Assignment: Human Service Professionals Related to the Social Issue
As you are aware from your academic and/or professional pursuits, the human services field encompasses a broad range of career opportunities to engage with clients through direct practice, community involvement, and advocacy. According to the National Organization for Human Services (n.d.), the human services field involves "...meeting human needs through an interdisciplinary knowledge base, focusing, on prevention as well remediation of problems, and maintaining a commitment to improving the overall quality of life of service populations" (para. 1).
As part of your continued efforts to exhaustively assess aspects related to your social issue of interest, your task in the Week Four assignment will involve focusing your attention toward the human service professionals who engage in providing services that meet the needs of groups affected by it.
In your examination of this area, you will
• Describe two to three examples of human service careers that are aligned with your selected social issue in some capacity. Given the diverse nature of professional endeavors that can be undertaken within your selected topic, possible careers may include those listed below. You may also wish to review the Occupational Outlook Handbook provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2014):
o Case manager
o Outreach worker
o Child welfare worker
o Client advocate
o Counselor
o Life coach
o Human services manager
o Policymaker
• Discuss their core professional responsibilities as they relate to your social issue. Take into consideration specific ways in which they align with the required skills and competencies as well as ethical standards set forth by the National Organization for Human Services (n.d.).
• Examine effective oral and written communication skills that are necessary when working with clients related to this issue. Cite specific examples of these skills, how they are applied, and their significance to the client/professional relationship.
• Analyze culturally competent health and human services elements necessary for service delivery as it relates to this issue. Consider elements of culturally competent care as they relate to this specific field (this may require a review of cultural competence standards or considerations through reviewing the scholarly literature, professional organization websites, etc.).
• Assess barriers and limitations that these professionals may likely encounter in the provision of services related to the social issue.
The Human Service Professionals Related to the Social Issue Paper
• Must be three to four double-spaced pages in length (not including title and references pages) and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.
• Must include a separate title page with the following:
o Title of paper
o Student's name
o Course name and number
o Instructor's name
o Date submitted
• Must use at least three scholarly sources in addition to the course text.
o The Scholarly, Peer Reviewed, and Other Credible Sources table offers additional guidance on appropriate source types. If you have questions about whether a specific source is appropriate for this assignment, please contact your instructor. Your instructor has the final say about the appropriateness of a specific source for a particular assignment.
• Must document all sources in APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.
• Must include a separate references page that is formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.