Organizational Structure and Processes
Kim Henderson, Kimberly Butler, Ronda Evans
University of Phoenix
Building Community in Human Service Organization
BSHS 461
Chris Shreve
July 18, 2011

Organizational Structure and Processes People working with marginalized, displaced or special populations experiencing obstacles to the pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness human service workers considered. Human services encompass a wide range of responsibilities. In human services, professionals have a broad range of skills in their collective roles in helping people with various social issues. The human service field can include a variety of job titles such as Director, Counselor, Therapist, Caseworker, Program Coordinator, Social Worker, or Victim Advocate (Martin, 2007). The human service field includes the human service agency as well as the human service workers making up the human service agency. According to “Management of Human Services Program” discusses the human service organization as a group of people large or small working together to improve the live served (Lewis, Packard, Lewis, 2007). Human Service Organizations come in when people facing various social problems have no support systems to help them in overcoming their issues. The settings in which human service professionals practice can vary. Lewis, Packard, and Lewis mention tiny storefront agencies to multifaceted community organizations to statewide public service departmental settings (2007). However, these settings may also include such settings as: halfway houses, mental health facilities, group homes, child, and youth service agencies, drug abuse and prevention programs, community health centers, family violence services, or aging services. Whichever of these settings human service professionals may find themselves in the goal is common, to improve service delivery, and to assist in bettering the lives of the people served and to enhance the development of the community. Local Organization The Detroit Central City Community Mental Health (DCC) is a nonprofit organization servicing the community of mental health in the Metropolitan Detroit Area. The Detroit Central City Community Mental Health is a full service mental health agency for adults diagnosed with a mental illness, substance abuse/homelessness. The DCC managed under the leadership and guidance of well educated, licensed, and experienced staff of human service professionals: board of directors, deputy director with a CSW as well as an ASCW, a housing director with a register nurse and MSN, an onsite division director with a CSW and ACSW. Health Service Coordinator with a BSW, a Team Leader with a MSW and CAC-1, and facilitators with BSN/AA degrees. The DCC models the Matrix Structure model blending both functional and divisional methods. The DCC operates two divisions, a housing division and an on-site division. The housing division consists of six programs: PATH, ACT 1, ACT II, ACT III, Adult Foster Care, and Crisis Mobilization Team. The Housing Division a collaborative effort by DCC and other members of the Person Centered Network has reduced the inpatient hospitalization length of stay for consumers 21 and older waiting for long-term residential placements and prevent hospital admission for homeless consumers present at psychiatric screenings. The On-Site Division has five programs: out-patient, services, dual diagnosis; mental illness/substance abuse program, partial day program, supportive housing program, substance abuse prevention, and intervention program. The DCC specifications of service include: transportation for consumers from hospital/screenings to DCC and various community resources as required, providing food, shelter and supervision seven days a week, 24 hours a day by trained staff, psychiatric evaluation conducted by a psychiatrist to determine mental condition and emotional functioning, prescribed medication when indicated, medication review, comprehensive evaluation of consumer’s health, case management, psychological assessment, person centered individual plan of service, coordinate, and monitor services based on consumer’s needs including: permanent housing referral, crisis intervention, day treatment services, and support groups. The DCC is a voluntary program. Consumers may walk in or be referred from any screening center, be able to manage basic needs independently, able to manage medication independently and be a Wayne County Resident. Detroit Central City Community Mental Health project with its operations and services to the mental community exemplifies the goal of the human service profession as well as models the theoretical view of Blake and McCanse of team management. An ideal style of leadership based on concern for meeting the goals of the agency as well as helping the people served live better lives (Lewis, Packard, Lewis, 2007). DCC do this in a structured environment, managed by educated, licensed, and experienced individuals dedicated to helping people overcome various social barriers. State Organization For more than a century Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) is one of the longest running none profit organizations in the State of Michigan. Big Brothers vision is to ensure the State of Michigan children is successful in her and his future, making a difference in the youth community. The Big Brothers Big Sisters of Michigan provides services to children by matching adults with children through quality relationships monitoring and continues to make a difference in the lives of the children BBBS serves. Big Brothers Big Sisters staffs are specialists at screening volunteers and matching the child sharing similar interests. Big Brothers Big Sisters provides training for the staff members who will assist her or him with hands-on working with parents, children, and volunteers. Big Brothers Big Sisters work consistently ensuring programs quality is superior in the state of Michigan. The organizational background is multicultural. Most of the girls and boys Big Brothers Big Sisters service are from low income single parent homes with histories of some form of violence. BBBS goal is the help make a difference in changing a child’s life head down a path of destruction. With programs such as site-based mentoring (Lunch Buddies) as well afterschools mentoring with her or his mentor once a week to talk do projects together and have fun. Community-based mentoring is another program for the adult (big) who spends about an hour with a child (little) within the community to talk and to share fun activities. According to researchers after an 18 months research on BBBS community-based mentoring program, study showed these children to less likely to use drugs, alcohol, skip school, and class. The importance Big Brothers Big Sisters organization helping under privileged children see there are people care about her or his future and not become a victim to the stereotypes trapped in the urban city life. Taking stress off the parent who work long hours and does not have the time she or he would like to spend with her or his child or children helps, giving these children an outlet so her or his voice is heard. Building communities affects Big Brothers Big Sisters when their mission statement is fulfill. Enhancing child strength through new experiences and friendship with the help of qualified volunteer mentors ensuring a better future, at the same time the community affect BBBS when the mission is not reaching children in communities needing BBBS help and a child slips through the crack. BBBS builds communities when children are giving the opportunity to experience something new that will help broaden a child’s opportunity for a better life. Reading the Blake and McCanes leadership Hersey and Blanchard model one can say Big Brothers Big Sisters Organization is team managed. All employees is committed and competence to her and his work. The staff is familiar and knows the importance each person roles to make the organization successful. Nevertheless forming a manager and employee relationship and the manager in the case allows the employees to perform her and his duties. Although employees rely on one another opinions, ideals, and incite on all projects final approval will come from the manager. National Organization On a national level, the functions and duties of the Friend of the Court clerk’s office are assigned by the Clerk, Jason Ramous, he assigns to the budget director, to the finance director, to the internal auditor, to the chief deputy of court services and to the chief deputy of administration services. The Friend of the Court is a governmental, nonprofit human service organization designed to function as a circuit court to liaison for families with domestic relational issues. Friend of the Court is under government jurisdiction directions and functions. The Friend of the Court Bureau establishment is to provide circuit courts across the nation with management assisting in operating local Friend of the Court offices, including developmental of local policies and procedures. The culture of Friend of the Court on a national level is families in need of assistances with parenting, custody, and financial support issues. The organization builds community by assisting families with the above issues, establishing relationships and enforcing the law with family relation issues. By building community relationships establishes a structure, and builds trust for the Friend of the Court, by enforcing the law as well as the policies and procedures of the Friend of the Court. Building community affects the organizations value on somewhat of a small level. The affects of building community builds trust for the organization and serves as a resource for those who need such services. The Friend of the Court is always known for child support regardless of the relationships. Certain laws allow parties to opt out of the services offered at Friend of the Court. The way if any that the Friend of the Court would relate to the Blake and Macanese’s leadership grid and the Hersey and Blanchard situational leadership model would be the ability to set high but obtainable goals, taking responsibility for the job, and the effectiveness of leadership will vary, depending-on- the job that is assigned. The clerk who assumes leadership over the FOC, and the only way that the organization functions are under the clerk’s leadership assigns all the jobs performed within the FOC. The Friend of the Court does have a structure plan of leadership however, do not have a strategic plan or organizational chart that one could locate. The differences between a state, local, and national organization level of Friend of the Court ability to function on a state and governmental level by enforce the rules on a national level as the FOC does. In conclusion all three organizations are unique and function on different levels. DCC function on a local level BBBS function on a state level and FOC function on a national level. These three organization management grid is differ between on the Blake and McCanse’s and Hersey and Blanchard’s grid. According to the observation these organizations function as a team management the environment. FOC leadership is effective by raising the bar however allowing the goal reachable.
References
Lewis, J. A., Lewis, M. D., & Packard, T. D. (2007). Management of Human Service Programs. In . Retrieved from www.ecampus.phoenix.edu
Martin, M. E. (2007). Introduction to Human Service. In Through the Eyes of Practice Settings. Retrieved from www.ecampus.phoenix.edu www.bbbs.com Retrieved July 15, 2007
Detroit Central Community Health Inc. Retrieved July 15, 2007 www.friendofthecourt.gov Retrieved July 14, 2007