perspective integrated into finding the solution to the issue.
References
Agenyi, J. (2017, May 31). Recidivism in the United States – An Overview. Retrieved from Atlas Corps: https://atlascorps.org/recidivism-united-states-overview/
California Innocence Project. (2020). Recidivism Rates. Retrieved from California Innocence Project: https://californiainnocenceproject.org/issues-we-face/recidivism-rates/
Doherty, E. E., Cwick, J. M., Green, K. M., & Ensminger, M. E. (2016). Examining the consequences of the prevalent life events of arrest and incarceration among an urban African-American cohort. Justice quarterly, 33(6), 970-999.
Lilly, J. R., Cullen, F. T., & Ball, R. A. (2018). Criminological theory: Context and consequences. Los Angeles: Sage publications.
Lockwood, S. K., Nally, J. M., & Ho, T. (2016). Race, education, employment, and recidivism among offenders in the United States: An exploration of complex issues in the Indianapolis metropolitan area. International Journal of Criminal Justice Sciences, 11(1), 57.
Newman, G., & Clarke, R. V. (2016). Rational choice and situational crime prevention: Theoretical foundations. New York, NY.: Routledge. COUN 6785: Social Change in Action:
Prevention, Consultation, and Advocacy
Social Change Portfolio
Kimberly Mclean
Introduction
In my community, the suicide rate has risen again.Many teenagers, adolescents, and adults are committing suicide.Tennesseesuicide rateis the highest it has been in 5 years according to the Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network.They stated the most deaths were white, middle-aged males that have decided to terminate their life.This is a deep concern that needs to be addressed at every level. If we do not create an effective prevention plan to reduce the suicide rate our communities will suffer greatly. Although the rate is high for the middle-aged males I want to expound on the adolescent’s and teens’ suicide and how we can reduce the numbers.
Scope and Consequences
The adolescent’s and teenagers’ numbers for suicide have risen and the people that are terminating their lives are not your typicalindividuals. These are leaders in different positions at school, in academics, sports, and on the honor roll. We are also seeing children that have experienced trauma committing suicide as well. We are seeing adolescents and teens that have been victims of bullying mentally and/or physically committing suicide. Although when a peer committed suicide it affects other students from the school that knew the victim. It can have a different effect on people, one person can cry and keep going where the other person may break down and cannot concentrate or function in school for a while. So many different things go through the survivors mind especially if they were close to the suicide victim.
According to Rollinghilldhospital.org, teen suicide has risen from 2005 at 855 that year to 1163 in 2017. In the U.S. more than 47,137 adolescents or teens have committedsuicide from the ages of 10 years to 24.They have listed suicide by age groups and the highest rate ages were from 35 years to 54 years of age. Then they listed them by Race/Ethnicity; Black-6.0%, Hispanic-7.3%, White-19.9%.
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