Human Services for the Indigenous Populations of the State of Washington is a local need that is growing in scope every year. The evidence of the need for these services is obvious when one travels through these geographical areas and witness the lack of services provided to the people there. There is also a growing need for human services workers in these geographical areas. It is very sad to visit the community grave sites and see the devastating losses families face due to mental illness, violence and drug and alcohol abuse. Michael E. Bird, (2002) notes the following observation:
Wherever there has been dispossession, we see in the dispossessed populations significant damage in health, in educational levels, and in social well-being. …show more content…
For human service workers to really be able to make an impact on this culture, without bringing in their own personal bias, Weaver, H. (1998) states, “Recognition of biases begins with self-reflection. Human services providers must look critically at their own belief systems, values, and worldview and the ways in which they affect practice. (p. 204) When thinking of cultural interpretations, Weaver, H. (1998) speaks to the difference in personal responsibility between the European Worldview and that of the Native People. Most Europeans tend to think of the concept of personal responsibility in a self-serving manner, when the Indigenous peoples think of it in a much broader cultural manner where what I do will affect others in a much broader world view. In recent years the Department of the Interior has supported acts that protect the native people’s children and their culture by placing at risk children within families of the same culture. Government reports finds that one of the major issues facing tribes is the shortage of qualified staff and high turnover rates within these areas specifically foster care. Martin, M. (2014) asserts that: “quality medical care is lacking on most Native American reservations and native advocates argue that reasons for this relate to racial disparity and historical mistreatment and oppression.” (p. 227) Education is one of the keys to making a much needed change in this area. Teaching the members of the Indigenous Nations to give back to their own communities and in turn teach their own members to care for one another is a step in the right direction. There are scholarships now available, but there continues to be a need for more institutions of higher education closer to where these students live. Broad