Reflection Paper On Human Services

After this course, I discovered my place in this field and how I am able to apply what I learned in this class in my daily life. I have always worried about how to interact with certain individuals that I may not come in contact with on a daily basis. I think most often than not you can be put in a situation you are not comfortable with, but in this field of work, it is important to be able to handle each person and expect them. The belief is that while the professional may not be specialized in all of the client groups there should be somewhat of a basic understanding of this person’s background and be able to accept them or they are not the client for you. Within the human services profession, you are going to come across many people from all different walks of life, this chapter expressed how we can move past these difficulties and apply these good qualities to our everyday lives.

At the beginning of my training, I was hesitant to work with people struggling with addiction. However, at this point, I am excited to begin working with this population. The raw honesty presented in the group setting along with the anger at the possibility of losing a safe place created a dynamic I wanted to further explore. Research supports that individuals attending group therapy in a 12 step program format succeed if they have the proper support and motivation (Cite). The group dynamic demonstrated that recovery takes time and self-discovery, similar to other situations dealt with in therapy. Subsequently, by using my sense of self and humor with clients struggling with addiction, I can help them in their journey. Furthermore, the client needs to identify accountability at their own pace in the process and not when others dictate. This knowledge and the personalization of addiction will aid me in the future support of my

The need for a substance abuse recovery home in Starke County, Indiana is a need that is unmistakable in the county based on the hefty number of individuals that suffer from substance abuse and dependency in the county which is clearly displayed by the recent number of crimes that are related to or involve illicit and prescription drugs. In attempt to meet this need and create an opportunity for individuals suffering from substance abuse and dependency to receive local substance abuse treatment in a recovery home the proposal will be presented to several stakeholders within the Starke County community. The term stakeholder “refers to those people who are affected, or could be affected, by the service” (Canadian Career Development Foundation, n.d.) that is being proposed. The proposal for the creation of a substance abuse recovery home will be presented to five key stakeholders including Ms. Becky Anspach the director of Community Services of Starke County, Starke County Community Corrections director of operations Mr. Robert Hinojosa, Ms. Dee Lynch the director of the Indiana Department of Child Services of Starke County, Porter Starke Services facilitator of intensive outpatient program treatment (IOP), and Ms. Rhonda Adcock the director of Starke County CASA.

The experience is humbling, and I appreciate community groups that provide this type of support for members with substance use issues, as I see this as strength-based. I felt a strong sense of bonding and great empathy towards one another. A Counter transference existed when the facilitators emotional and relapse experiences influenced an assertive reaction to strongly encourage NA attendance on members that decide to quit. The facilitator reported that quitting NA group, because he "felt better," led him to relapse, therefore, he wants to prevent others from making the same mistake.

Brighton Recovery Center for Women, located in Florence, KY is one of the fifteen recovery centers for women that serve only females affected with addiction. Their main focus is to assist low-income women to recover from addiction (drugs and alcohol) and return back to normal life and possibly reunite with their children

For instance, the program may not be as effective for women because the model does not emphasize empowerment (Traylor, 2015). Furthermore, the program is not equipped for everyone's needs. Some individuals may need therapy and/or medical treatment, such as detox which AA cannot provide (Rehab4alcoholism Staff, 2017). Moreover, because the program emphasizes the “reliance on a higher power” it can cause individuals to believe they are powerless to change without the higher power (Rehab4alcoholism Staff, 2017). Next, “the anonymity of AA has led some member to abuse other members” (Rehab4alcoholism Staff, 2017). Since members are subjected to a policy to protects people’s identity, many women have confessed to being sexually abused during or after a meeting. In fact, this issue has caused the program to eliminate the thirteenth step of the program: sponsoring (Rehab4alcoholism Staff, 2017). Besides this, many are subjected to AA as a result of court order. Hence, the members are not truly willing to recover. Thus, prohibiting the growth of the other members. Not to mention, AA can cause influential people to become involved with the wrong crowd. Since the program is community-based, participants are surrounded by those who may also be addicted to drugs. Hence, a young or influential person may get involved with drugs through the group setting (Rehab4alcoholism Staff, 2017).In other words, AA can influence peer pressure.

Throughout History Human Services made a big impact and a difference in our society as we know it today. Through the sociological era in the 1900's many were faced with challenges such as financial support for the poor and no support or guidance for the children, developmentally disabled and the mentally ill. Human Services make positive and lasting differences in peoples' lives, and they help improve the world.

I am currently working in the Human Services field at the Department of Juvenile Services (DJS). After reading Chapter 1 in the book, the part that stood out to me the most was about Social Control. Before reading to the end of the section, I immediately connected that with Juvenile Services. Having worked with juveniles and their families over the past 7 years, what I find interesting and disturbing at the same time is that a lot of parents have expressed that they and their families were in needs of human services prior to the youth coming in contact with juvenile services. Several expressed that they had been seeking services in an attempt to get help but had nowhere to turn to until the child had already gone too far. Once connected to

I learned quite a few things from my interview with Andrea. Some good and some not so much, but overall I was able to listen and learn about a different form of social work, and the work and situations that she goes through. The person I interviewed, Andrea Gregert, is a longtime friend who went to the University of Pennsylvania, studied psychology, and now works and teaches at UC Berkeley. She 's had extensive training in clinical psychology, and has experience in substance abuse and counseling. Andrea told me that the feeling of wanting to help others has always been with her. When I asked her what helped her decide on being a social worker her response was that someone in her early life had a problem with substance abuse and it affected her because she didn’t know how to help them at the time. Her wanting to help her friend pushed her to complete her doctorate in clinical psychology. I know it must have been a difficult journey to complete her education. She knew then that she could make a difference with the education that she received. She left me with a very passionate feeling about the field, and I 'm glad that I had the ability to interview her.

For those who suffer from substance abuse, there are often groups and programs created to help maintain sobriety, learn life lessons, relapse avoidance, and NA/AA groups, geared to work with both the mental illness as well as the addiction. In these clinics and facilities, there are often medication evaluations and consultations available, to monitor and help maintain medication adherence, and broaden understanding of the particular medications taken by patients. This

For my site visit and interview assignment for HP 2100, Health Planning, and Evaluation, I chose First at Blue Ridge Inc., a therapeutic community for people with substance abuse, and their Executive Director, Joseph A. Martinez, J.D. However, this was not my only time to visit the First. Several years back, I went to the First with a musician friend of mine for a band practice. Mr. Martinez is an accomplished bass and keyboard player. He gave us a brief tour of the compound and shared some of his personal history with recovery. The multiple building complexes are nestled in the woods in Ridgecrest, NC, just east of Black Mountain. The place and its residents had a familiar feel to it. You see, back

In June of the current year Dr. Thomas Russell, Executive Director, and Susan Smyth, Accountant, at the Bridgestone Behavioral Health Center were discussing the necessity of gaining a better understanding of how to monitor the Center’s operating and financial performance. Located in Cleveland, Ohio, Bridgestone provides prevention, intervention, and treatment services for individuals with substance abuse problems. Bridgestone’s management is concerned about its financial performance after realizing a loss in the prior year although a small profit was projected. Despite management’s concern and attention of Bridgestone’s profitability troubles, the

For the purpose of confidentiality and anonymity, I have changed the patients name and throughout of the reflection I will refer to them as Mrs Smith.

My placement is at Gateway Youth in Elmont. Gateway is a prevention program specializing in working with youth between the ages of 5-17 who are in conflict with their family, in need of academic or emotional support, or who are involved in the juvenile court system. Services provided include case management, crisis intervention, and advocacy with the schools, court, and community. As a social work intern, I am placed at Gotham Ave Elementary School working with third graders. At this school, Gateway Youth provides an after-school program for students that need supervision with their homework and inclusion in activities before their parents can pick them up.

A helping profession is one that nurtures the growth of or addresses the problems of a person's physical, psychological, intellectual, emotional or spiritual well-being.