Human Services and Attitudes towards Clients of Human Services - Essay Example

Human Services and Attitudes towards of Human Services Human Services The society consists of people with different capabilities, with different characteristics, and of different statuses economically, and socially. It consists of people who have too much for themselves, and those who do not even have anything to eat. The society also consists of people with different types of disabilities, and people with different health problems. People live through these experiences, and as time passes by, they find improved ways of dealing with them. People used to have fears and superstitions about mental illnesses, or other disabilities. Epilepsy for example, was believed to be a mark of the devil. The society has evolved over time to understand mechanisms and physical causes of disease. The society is more informed about people’s situations such as poverty, disabilities, and mental illnesses (WSDSHS, 2014). Today’s society responds to poverty by providing support to the poor, through various programs. Its progress towards understanding its people has led to the development of human services. Human services are those offered in diverse settings such as family, youth service, and child agencies, group homes, correctional facilities, programs concerned with alcoholism, drug abuse, aging, and family violence, disability centres, and community mental health centres. The main aim of offering such services is to help the needy (WSDSHS, 2014). Since there are several types of needs that human services focus on, it has developed into a complex network of helping organizations and agencies, solely focused on assisting those who are in need. A variety of services are incorporated, and these include but not limited to; corrections, public health, family, child, and youth services, crisis intervention, mental health, and education and employment (Woodside & McClam, 2014). These human services settings are made up of an interdisciplinary knowledge base, which focuses on prevention and solution of problems, and ensuring a commitment to improved quality of life of the service populations. Through these settings, the quality of direct services, accountability among professionals, accessibility, is improved. Over the years, members of the society acted differently to ensure the needs of the society are met. Citizens have led charities and founded hospitals, state institutions have been reformed by superintendents, advocates have won cases targeting people with disabilities, and leaders have mobilized the political will to create human service programs. Thus, leading to the development of a variety of programs with different functions (Burger, 2013). Burger (2013) indicates that the human needs determine the type of human services that the society offers. He argues that the human services are classified according to the human needs, so that if there are physiological needs, then human services will target satisfying the physiological needs. Marslow’s theory of human needs indicates that human needs are classified into physiological, safety, belongingness and love, esteem, and need for self actualization. These needs exist in a form of hierarchy where physiological needs come first, and self actualization comes last. One has to be satisfied for an individual or society to seek the need in the next level. Based on this theory, it means human services agencies are also classified into those that provide physiological needs, safety needs, and so on. In this case however, the society does not satisfy the physiological needs before advancing to meet the safety needs (Burger, 2013). Each individual in the society belongs to a different level of needs. There are those who belong to the physiological needs category. Private and government institutions provide all these needs at the same level, because the agencies are able to identify these needs and develop institutions that will respond appropriately. Take an example of the criminal justice system. This includes corrections and enforcements which are planned to meet safety needs. Safety needs come second in Marslow’s hierarchy, but in provision of human services, the society needs it anytime. Additionally, each individual in the society has his or her own physiological need. Homeless person has a responsibility to find a home and food to eat as their physiological needs. On the other hand, a disabled person who suffers stigmatization due to discrimination has a responsibility to fight discrimination as his physiological need (Burger, 2013). Wake Forest University provides two classifications of human services; mental health services, and social services. Social services focus on the change on overall quality of life, while mental health services aim at changing one’s mental outlook or behaviour. According to information from Wake Forest University (2014), the society has several members that need assistance in order to meet their basic needs, or have a higher quality of life. Such are the elderly, disabled, immigrants, homeless, crime victims, refugees, substance abusers, and crime offenders. Social services provide these, and improve the quality of lives of the groups concerned. Developmentally disabled people for example, may have a facility which integrates medical care with recreation and exercise programs, to solve their problems. Mental health services are classified according to the cause, and are provided in various settings. They are provided in correctional facilities, clinics, hospitals, or even in schools (Wake Forest University, 2014). From the discussion above about human services, it is important to note that human services organizations are agencies that develop in response to problems within the society. Poor people cannot be left to die in case they do not have food. The society has to intervene. This intervention overtime has led to the creation of organizations that deals with the poor ensuring that they get their basic needs. Mentally challenged people can also not be left unattended. For that reason, mental health institutions have been created with the aim of solving mental health problems, some of which develop the right drugs for individual cases, and some develop management strategies for specific cases. In the end, the society remains safe and stable. Attitudes towards clients of Human Services How the Society Has Viewed Individuals with Human Services Needs in The Past The clients of human services are the disabled, poor, homeless, or those vulnerable in one way or the other. In the past, the society had a negative attitude towards these people with the poor being branded as lazy people, the disabled not given a chance to have a quality life, and the mentally challenged considered evil. The mentally challenged for example, were locked up in institutions, separated from what the society considered normal. Not much consideration was given to these people’s needs. This attitude has since changed, and the current human services institutions, are proof of the level of understanding that people have for these groups of people (WSDSHS, 2014). Mechanic and Tanner (2007), indicate that in 1987, a list of vulnerable people was published. Those who were vulnerable were; special populations in need, for example, low-income veterans or Native Americans, the homeless, the poor, the elderly and frail, the uninsured, and those who suffered from a variety of chronic diseases. This list is not different from a list of vulnerable people that would be published today except for the Native Americans’ case. Mechanic and Tanner (2007) however, note that people’s vulnerability was considered based health services. It means that being poor was gauged by an individual’s ability to access and pay for health care, and receive appropriate medical interventions. Very little was understood about long-term determinants of population vulnerabilities (Mechanic &Tanner, 2007). This has however, changed with more understanding that much more than changing individual lifestyle, and health care delivery is required to help the needy. People today, have a greater understanding of human diversity, and respect the need for the disabled, to achieve their uppermost potential in life and work (Mechanic &Tanner, 2007). How Views towards Clients of Human Services Are Shaped By Individuals and Society The society defines who is needy, and therefore, determines the view towards such people. The definition of who are vulnerable in the society as described above is an example of how the society determines who is needy, and the perception about them. The perception about child welfare services for example, is that they lack up to standard parental guidance and care, and so would be better off protected under the umbrella of the government’s child welfare services. The society has advanced through research, technology and knowledge, providing more information about the mentally challenged, and the disabled. In today’s society, affirmative action has created awareness about disabled people’s capabilities, therefore led to reduced discriminations against them. The society has institutions that provide information, create awareness, and fight for the needy in different ways. These institutions influence the way the needy are perceived in the society (Mechanic & Tanner, 2007). My Personal View of Individuals with Human Services Needs I think there are a lot of factors that contribute to their status, and so they should receive as much assistance as possible to maximize their potential both in life and work. No one would wish to be born disabled, and no one would wish to get a mental illness. In the current society, a lot of advancements have been done in medicine and technology, which can improve the needy people’s lives. Through education, people can understand the causes of mental disorders, and try to find solutions to the mentally challenged. Through improved technology, the disabled can find supporting devices such as computerised wheelchairs, artificial limbs, and hearing aids, among others. Although levels and types of disabilities vary, anyone can become disabled if exposed to the factors that cause disability. A normal person, who has been working for example, can get an accident and become paralysed, or may lose both legs. Such emergency does not imply that the person is no longer capable of performing duties. He or she still may still be able to, depending on the type of job done previously. I conclude this way because I am well informed about mental disorders, and because I have seen different people in different needy situations caused by a variety of factors. I have also read through the history of human services, and understand the contribution made by civil rights groups, about human rights. References Burger, W. (2013). Human services in contemporary America. (9th Ed). Boson, MA: Cengage Learning. Mechanic, D & Tanner, J. (2007). Vulnerable People, Groups, And Populations: Societal View. Health Affairs, 26(5): 1220-1230. Wake Forest University. (2014). Human Services. Retrieved from: http://career.opcd.wfu.edu/explore-careers/human-services/ Washington State Department of Social and Human Services (WSDSHS). (2014). A history of human services. Retrieved from: http://www.dshs.wa.gov/history.shtml Woodside, M. and McClam, T. (2014). An introduction to the human services. (8th Ed). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning. Read More