• People with a mental illness • Homeless individuals • Criminals • People with a mental disability • People with HIV or AIDS • People with a physical disability • Poor individuals • Older adults • Individuals with substance addictions • Survivors of domestic violence • Unemployed individuals
Using Ch. 2 of Human Services in Contemporary America, complete the table for the chosen groups by writing a 60- to 85-word response in each column. An example has been completed as a guide.
|Group |Conditions of or problems facing the |Unmet needs |Description of organizations or |How the organization or program meets the |
| |group in need | |programs meeting the needs |needs |
|Children in need |Children can be endangered because |Children need physical care and |Each state differs. Some states have |The local department addressing human |
| |they need adults to care for them. |protection from older, abusive |government organizations, such as a |services may have the resources to provide|
| |They can experience problems with |children or adults. Children also |Department of Human Services or a |food, shelter, and mental health care for |
| |education, poverty, homelessness, and|need food, clothing, and shelter |Department of Children’s Services, |children. If a child must be placed |
| |poor care from parents or guardians. |to feel safe. |which may provide resources to |outside the home, the child may be placed |
| | | |children and families. These |in foster care, sent to school, and, in |
| |Children need love, care, protection,|Children are vulnerable and need |organizations may help with food, |extreme mental health cases, be sent for |
| |and guidance from adults. Children |physical, mental, and emotional |shelter, financial help, and more. |treatment. |
| |can face mental health issues due to |protection. When a family is poor | | |
| |environmental problems, or they might|or homeless, the family may have |Some community mental health |Mental health organizations may provide |
| |have problems related to a mental |trouble meeting his or her needs. |organizations provide mental health |services, such as therapy and medication, |
| |disability. The needs of children may| |services to children and families. The|for those with mental illness. For |
| |vary based on specific conditions. |If the child is born with a mental|state health department provides |adolescents, care might be provided to |
| | |disability, he or she will need |services from immunizations to general|help them transition from depending on |
| | |assistance meeting his or her |health care. Additional organizations,|adults to independent living. |
| | |needs. |such as religious organizations, may | |
| | | |also assist. | |
|People with HIV/AIDS |HIV/AIDS causes the immune system in |The unmet needs this community |The AIDS Community Information |The organization works to improve access |
| |the body to weaken, making an |faces is the inability to find |Outreach program works to share |to AIDS information through clinics, |
| |infected person susceptible ti |supportive services, the patient |information with groups which can help|physicians, caretakers, and patients |
| |viruses, and bacteria. These are |may not know what number to call, |spread the message within the |through the use of technology, and this |
| |called opportunistic infections, |or who to speak with. Some may |community, and this can lead to a new |includes the purchase of electronic |
| |which develop years into the HIV/AIDS|feel the wait list is too long, or|and improved outreach. Also, patients |equipment. Also, providing necessary |
| |virus. Women battle yeast infections |the process is confusing. There |with HIV/AIDS would receive counseling|training skills on how to access and |
| |continually too. |may also be financial barriers, |through these groups and located |acquire information. The organization also|
| |Currently, cures are being sought for|and lack of transportation to get |clinics within the community to |provides financial funding to set up bases|
| |this virus, and in the meantime |the appropriate care necessary. |receive medical care, and learn to |to use the technology involved with the |
| |humans are still threatened with |The services require a more |manage the AIDS virus (Dancy & |program, and work to create material in |
| |contracting the disease, and |streamlined approach, so a patient|Dutcher, 2007) |several languages as well. |
| |suffering through the symptoms of |can access locations, and receive |. | |
| |HIV/AIDS. |a better delivery of services |Another means to help meet the needs |The hotline provides information on the |
| | |(AIDS Patients Care STDS, 2011). |is to establish, and advertise |cause, symptoms, treatment, and how to |
| | | |hotlines in communities with a higher |prevent it. |
| | | |likelihood of contracting HIV/AIDS. | |
| | | | |Schools may also provide access to |
| | | | |materials about the disease, and how to |
| | | | |prevent it. |
|Unemployed Individuals |Economic decline brought loss of |Jobless people struggle to stay |Currently, the government provides aid|The government meets the needs of an |
| |employment for many, currently 10.9 |afloat and keep bills paid and |through subsidiaries for health care, |unemployed individual on a limited basis, |
| |million are unemployed in the U.S. |food on the table, since most may |unemployment checks, food, and |which is typically short-term. |
| |(Chokshi, 2013). The age group hit |be eating through a savings |temporary housing, or housing | |
| |hardest by job loss are those 50 |account, 401k, and credit cards. |assistance. |One-Stop organization is set up in |
| |years and older. |Others are left to rely on a small| |communities to provide resources to the |
| | |unemployment check, or have phased|Another organization, such as One-Stop|unemployed individual to find information |
| |The unemployed face the challenges of|out of the system and no longer |has information on resources in each |on receiving help for various needs while |
| |finding work with benefits, and not |receive benefits. |community that may be able to help |jobless. |
| |bleeding dry the savings account in | |offer support with utilities, food, | |
| |the time it takes to become |Medical care is needed, housing |and provide temporary positions for |The groups can provide network connections|
| |re-employed. |may become a new obstacle, paying |work, and new job skills training |and support to unemployed individuals. |
| |Some take jobs for less pay with |bills, and also keeping the |(One-Stop, 2013). | |
| |fewer skill sets. Some find they do |utilities turned on. | |Churches can provide money for groceries, |
| |not have the necessary skillsets for | |Supportive groups or clubs geared |utilities, and housing. |
| |the more prestigious positions. |Learning new skills sets and |toward networking the unemployed | |
| | |training, and help building a |create a supportive environment, and | |
| |Many become dependent on the system |resume, and applying for work |opportunities to find jobs meeting one| |
| |for living assistance, and some phase|become a challenge. Some find may |skill sets and experience. | |
| |out of the system and no longer |find transportation unaffordable | | |
| |receive benefits. |or limited, and some may not have |Churches can also offer assistance | |
| | |the necessary online access at |financially. | |
| | |home to search for jobs. | | |
|Homeless individuals |The issues for the homeless |The homeless population is |The National Coalition for the |The NCH works alongside other |
| |population include medical and dental|susceptible to poor living |Homeless is an organization which |organizations to rehabilitate homeless |
| |care, consistent meals, warm and safe|conditions on the street, |stretches from city to city to |individuals off the streets and into |
| |housing, clothing, and rehabilitative|violence, starvation, and unmet |activists, independent, and faith |homes. They provide food through soup |
| |services. |medical care, or rehabilitation |based organizations to end |kitchens, giving aid to those needing |
| | |services. |homelessness, meet the immediate needs|medical care by finding ways to subscribe |
| |Some live on the street to avoid | |of the homeless population, and help |to government healthcare, they advocate in|
| |criminality, exploitation, and |They require financial assistance |protect their civil rights. The |equality and fairness by supporting their |
| |continue a drug or alcohol habit. |for medical and housing needs, |organization has been around for 30 |civil rights, and help them fight |
| | |also transportation to |years, and works to consistently find |criminalization. The organization also |
| | |appointments. |solutions to help this population |works to help them vote. |
| | | |(NCH, 2013). | |
| | | | | |
References
AIDS Patient Care STDS. (July 2011). Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21774689
Burger, W.R. (2011). Human services in contemporary America. Chapter 2. Belmont, CA., Brooks/Cole, Cengage Learning.
Dancy, N., and Dutcher, G. (2007). Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1924952/
Chokshi, N., (December, 2013). A state breakdown of who will see unemployment aid dry up. The Washington Post. Retrieved from http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/govbeat/wp/2013/12/16/a-state-breakdown-of-who-will-see-unemployment-aid-dry-up-this-month/
NCH. National Coalition for Homeless. (2013). Retrieved from http://nationalhomeless.org/
One-Stop. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.servicelocator.org/
