Premium Essay

Role of a Social Service Agency

In:

Submitted By larondat
Words 1787
Pages 8
Role of a Social Service Agency
(Department of Human Services)
Laronda Thomas-Smith,
BSHS/441
August 2, 2014
Marie Peoples, Ph.D
University of Phoenix

A Social Service Agency is responsible for planning, implementing, and operating social service programs in the community. The Social Service Agency provides human welfare and social work. Our team researched The Department of Human Services role of social services and used of mediation. The Department of Human Services is a large agency that helps millions of individuals daily. The mission of the Department of Human Services is to assist low-income individuals and families to maximize their potential for economic security and self-sufficiency (Department of Human Services, 2012). Under the Department of Human Services, is Family Services? This department has numerous agencies that provide protection, intervention, and social services to meet individual needs (Department of Human Services, 2012). As a team, we will compare and contrast the roles of mediator and advocate by describing the power limitations of each role, discuss under what circumstances an advocate is used during mediation, and which role is most critical to problem solving. The team will discuss the mediator bias, limitations of the mediator, scope of power, conflict of interest, confidentiality, mediator neutrality and impartially. ~”The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”~(Mahatma Ghandi, 1869-1948).
Power Limitations of Each Role
There are limits to everything, mediators and advocates are no exception to the rule. In the Family Services, the power limitations for both roles differ from one another. A mediator’s limitations are: only facilitating communication during a negotiation, possessing no final say in the ultimate decision of a dispute, no control over the content that will be

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Role of

...Roles of social worker During very recent year’s attention has been devoted to the various roles that direct practitioners perform (or should perform) in discharging their responsibilities. Direct provision of services Roles subsumed under this category are those in which social workers meet face to face with clients or consumer groups in providing services these include: 1. Individual casework or counseling. 2. Marital and family therapy (may include session with individuals, conjoint sessions and group session) 3. Group work services (may include support groups, therapy groups, self- help groups, self-help groups, and skill development groups). 4. Educator/disseminator of information. The social worker may provide essential information in individual, conjoint, or group session or may make educational presentations to consumer groups or to the public. For example, social worker may conduct educative sessions concerned with parenting skills, marital enrichment, stress management, or various aspects of mental health or health care. System linkage roles Because clients often need resources not provided by a given agency and lack knowledge of or abilty to utilize other available resources ,social workers often perform roles in linking people to other resources. System linkage roles include the following 1. Broker. To perform the role of broker (i.e., an intermediary who assists in connecting people with resources), social worker must have a thorough knowledge of community...

Words: 1637 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Child Protective Services: The Social Worker

...Protective Services: The Social Worker Introduction Family, many would agree, is the one of the most important values in an individual’s life. For most, their families are their backbone constantly supporting, teaching, and accepting them since they were children. However, not all families provide the ideal setting for children to be raised, and sometimes these families endanger the child. This is where a social worker from child protective services steps in protecting children from neglect and abuse to provide a safe nurturing environment that children have a right to. A social worker from child protective services not only has to meet current and specific requirements, but, fulfills certain roles in regards to the clients and...

Words: 1100 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Role of Management Control System

...Smith Monash University Social capital The role of management control systems in NGOs Research executive summary series Volume 6 | Issue 6 Key findings: • Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are being confronted with the competitive nature of acquiring funds and need to demonstrate that they have particular competencies to funders, while at the same time continuing to adhere to their traditional welfare or development values. • The evidence shows that developing formal management controls can help NGOs to develop networks with government departments, funding agencies, other service providers and clients. However, formal management controls also have the potential to damage the internal bonding between employees. • Developing belief systems to incorporate financial concerns, along with traditional welfare goals, would seem a useful starting point in the move towards managing in a more competitive NGO sector. Overview and objectives In recent years non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have become increasingly important in addressing humanitarian issues relating to welfare and developmental aid. NGOs face increasing pressure to demonstrate service delivery in cost efficient ways. This creates tension over delivering welfare services while operating within the constraints of cost management. The application of management control systems has the potential to help in the effective and efficient delivery of services, but such an approach is relatively...

Words: 3664 - Pages: 15

Premium Essay

Police Officer Roles as Social Servants

...Police Officer Roles as Social Servants Erika Jones Albany State University Abstract This report addresses duties that are carried out by officers in their roles as social servants. Social service has always been a key part of policing. It is important that officers have to maintain a large tie-in into the community, not only the community, but a large variety of social agencies. Other than fighting crime, our law enforcement system, including police officers, make any necessary steps to ensure the safety for everyone. Social services has dependably been a key piece of policing while serving casualties of wrongdoing and guilty parties has been a significant stress of social work. Law implementation and social work have served the same target aggregate yet with shifting achievement. Keywords: social service, social servants, community To most people today, the basic duty of police officers is to “provide for public safety by maintaining order, responding to emergencies, protecting people and property, enforcing motor vehicle and criminal laws, and promoting good community relations” (Police Patrol). What most people do not know is that a police job does not limit those expectations. In a way, a police officer job is never done. As an officer, you are also expected to work as a social servant to your community. Aside from the every day anxieties and bothers of patrol cops, uncommon weights are accomplished by higher-ranking officers who are involved in the investigation...

Words: 560 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

Lobbiest

...registered lobbyist employed by York Group Associates in New York. She has a vast background in government service and the political arena. Her current clients include organizations dedicated to economic development, education, cultural diversity, health care, and child welfare (Raspberry, 2012). This interview will provide a synopsis of Ms. Raspberry’s role as a social services lobbyist; discuss how her position affects social policy changes; will touch on how human service dollars are acquired, and what role that money plays in direct services; examine how Ms. Raspberry sees herself, as a policy changer or a funding advocate; and allow for her personal view on the future of human services. The Role of the Social Services Lobbyist The lobbyist plays a vital role in the equitable distribution of governmental funds to non-profit agencies that have a mission to assist those who have been oppressed or suffered some form of injury (legal or physical). The lobbyist must communicate to individual politicians, or to entire groups of legislators, exactly how and why funding dollars should be allocated to their clients (Raspberry, 2012). How Does the Lobbyist Affect Social Policy Changes Contrary to popular belief, the lobbyist is not always interested solely in governmental funding. There are many instances in which the lobbyist is hired by an organization, or a group of agencies for the purpose of changing or creating legislation. For example, Ms. Raspberry was hired to advocate with...

Words: 908 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Police Role

...Police Roles and Functions CJS/210 2-26-12 Police Roles and Functions Police officers have many roles and functions. Society sees police officers as problem solvers of last resort. Police officers themselves see themselves as keepers of the law and protectors of the community. Whatever role or function of police officer, police officers ensure the safety of America’s communities. The main objective of police officers is to ensure preservation of peace and public safety through the enforcement of local, state, and Federal laws, and by providing support and assistance during emergency or crisis situations (Duluthmn). The police officer has three major functions that it does: social service, order maintenance, and crime control. Social service is the area where the police help people who need emergency assistance, whether it is giving first aid or finding lost children. Typically, over 50 percent of the telephone calls to the police requesting assistance involve social service as compared with less than 20 percent relating to crime. The police presence in society is also intended to preserve order by serving as a deterrent to misconduct and by providing a quick-response mechanism for potential or low-level problems (Katz, 2011). Order maintenance is the activities which involve: traffic control, crowd control, resolving domestic disputes, and moving prostitutes from the streets. The focus of order maintenance is on handling situations to preserve the peace rather than...

Words: 1074 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Account Management

...My sister does market research for the government, and I am an advertising student at the Art Institute. Market research is the gathering and evaluation of data regarding consumers' preferences for products and services. Advertising is the activity of attracting public attention to a product or business, as by paid announcements in the print, broadcast, or electronic media. When I asked my sister if I could get a job working for the government after I graduate; she took me to her job only to find out that market research is not advertising. Though advertising does do market research some companies feel a business marketing degree is better for their services. However, I can take some business classes, and become an intern. Advertising is a single component of the marketing process. It's the part that involves getting the word out concerning your business, product, or the services you are offering. It involves the process of developing strategies such as ad placement, frequency, etc. Advertising includes the placement of an ad in such mediums as newspapers, direct mail, billboards, television, radio, and of course the Internet. Advertising is the largest expense of most marketing plans, with public relations following in a close second and market research not falling far behind. The best way to distinguish between advertising and marketing is to think of marketing as a pie, inside that pie you have slices of advertising, market research, media planning, public relations, product...

Words: 1807 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Creating a Social Program

...Creating a Social Program By: Allyson Griffith Course: Hum/240 Instructor: Gabriela Simeonova Due Date: 8/10/2014 The proposal submitted will be to fund an agency that will help families struggling with addictions by a family member. The focus of the agency will be to help those with substance abuse within these families. Substance abuse is a social problem that not only affects the family members, but also affects the community because of employment, legal, and health problems that are a direct result of the alcohol or drug abuse. This ongoing social problem has no timeline for an end to the problem forever, but to diminish as many risks as possible. The causes and consequences as a result of substance abuse has many theories of why it happens to certain individuals, and what the most serious consequences are that affect the family of the substance abuser. This social problem of substance abuse does not have any one economic status, or race. Whenever an individual’s values are to the point that there is so much restriction, there may be a time when the worker is no longer looking at what is the benefit to the recipient but rather to how “things ought to be.” According to Chambers and Wedel (2005), “Sometimes it is difficult to disentangle value and knowledge statements. Ideology is built from value statements, and explanations and causal chains are built from sentences that describe what the case about one thing or another is.” As in, any agency or organization there will...

Words: 1151 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Research

...has given rise to complex social issues that affect man and his environment (Serafica). In order to alleviate the social issues that threaten man’s social functioning, many humanitarian professions have sprung. One of those which have been existing since the early times is the Social Work profession. As the world becomes even more complex and challenging, Social Workers are demanded to become more responsive and adaptable to the call of the times. It is therefore important that Social Workers, as they perform their roles in responding to the changing needs and demands of the various sectors, should be well equipped with necessary knowledge, attitudes, and skills for a more competent practice. Social Work can be described as a practicing profession that requires sound knowledge and competency in practice (Hepworth, Looney, & Larsen, 2002). Students have to learn and acquire knowledge and skills throughout the entire course. They are also expected to perform these knowledge and skills in various occasions in the course, such as in lectures, in seminars, and most importantly, the fieldwork placements. Field Instruction Program in the Social Work curriculum performs a very vital role in the training of future Social Workers. It enables the students to concretize the theories and concepts they have learned in the classroom, it allows the students to test their abilities in supervised educational settings and enables them to master and synthesize Social Work knowledge, values and...

Words: 1650 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Team Agency Interview Proposal

...Agency Interview Proposal Who We Are The Department of Social Services can help the poor and others who are not stable enough to help or protect themselves. Social Services can also help all people with resources, medical care, financial services, shelter, employment services, training, child care, case management, protective services and preventive services. These services are backed up by the government. People can turn to the Department of Social Services with the hope that the agency will help them get back on their feet to live a healthier proactive life. Department of Social Services Helping Hands Organizations is to always provide the best possible care for the clients to help recover. Our goal is to assist with providing safety, shelter and other skills to enable them for a better life. As in any organization the leadership role is the important. As the staff members will consist of counselors, housing specialist, employment specialist. Each staff will work and highly be trained to see the client at the agency. As the human services will conduct weekly meetings with the staff members to ensure that the agency works together as a team to discuss any changes. Dates and Schedules When becoming a social worker, you will build a large relationship with your clients and as this relationship progress there are steps that has to be taken, plans put into place, and dates and schedules to uphold. It’s very important to schedules dates for meeting, making plans...

Words: 342 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

The “Blairing” of the Edges Third Sector and the Third Way Barriers to the Fulfilment of Expectations of and from Voluntary Sector Organisations Under a New Labour Government

...organisations under a New Labour government Dissertation for MSc Voluntary Sector Policy & Administration (SA475) June 2000 Department of Social Policy London School of Economics & Political Science Synopsis Voluntary organisations as a vehicle for volunteering, for active citizenship and for a healthier, civil society have become an important of New Labour’s thinking. The voluntary sector is also identified as a vehicle through which government priorities may be more effectively addressed in particular, measures to address social exclusion[1]. This dissertation considers the current state of the relationship between the voluntary sector and the Government and seeks to identify barriers to the fulfilment of this political vision in the context of one Department’s work.[2] The study discusses the findings in the light of the emerging thinking on the Third Way and the substantial body of work on contracting - the medium through which much of the relationship is conducted in the case of the DfEE. Whereas there is an apparent willingness to consider measures to overcome recognised barriers, there appears to be confusion about the extent to which goal deflection may have damaged the legitimacy of voluntary sector organisations. There is therefore uncertainty about which part of the voluntary sector (service delivery organisations, the community sector or social entrepreneurs) is best placed to provide a vehicle through which way Third Way aspirations can be achieved, if indeed they can be...

Words: 6499 - Pages: 26

Premium Essay

Integrated and Collaborative Working

...Practice than previous approaches which were fragmented. This fragmentation created a system where unnecessary cost and bureaucracy was incurred as agencies worked in isolation. This can lead to policies and procedures not being followed to the required standard expected within childcare practice. I will discuss the advantages and barriers to collaborative and integrated working and will identify how I believe this approach works well in my workplace. Main Body Integrated and Collaborative working within childhood practice is vital and it is imperative that all agencies are working together. This approach will prevent any loopholes or local arrangements developing and results in non-conformance with policies and procedures and leads to a disjointed system occurring which ultimately may result in Child poverty, Inequality, Social Exclusion, Educational Underachievement and Poor Health & Well Being. The Advantages of Collaborative working is that all staff implements a “Holistic Approach” with the child and families concerned to ensure that their needs are being met and enables adherence to the appropriate guidelines, policies and procedures from Inverclyde Council, Care Inspectorate and HIME. Another advantage to collaborative working is that parents develop closer relationships with the childcare provider and the other agencies during the stages of intervention, giving parents a...

Words: 3078 - Pages: 13

Premium Essay

What Si Human Service Paper

...What is Human Service Paper Michaela yahocha BSH/302 1/2/2001 Kingie Qiliech What is Human Service Paper What is Human Service: Human services have been around since the beginning of time. The poor and the less fortunate always have existed and will continue to exist through the end of times. Human beings have basic needs such as the need to food, shelter and safety. They have the social needs such as the need for interpersonal connection, love, psychological needs. People often get to meet these needs through family, friends and places of worship, however while there are others who are not fortunate enough to meet these needs and that is where the role of human service role comes to help those people overcome these barriers in proper manner. Human service workers deliver a selection of services intended at improving clients’ lives. Among the roles of human service are caregiver, social worker, outreach, case manager, crises manger, advocate, as well as, and program coordinator. The Goal of Human Service: The goal of Human service is to teach communities how to become independent and assist them in developing skills that essential for them to become self- reliant, and function at their best level within the society. This process—which includes evaluating the client’s support system, environment, and values—is tailored to each individual’s needs (Moffat, C., 2011). Human services agencies are dedicated to helping people meet their basic needs as well...

Words: 874 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

Child Protectionn Report

...Review Three Cases of Child Abuse When it comes to protecting children, the family plays a central role, particularly during the child’s earliest days. Children are also part of a broader community where their relationships, engagement, and roles deepen over time and take on increased significance. For this reason, protecting children is both a private and a public responsibility. It is by looking at the history of childhood that we make our judgements about child abuse today. History is used as a means of casting light on present issues. Some people feel that whatever is happening today is an improvement on the past, while others look at past centuries through rose- coloured spectacles. (Walker, P. 2005) Understanding how abuse and neglect should be defined is not simply an academic issue. Child abuse is a culturally defined phenomenon. Sullivan, P. (2006) commented on ‘the rights of a child to be protected from parents unable to cope at a level assumed to be reasonable by the society in which they reside’. Child protection system aims to prevent situations that can result in a child or young person aged sixteen and under experience abuse that puts them in danger of not developing appropriately or losing their life (Save the Children UK, 2008). The abuse can fall under the category of child abuse which could be in form of neglect, emotional, physicals and sexual, (Woolfson et al 2009). Severe child maltreatment is conventionally defined within child protection practice...

Words: 7906 - Pages: 32

Free Essay

Failures in the Victoria Climbie Case

...that dealt with her. Below is a comparative table detailing these failings and the institutions. Social Services Ealing Council Brent CouncilHaringey CouncilEnfield Council | The role of social workers in child protection is to support service users through difficult periods and to ensure vulnerable children are protected from harm. Social workers who work in child protection build and maintain professional relationships designed to facilitate the needs of service users. They act as advocates for service users and will have to use their professional judgement when making decisions, some of which may be difficult for service users and their families to accept.Social workers are different form child protection Police Officers because they look to protect children by investigating criminal activity that may be responsible for child abuse. Nurses, especially paediatric nurses in hospitals look after children who are unwell or injured. Their responsibility is to report any suspicious illnesses or injuries that may be a result of child abuse. This also applies to GP surgeries. Social groups and their leaders such as churches have a moral responsibility to alert responsible authorities when they suspect abuse. Child protection agencies designed to protect children such as the NSPCC have a role to investigate and report cases of child abuse.In Victoria Climbie(VC)’s case the social services of 4 local authorities failed to carry out their duties in protecting VC. The failings began from...

Words: 1134 - Pages: 5