Chapter 1
What Are Human Services? What Do Human Service Workers Do?
Human Service Networks
Helpers Have Varied Backgrounds and Job Titles
Helpers Have Different Agency Affiliations and Orientations
Finding the Appropriate Human Services Program
Barriers That Prevent People from Getting Help
A Paradox
Choosing Our Work Role
Our Attributes
Our Lifestyles
Our Personal Ideologies
Agencies in the Local Community
Interview with Stephanie Lake, Program Coordinator, Drug and Alcohol Education Project
Summary
Discussion Questions
Web Resources for Further Study
Chapter 2
The Changing Nature of the Helping Process
Society Shapes Helping Behavior
Helping in Western Culture
Change as a Cyclical Path
Blaming the Victim versus Blaming the Social System
Means-Tested versus Universal Programs
Programs to Provide Money
The War on Poverty
The Welfare Rights Movement
Culture of Poverty versus Opportunity Theory
Welfare Reform and Racism
The War against Women
Cycles of Helping
Cycles in Welfare Reform
Cycles of Treatment of Mental Illness
Interview with Judi Chamberlin, Mental Patients’ Liberation Front
Cycles in Juvenile Justice
Behavior Defined as a Social Problem
Defining Problems
The Drug Scare
How the Media Demonize People
AIDS
Welfare
Preventive Health Care
The History of Human Service Work
The COSs and the Settlement House Movement
Social Work Schools
Current Trends in Social Work
The Roots of the Human Service Field
New Disciplines
Declassification and Deprofessionalization
Breaking Down Boundaries
Summary
Discussion Questions
Web Resources for Further Study
Chapter 3
Intervention Strategies
The Concept of Multicausality
The Strategies of Intervention Defined
Interview with Ruth Bork, Administrator, Disabilities Resource Center
Direct-Service Strategies
Caregiving
Case Managing/Counseling
Teaching/Training/Coaching and Behavior Changing
Direct-Service and Systems-Change Strategies
Group Facilitating
Outreaching
Mobilizing and Advocating
Consulting and Assisting a Specialist
Systems-Change Strategies
Planning
Administering
Collecting and Managing Data
Evaluating/Researching
Activities and Tasks Used to Implement Each Strategy
Gathering Data
Storing and Sharing Information
Negotiating Contracts and Assessing Problems
Building Relationships
Designing and Implementing Action Plans
Monitoring and Evaluating the Work
Putting Together the Interventions and the Activities
Summary
Discussion Questions
Web Resources for Further Study
CHAPTER 4
Attitudes/Values, Skills, and Knowledge
The Professional Helping Relationship
The Structure of the Professional Helping Relationship
The Content of the Professional Helping Relationship
The Pyramid Model
Attitudes and Values Form the Base of the Pyramid
Attitudes/Values, Skills, and Knowledge: An Overview
Interview with John Torrente, Outreach Counselor at Sanctuary House, a Shelter for Teenagers
Attitudes and Values of the Human Service Worker
Patience
Empathy
Self-Awareness
Capacity to Deal with Ambiguity and Take Risks
Capacity to Ask for Help and Offer Feedback
Belief in the Capacity to Change
Open-Mindedness, Skepticism, and Rejection of Stereotypes
Humor and a Light Touch
Skills of the Human Service Worker
Gathering Data
Storing and Sharing Information
Building Relationships
Negotiating Contracts and Assessing Problems
Constructing Action Plans
Implementing Action Plans
Monitoring and Evaluating
Basic Knowledge of the Human Service Worker
Human Growth and Development
Abnormal Growth and Development
Impact of Society and Culture on Behavior
The Dynamics of Groups and Organizations
Social and Political Forces That Affect Helping
Social Problems, Populations, and Resources
Research and Evaluation
Summary
Discussion Questions
Web Resources for Further Study
CHAPTER 5
Values and Ethical Dilemmas
Can Workers Be Completely Unbiased?
Dilemmas Surrounding the Value of Self-Determination
Self-Determination and Child Abuse
Self-Determination When Treatment Is Mandated
Self-Determination Is Undermined When Clients Are Manipulated
Some Current Ethical Conflicts
Conflicts Surrounding AIDS
Conflicts Surrounding the Right to Die
Conflicts Surrounding Reproductive Choice
Conflicting Views on the Nature of Human Nature
The Belief That People Need to Be Civilized
The Belief That People Are Basically Rational
The Belief That People Are Corrupted by Society
The Belief That People Need to Be Connected to Each Other
Conflicts Caused by Bureaucratic Demands
Guidelines for Dealing with Conflicts in a Bureaucracy
The Client as Our Employer
Social Class Differences between Workers and Clients
Conflicts Due to the Variation in National Values in the United States
Age and Aging
Sexual Orientation
Keeping Values Straight in a Time of War
Finding Your Way through the Maze of Ethical Conflicts
Summary
Discussion Questions
Web Resources for Further Study
CHAPTER 6
The Social Welfare System
Surveying the Current Scene
Social Welfare Programs and Policies
Aid to Families with Dependent Children/Temporary Assistance to Needy Families
Charitable Choice
The Effects of Welfare Reform
Social Security
Supplemental Security Income
General Assistance
Food Stamps
Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
School Breakfast and Lunch Programs
Medical Aid Programs
Fuel Assistance
Unemployment Insurance
Earned Income Tax Credit
The Child Tax Credit (CTC)
Child Care Tax Credit (CCTC)
Personal Social Services
Interview with Rashaad BenSalem, Red Cross Volunteer Disaster Worker
Vital-Service Delivery Programs
Mental Health Services
Medical Social Work
Services for the Disabled
Services to the Military
Where the Money Comes From
Private Enterprise and Social Welfare Programs
Our Vision
Summary
Discussion Questions
Web Resources for Further Study
SECTION TWO
Implementing Human Service Interventions
CHAPTER 7
Poverty
Defining Poverty
Raising the Minimum Wage
The Increase in Poverty
Interview with Suzanne Dennehy, Hospital Workers’ Union Intern
Women, Minorities, and the Elderly
Income Instability
Children and Poverty
The Importance of Social Supports
Homelessness
Federal Housing Programs
Scratching the Surface
Homeless Shelters
Blaming the Victim
Resistance
Changes in the Economy
Bankruptcy and Foreclosures
Health Insurance
Income Inequality
Governmental Response to Poverty
Conclusion
Summary
Discussion Questions
Web Resources for Further Study
CHAPTER 8
Working with Diversity
An Overview of the Struggle for Equality
Understanding Oppression and Privilege
Impact of Prejudice on Self-Esteem
Understanding Ethnicity
The Definition of Culture
Media Stereotypes
Interview with Oly Reid and Inez Figueroa, Counselors at a Battered Women’s Shelter
Ethnic Identity
The Power of Names
Discrimination Hurts Everybody
Institutional Racism
Discrimination against Arab Americans
Anti-Semitism
Some Paradoxes about Prejudice against Jewish People and Arab/Muslim People
Prejudice against Arab/Americans and Muslim/Americans
Prejudice against People of the Jewish Religion
Fighting Back against the Rising Tide of Prejudice
Affirmative Action
Immigration
Immigration in the United States
Some Background to the Current Situation
Fluctuations in Immigration Policy
The Current State of Immigration Reform
Key Elements in the Immigration Debate
Resistance to Cutbacks in Immigrant Rights
The Controversy over Bilingual Education in the Schools versus English Immersion
Guidelines for Ethnic-Sensitive Human Service Work
Working with Women
The Women’s Movement and New Social Services
Understanding New Theories about Women
How Feminist Theory Influences Our Practice
A Gender Analysis of Child Welfare
Working with Gays and Lesbians
Working with People with Disabilities
New Definition of Disability Influences Our Practice
Summary
Discussion Questions
Web Resources for Further Study
CHAPTER 9
Interviewing
Characteristics of an Interview
Purposeful Communication
Focus and Structure
Skill and Awareness
Awareness of Attitudes and Values
Core Values of the Interviewer
Interview with Madeline K. Jacobson, Director of a Bully Project
Structure of an Interview
Seeking Concreteness
Immediacy
Questions That Help People Talk
Furthering Responses
Verbal Following Responses
Other Ways of Responding
Self-Disclosure
Authoritarian Leads and Responses
Recording
Recording and Privacy
Summary
Discussion Questions
Resources for Further Study
CHAPTER 10
Case Management/Counseling
All Problems Are Serious Yet Ordinary
Interview with Carmen Mejia, Family Resource Worker, Coordinated Approach to Partnership in Parenting (CAPP)
Carmen Mejia as Case Manager/Counselor for Youthful Offenders
Carmen Mejia as Case Manager/Counselor for the Elderly
Goals of the Case Manager/Counselor
Releasing or Changing a Negative Emotional State
Understanding of Self and Situation
Making Decisions
Implementing Decisions
The Process of Case Management/Counseling
Getting Prepared for the Client and the Problem
Reading and Evaluating Referral Materials
Methods of Collecting Additional Data about a Case
Building Supportive Relationships
Negotiating and Refining the Working Contract
Deciding on Problems and Priorities
Conducting an Assessment Study for an Agency
Creating the Action Plan
Implementing the Action Plan
Evaluating the Work and Deciding on the Next Step
Crisis Intervention
Defining a Crisis
Helping a Person in Crisis
9/11: The Human Service Response to the World Trade Center Crisis
The Human Service Response to Hurricane Katrina, the Worst Natural Disaster in U.S. History
Case Management/Counseling in the Era of Managed Health Care
Recent Developments in Health Care Delivery
The Rise of For-Profit Managed Health Care
Some Problems with the Expansion of the Health Care Industry
Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs)
Implications for Human Service Workers
What Can an Individual Human Service Worker Do to Improve Health Care Delivery?
Summary
Discussion Questions
Web Resources for Further Study
CHAPTER 11
Facilitating Groups
Workers as Group Members
Group Leadership Roles Have Been Increasing
Example of a Human Service Worker in a Community Residence
Establishing and Facilitating a Group: Ten Key Questions
What Positives and Negatives Should the Group Anticipate?
What Phases or Cycles Is the Group Likely to Go Through?
Why Is This Group Needed? What Is Its Central Purpose?
What Activities Will Help This Group Accomplish Its Purpose?
Who Should Be Included in the Group?
What Structure Does This Group Need?
What Kind of Leadership Does This Group Need?
What Kind of Environment Will This Group Need?
What Kind of Interaction Will the Members Have with the Leader and with Each Other?
In What Ways Can We Keep Evaluating How Well the Group Is Doing?
Summary
Discussion Questions
Web Resources for Further Study
CHAPTER 12
Program Planning
Basic Tools of the Planning Process
Pencil, and Paper, and a Computer
Computer, Internet, and Planning Software
Directories, Schedules, and Other Resource Materials
Calendar/Memo Book and Clock
Large Sheets of Newsprint, a Chalkboard, and Markers
Clearly Focused Questions
Interview with Raquel Rosenblatt, Program Coordinator, Fenway Project
Phases and Steps in the Planning Process
Phase 1: Troubleshooting
Phase 2: Magnifying
Phase 3: Microscoping
Summary
Discussion Questions
Web Resources for Further Study
SECTION THREE
Thriving and Surviving in This Field
CHAPTER 13
Organizing and Changing Systems
Getting to the Source of the Problem: A Parable
Stopping Problems at Their Source
What Can One Worker Do?
Checking on the Mental Health Quotient (MHQ) of a System
Attitudes toward Systems-Change Interventions
Interview with Ed Wong: Staff Worker for Citizen Action for the Environment (CAFTE)
Dilemmas of the Change Agent
Very Often, the Worker Must Choose Sides
Frequently, Workers Must Choose among Competing Values
Workers Must Overcome Resistance to Change with No Guarantee of Reward
Workers Lack Models
Changes Are Generated from the Top Down and from the Bottom Up
Guarding Change
The Targets of Change
Methods of Organizing and Changing Systems
Educating to Create Change
Persuading to Create Change
Pressuring to Create Change
Choosing Which Method to Use and Who Should Lead the Struggle
Learning about the History of the Problem and the System
Locating the Sources of Power and Potential for Change
Getting to Know the Resources of the Community
Planning and Implementing a Change Effort
Reaching Out to the Public
Decision Making and Participation
Changing the Rules, Regulations, and Power Arrangements of a System
Rewards of Social Change Interventions
Summary
Discussion Questions
Web Resources for Further Study
CHAPTER 14
Understanding Legal Issues
Legal Issues That Can Confront a Worker
What Is Wrong with What the Worker Did?
Variations in the Law
The Law as Resource
Street-Level Bureaucracy
Regulations: Bureaucratic Interpretations of Law
Learning the Regulations
The Law as Restriction
Laws Every Worker Needs to Know
Confidentiality
Privileged Communication
Privacy
Due Process
Helping Clients Get Their Legal Rights
Strategies
Some Current Legal Issues
Interview with Donald Boucher, Mental Health Worker
Right to Adequate Treatment
Right to Treatment in the Least Restrictive Setting
Right to Refuse Treatment
The Importance of Written Plans
Summary
Discussion Questions
Web Resources for Further Study
CHAPTER 15
Staying Current and Avoiding Burnout
Burnout
Symptoms of Burnout
Causes of Burnout
Psychological Conflicts
Conflicting Social Values
Interview with Rick Colbath Hess, Director of MassSERVE
The Bind of the Double Message
Increased Bureaucratization
Low Salaries and Decreased Satisfaction
Insurance and Government Reimbursement
Time Pressures
Lack of Resources Outside the Agency
Lack of Support from the Agency
Pressures Exerted by Clients
Stigma, Discrimination, and Status Ranking
Dealing with Danger
Hazards of the Work
Some Less-Than-Ideal Reactions to Stressful Conditions
Total Capitulation
Total Noncapitulation
Niche Finding
Becoming a Victim Martyr
Withdrawal
Mixed Reactions
Staying Alive–Positive Adjustments
Combating Stress
Problem Solving
Gaining Power through Knowledge
Getting Support
Formal and Informal Groups
Choosing Your Fights
Creative Ways of Working
Varying the Work
Sharing Ideas
Setting Limits on Self and Others
Summary
Discussion Questions Web Resources for Further Study