Blog Prompt 14

Analyze the impact of social services on the human experience and how things have changed in past decades. We have had to deal with a lot more illegal immigrants wanting services. I think there is a need for more rehab facilities for the substance abuse. The bad economy has added to the stress of trying to employee people. There seems to be more natural disasters. We have had to deal with more terrorist activities. The war that has been going on for so long. There just is more issues it seems. The funding will always be an issue. There are budget cuts so programs that were there are no longer available.

Acquire first-hand experience by volunteering a minimum of ten hours in a human service agency. I volunteered for a large non-profit agency United Way first by getting people to donate money by raffle tickets because they knew it was going for a good cause to give back to the community. The second part I gave my time for a local girl who was diagnosed with leukemia by selling raffle and meal tickets at the door. I didn't know hardly anyone so I wasn't emotionally involved which made it easier for them to have me at the door when they were announcing the winners. I have volunteered a lot when I was in the Jaycees so this is something that I have enjoyed. It's a great way to meet new people.

Examine the history of human services in the U.S. There has been a lot of growth over the years to help our nation. We help the elderly on aging issues. We have helped people with disabilities find work. We have helped with childcare with the child support effort to provide for the welfare of children. The effects that AIDS has on an individual has been a counseling effort. We have established shelters for homeless and domestic abuse. We have come up with a systems to help cloth, feed individuals in need. We have vaccines/immunizations to keep disease control down. We have worked hard to help children safe setting up foster parents or adoptions. We have been working on the big over haul of Health Care-Medicare/Medicaid.

Determine the populations that various human services agencies serve. They serve many races, cultures, languages, genders, young, elderly, criminal offenders, and substance and domestic abuse. They serve the disabled population.

Characterize helping strategies between human service agencies. It's all about working as a team to help the individual get the best possible help.

Identify the characteristics of the helping profession as linked to personal attributes. It makes a person feel good that they can help another individual with some kind of struggle in their life.

Discriminate between ethical and unethical behavior in human service personnel. The relationship outside the a human service provider. There is supposed to be a professional requirement of how you deal with clients no matter how much you would like to help them there are certain boundaries that have to be followed.

Explain the personal qualifications necessary for employment in the human service field.
You must pass the criminal background check. You must have the ability to focus on the main needs of the situation and not let your personal bias or feelings intervene. Certain rules and policies must be followed. You must be able to deal with lots of change. There are the government agencies county and state you have to work with. You should be skilled with technology to complete reports and keep communication verbal or writing up to date. Be able to keep your bias, beliefs to yourself. Be able to work under stressful situations. There will be times when you will need to be assertive when you are the one in charge of evaluating the situation and good judgment will be needed. Make sure you are working safe. Be knowledgeable of the legal laws. Be able to deal with finances. Have an ability to work with many diverse socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds.

Formulate a plan to avoid human service worker burnout. Just like any job when you leave you have to shelf it for the night. There are things that are out of your control. I like spending time with friends and family talking about positive things. Listening to music and relaxing in front of the TV or a movie.

Explain how human diversity affects human service delivery. How the message is received to the individual. You have to keep your body language in check when dealing with others. Peoples emotions are raw usually when you are dealing with them. They could take something the wrong way. Everyone has different challenges.

Develop a philosophy of life that includes valuing continual educational growth.
We are always learning by observing others. To go to work shops with others in your profession is helpful. Certain situations are learned from just listening to others life experiences. You can't learn everything from a book.

LP7 Juno Blog

It made me feel happy at the end, that it all worked out. This was a quirky teenage pregnancy movie. It actually was pretty good. I'm not sure I would have been able to do what she did. That is a very hard decision to make. You would have all those hormonal emotions as you carry the baby and how it affects your body. I personally would always be wondering about the child. I'm glad I don't have to walk in those shoes. I think it was the right decision, considering their age. It was very nice, she decided to give him up for adoption. I also respect the decision of not keeping it as well. I think she would have made a good mother in the end. It was funny how they depicted the classmates around her through her nine months. It made me think back to when I was growing up as a teenager. There were a lot of teen pregnancies in my class actually. I liked that her parents were pretty cool about the whole thing. In real life it usually doesn't always happen like that. It was her choice and they respected her decision either way. Her sense of humor was very funny. She knew the consequences and knew she had to make a choice. She handled it maturely.

LP 13 Blog Prompt

I would prefer not to work with the sex offender population. But sometimes in life you don't get everything you want to. A human service worker must breech client confidentiality when a client appears to be posing serious harm to others or it is to prevent suicide or self-harm to themselves. If a a child is suspected of physical, sexual child abuse and neglect. If the elderly or the disabled is suspected of abuse, neglect, physical, sexual or financial. Also if there is court order, subpoena, or a search warrant issued, when a coroner requests records as part of the investigation, and when the client requests that the records be shared. The Patriot Act of 2001 also comes into play with the FBI for personal books, records, papers, documents, and other items of theirs. A dual relationship is inappropriate because it exploits the consumer. They are vulnerable and easy to manipulate. They could be used for the needs of the helper. The helper and the client's relationship could go bad if they had a business or personal relationship. It's too hard to switch roles. The helper could control, need to have someone dependent, need to have companionship's, need for sex and love, or the need for money. The clients emotions are usually very raw when they come into contact with a helper. The first example of a dual relationship is when a client starts hanging out with the family outside the professional world in their daily personal lives and activities. The second would be if a client and a helper started dating. The third would be if the client and the helper decided to work together in a business setting. Counter-transference is when human service workers have feelings toward clients based on unresolved feelings.

LP 12 Blog Prompt

I listen to music that always calms me. Walking on the treadmill.I like to watch comedy sitcoms that make me laugh. I talk with friends about my issues if I have them that helps as well. My three cats help me mellow out to. Yes I registered for both summer and fall classes so I got it done and out of the way. I wonder if I thought this semester wasn't so hard. Is next semester going to be a lot harder? I am taking two online classes this summer which will be pretty much the last of my online classes for awhile which makes me sad because I liked them online so far. Hopefully my summer classes won't be to tough. I will have five three credit classes and my field experience class is one of them so I know it will more of a challenge.

LP11 Blog Prompt

I know personally I would like to loose some weight to be healthier. I am not a stressed person so my face conveys a calmness. Yes my eyes tell me this is a possibility so jump on it! Ah I think from the neck down until I loose like half of myself. I like my hair and think my skin is aging well in my face. I really am not a anxious person. I can handle stress pretty well. So I am a relaxed person. I usually don't get to nervous until the very last second and then its gone. I need to exercise. Yes weight is a burden so that's why I am making changes to change this so I can live a healthier happier life. I am three percent away from an A in one of my classes now since I turned in some extra credit. I was able to purchase Nickelback tickets for the 3rd time. I am very pleased that Ethics is being offered for the summer session. I found three new shirts and one was on sale for seven dollars. I'm getting caught up on homework. My guy and I are communicating very well at the moment.

LP10 Blog prompt

My current stressor's are completing my course work for my classes, taking online tests that are timed, meeting deadlines on time. To get good grades and make sure I pay my bills on time. So anxiety plays a part in my life. Living up to other people's expectations can give you pressure to perform to the best of your ability. We all want to look good in front of our peers, family, significant others. Even healthy living can be stressful.

It makes a person be accountable for their own crap so to speak. To keep oneself in check. Sometimes you have to look at the bigger picture. I have learned to not get worked up over the little things it just is a waste of my precious energy some days. What will be will be.

I think I am an assertive person that can be aggressive sometimes and that's why I need others to keep me in check sometimes. I am willing to listen to others point of views. I have learned this as being an Assistant Manager at my last job you can't single out people you have to show it to everyone so as to not play the blame game so others will learn from this individuals mistake. Make sure you converse with another individual to get their opinion sometimes that can be a learning lesson in itself alone. Once it is said or written you can not take it back. I have learned this personally and everyone wants harmony in any situation.

Ok you decided to open Ethics for the summer! That made my day. I even did a happy dance, no early morning classes for me for the summer yay! My Badger Crocs came in the mail and yes they are god awful ugly but I think they definitely give me character so I don't care. I finished Moscow in my Mafia Wars so I advanced onto Bangkok lol. I received an A on my Ed Gein project for my Abnormal Psych class that we worked hard on. I found out I will have new neighbors that I think will be descent to have as such close neighbors.

I have learned to write about myself more than I ever have ever in my life so that has been a learning experience. The field placement questions look to be sort of a challenge to me. I am developing my writing skills in the last year with out a doubt but I have been out of school for awhile so you'll have that. Oh yeah and those damn hyperlinks just didn't want to work for me and I'm usually pretty good on figuring out computer related stuff.

I would like to be able to be the person that helps people in need of help. An active person in helping keep the community well balanced. Life is a give take kind of society. You get what you put into it.

My Learning History

For the most part my elementary schooling was fine or at least from what I can remember. I would have liked some of the newer stuff that the public schools had. As a private school we had to rely on private donations. But we may have had smaller classes with more one on one time with the teacher. Its where I learned my passion to read.

My high school years I was there because I had to. I never was a fan of it. I remember that the classes that I could take that weren't forced on me were absorbed easier. I learned a lot from the teachers that taught the classes that interested me. Basically you get what effort you put into learning when you are young. They had a lot of great teachers.

Everything in my college experience has been very positive. I was kind of nervous going back after so long. So far, as I am older I have a thirst for knowledge because it actually means something more to me. It will help me achieve a career. I have learned to even be able to accomplish math because the way teacher helped make me understand it a little better. I still am not going to ever use it but I passed it! I have enjoyed most of my classes not to say that some of the boring generals are a pain but its a ladder & we all have to climb it.

I have been motivated to learn because I actually found something that interests me. So that helps. With the economy and knowing lots of different age groups all going to school and how friendly everyone is has made for positive experiences. We are all here for one reason and that is to enrich our minds and to come out of this with some knowledge and skills to help us achieve a career. My friends and family all have been encouraging as well. So I have a lot in common with lots my friends of how far I have come so far.

I am pretty confident now about learning. I wasn't as much in the beginning when I first started. I am into my second semester so I have handle on kind of what to expect now.

I have learned to become more studious. These grades actually mean a lot! So I need to focus more and I have learned to cut out the distractions as I am taking a couple of online courses this semester for the first time.

I am trying not to be so last minute on projects that are due.

I learned about the GAF scale in one of my other classes. I didn't realize all the different prisons and the populations of the over crowding in the corrections wow.

I helped a friend come to there own conclusion that they have to make themselves happy first no matter what feelings may be involved. They were very appreciative of my help and told me I would make a great counselor one day by my responses. So that made me feel good to know that I helped them.

I ordered a new handbag from QVC and found out the color on TV can be a lot different then what you thought it looked like in person. I took my first timed online test and I hate being timed! I like to analyze stuff and you couldn't go back to do that. I learned a new way to write a resume that looks way better than what I even learned in a class that had it as a grade for a project. Oh yeah and Dante is Sonny's son was finally revealed to the both of them!