Running head: AN OVERVIEW OF HUMAN SERVICESAn overview of Human ServicesCarrie RuffinUniversity of PhoenixHuman Services Goal As a result of various barriers (examples: unemployment, lack of resources, and support groups) many individuals require assistance meeting their needs, here the human service professional becomes essential. ??? Providing efficient, effective, integrated, and accessible services that support individual and family efforts to achieve independence and self-sufficiency,??? is a human service professional??™s aim. According to Introduction to Human Services: Through the Eyes of Practice Settings by Michelle E. Martin, ??? the chief goal of the human service professional is to support individuals as well as communities so that they function at their maximum potential, overcoming personal and social barriers as effectively as possible in the major domains of living.??? The occupation of Human Services has always existed, though not named as such and has seen many phases. People have extended a helping hand to their fellow man in times of need throughout history. The names of such services and outlooks have changed but the purpose served still remains the same. This practice dates back to biblical times.
Human Services History In the middle ages they practiced the feudal system, where the poor (peasants or ??? serfs???) would farm the land of the wealthy. The serfs then became the landowners (lords) property. The landowners in return provided and cared for them. This practice eventually dissolved as a result of natural disasters and increased demand for factory workers in some cities.
The dissolution of the feudal system greatly influenced the treatment of the poor. Around 1536, England??™s relief act forced the cities to be searched for the less fortunate. Upon location, they were investigated, and a judgment was then made either labeling them ??? worthy??? or ??? unworthy.??? The ??? worthy??? poor were people incapable of work because of to illness, age, or certain conditions. These individuals were given authorization to beg or some form of assistance was given in order for their needs to be met.
The ??? unworthy??? poor were everyone else, those considered to be ??? able-bodied,??? men and women who did not work. They were well thought-out to be vagrants and severely punished by whippings, naked parading through the streets, being deported, or imprisoned. Death or dismemberment was punishment for repeat offenders. The evolution of the Elizabethan Poor Laws of 1601 provided relief for the poor and was the basis for the social welfare policy of the United States. ??? This act established three driving principles as the foundation for social legislation including the belief that: the primary responsibility for provision lay with one??™s family, poor relief should be handled at the local level, and finally, no individual should be allowed to move to a new community if they were unable to provide for themselves financially.
??? The Charity Organization Societies (COS) movement started in 1870, by Rev. S. Humphreys Gurteen, was well organized and kept detailed records of individuals seeking assistance. This avoided possible welfare abuse. The COS incorporated home visitations into their plan to help the needy. These were the first forms of social workers.
In attempts to keep individuals from becoming dependent and to keep them motivated, their recipients did not acquire money as a form of assistance. During the latter nineteenth century, African Americans and women surfaced in the human services movement. This was a close-knit, yet widespread society in view of the fact there were very few African American social workers. The need arose as a result of racism, depriving the black community of services such as: educational opportunities and health care.
The Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority went to extremes, providing health services form cars, to help the sharecroppers in Mississippi. Other advocates rallied against lynching and education opportunities. As a result of the Depression of 1929, President Roosevelt created 15 federal programs under the New Deal as a result of the Depression. Some of which are still in effect, FDIC (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation), which provides insurance for deposits and the SEC (Securities and Exchange Committee), which regulates the stock market. Roosevelt also created the Social Security Act of 1935, which provided old age assistance, unemployment compensation, and aid to dependent mothers and children, the blind, and disabled. Intervention Strategies and Ethical Considerations As human services professionals there are certain skills and intervention strategies that must be learned, acknowledged, and adhered. One must be empathetic, compassionate as well as a good listener, and a good judge of character.
One must employ patience, so that during initial assessments one does not conclude a diagnosis prematurely or incorrectly. One must observe the client in totality, by listening not only to what the speaker is saying but also to body language. Family genograms, a graph of family history, and psychological testing are also tools that human services professionals should make good use of.
The human services worker should always be mindful of his or her duty to his or her client as well as to the public. Although the human service professional??™s relationship with their client is confidential, there are limitations. For instance, if the client has voiced the intent to harm him or herself, or others, the professional is allowed to break the confidentiality to protect those in danger. All consent should be written and signed (informed) and clients should be told of the limitations of said confidentiality agreements. Ethics and values are also important components involved in human services. Individuals involved in human services should practice good ethical behavior professionally at all times. These standards are ??? based on a foundational value system designed to tell us what good behavior is and what bad behavior is.
??? Cultural influences are another factor to consider when dealing with ethics. ??? What one culture considers abnormal, another culture considers perfectly normal??? (Garcia et al). Human services professionals must let ethics outweigh their emotions when making judgments.
There may be times when emotions do lead the way, but as a standard rule of thumb ethics should be the judge. Professional ethics codes are always changing and should be evaluated and debated openly to ensure validity. There are cases in which the professional??™s ethics may be questioned and evaluated. As a result, in 1984 Kitchener developed a guide for professionals to use based on four assumptions, ???(1) autonomy- whether or not the professional acted with free will, (2) beneficence- whether his or her actions involved evil, illegal, or (3) nonmaleficence- harmful intentions, and (4) justice- whether these acts were carried out in a manner that respected the rights and dignity of all involved parties.??? ??? Human service professionals are unique among the helping professionals in that they are more likely to be working in a broader range of practice settings, with a broader range of clients.??? Referenceswww.
pwc. gov. orgMichelle E. Martin.
(2007) Introduction to Human Services: Through the Eyes of PracticeSettings. Allyn & Bacon, Inc. A Pearson Education CompanyIdit Weiss-Gal, Yael Benyamini, Karni Ginzburg, Riki Savaya, and Einat Peled. (April 2009)Social Worker??™ and Service Users??™ Causal Attributions for Poverty. Magazine/Journal
