DB1

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Electrical Engineering

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Dec 6, 2023

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DB1 The history of community counseling approach is focused on activism and serving as a system of practitioners as change agents based on an understanding of people in the context of community and cultural concerns (Scott & Wolfe, 2015, p. 2). The practice emerged and continues to grow birthed out of the historical social and political movements of the 60s and continues through modern movements in the wake of “me too”, the death of George Floyd, income inequality and a host of other social, political and cultural concerns plaguing society today. This school of community-based psychology focuses on promoting change from influence both in academic circles, as well as local community practitioners to strengthen the capacity to care for individuals to promote wellness, social justice, equity and self-actualization through systems, organizational and individual change (Scott & Wolfe, 2015, pp. 2-3). In my observations, while the community-based approach seeks to develop organizational and systematic change, many of the efforts are left to academics and local lines of effort which are often fractured, or duplicate efforts making little change or only responding to rapid emergencies such as a flood of migrants with limited local resources, or COVID outbreaks and lack of medical care for low-income families, etc. This limits collective approaches or interagency approaches to address the root causes and real issues and often turns into duplication of efforts vice what Grace Adams calls a strengths-based approach. Grace Adams in her TedTalk entitled Beyond the status quo: 3 steps to strength-based community building (n.d.) draws out 3 barriers that I have noted in my own community, especially in a heavy military centric and veteran population community. The first barrier is assuming expertise where we inflate our abilities. The second is working in isolation with stovepipe approaches. The third is working on emergencies and acute needs without addressing root causes and long-term solutions. In my own community I see this happening with veterans emerging out of 20 years of war, often untreated with PTSD, leading to maladaptive coping, substance abuse, lack of disability and financial support, lack of quality mental health and healthcare and “military specialty” groups claiming expertise in care that is overtaxed and does not partner with local government, community resources, churches and faith based organizations, and exiting veterans organizations such as the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars. Unfortunately, I see too many of these groups and volunteers marginalized in lieu of the “experts”, or through politics and authorities. Even worse, many of our churches do not share resources or plan collaboratively for community support (such as shelters, homeless meals, clothing drives, etc.) drawn on denominational lines or other divisive reasons. The true answer according to Adams is collaboration where community-based organizations and entities become bridge builders and partners vice competitors and provide cross-sector alignment with a strengths-based approach. Further, she suggests that there is a need for a parallel process that equally responds to acute needs, but equally focused on defining underlying problems to assist with planning and long-term solutions for real change. If we don’t collaborate and partner, we will keep reinventing the wheel trying to start new initiatives vice capitalizing on strengths within the community for change.

I see opportunities for churches, faith-based organizations, veteran’s organizations, volunteer- based organizations, government organizations, policy makers and legislators and educators to come together to promote change. The Bible helps give a model to this collaboration where in the early church, the church brought their tithes and offerings to the church as the storehouse (Malachi 3:10), to care for the widows and orphans (1 Tim. 5:3-16) and those families could not take care of as kinsmen redeemers (Ruth). James 1:27 teaches that “ “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress.” In Romans 13:3-4 the Bible gives responsibility to the church to care for those in need, yet the church has failed, and government has usurped biblical responsibility for the churches failure. James 2:14-17 says “What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also, faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” To that end, in modern society, the church must step up as a partner in a collaborative strengths-based approach to meet community needs, and once again become relevant, which in turn helps promote the gospel. Bibliography Adams, G. B. (n.d.). Beyond the status quo: 3 steps to strength-based community building . Grace Bagwell Adams: Beyond the Status Quo: 3 Steps to Strength-Based Community Building | TED Talk. Retrieved February 16, 2023, from https://www.ted.com/talks/grace_bagwell_adams_beyond_the_status_quo_3_steps_to_stre ngth_based_community_building Scott, V. C., & Wolfe, S. M. (2015). Community Psychology Foundations for Practice . SAGE.

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