21 Nov Ethical Issues in Human Services? Discussion Topic ?After reading chapter 12 ‘Working In The Community’? What interests do you have that could lead to your involvement in the local

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Chapter 12: Working in the Community

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Chapter 12: Working in the Community

Chapter 12 Lecture Notes

Working in the Community

CHAPTER OUTLINE

Aim of the Chapter

The Community Perspective

The Scope of the Community Approach

Client Advocacy and a Social Justice Perspective

Multiple Roles of Community Workers

Stepping Outside of the Office and Into the Community

Various Perspectives on the Roles of Helper

Alternative Roles to Traditional Helping Models

School Counselors as Social Justice Advocates and Change Agents

Community Intervention

Outreach

An Outreach Program in Schools

Educating the Community

Demystifying the Notion of Mental Illness

Influencing Policymakers

Mobilizing Community Resources

Recognizing Community Members as the Experts

Working With Diverse Populations in the Community

Social Activism and Making a Difference

CHAPTER OVERVIEW

· The community perspective emphasizes social change rather than merely helping people adapt to their circumstances.

· It is not useful to focus on individual client treatment and neglect the institutional or social conditions that contribute to an individual’s problems. A process that considers both the internal conflicts of the individual and the social factors within the community will provide a balanced perspective for helpers.

· It is essential that training programs prepare students to assume a proactive stance toward community intervention, especially with reference to early prevention approaches for at-risk groups in the community.

· A comprehensive community counseling program has four aspects. Direct client services focus on outreach activities for at-risk groups in the community. Direct community services in the form of preventive education are geared to the population.

· Helpers need to assume an advocacy role for disenfranchised clients whose background makes it difficult for them to utilize professional assistance.

· Helpers who work in the community will be expected to develop the skills necessary to engage in outreach, provide education to community members, assume an advocacy role, and influence policymakers.

· The nice counselor syndrome occurs when helpers promote peace and interpersonal harmony at any cost, which tends to entrench the status quo.

· You do not have to be all things to potential clients in the community. If you work in a community agency, you will most likely be part of a team working with individual clients.

· Social activism is a powerful way to make a significant difference in the community.

· Each of us has the power and ability to make a difference.

KEY CONCEPTS AND TERMS

Adviser is a helper role that involves initiating discussions with clients about ways to deal with environmental problems that contribute to their personal problems.

Advocacy involves helpers speaking on behalf of oppressed client populations.

Advocates use their skills in helping clients to effectively deal with institutional barriers that impede their personal, social, academic, or career goals.

Change agent is a role of helpers that do what they can to confront and bring about change within the system that contributes to the problems clients face; helpers teach clients strategies for dealing with these environmental problems.

Community A community is a number of people who share a distinct location, belief, interest, activity, or other characteristic that clearly identifies their commonality and differentiates them from those not sharing it.

Community agency is a term that includes any institution—public or private, nonprofit or for-profit—designed to provide a wide range of social and psychological services to the community.

Community mental health movement, which began in the 1950s, was based on the premise that human problems result primarily from failures in the social system.

Community orientation requires helpers to design interventions that go beyond the office.

Community workers are a diverse pool of human services workers whose primary duties revolve around serving individuals within their community.

Consultant is a role that involves working with clients from diverse racial, ethnic, sexual/affectional, ability, gender, and cultural backgrounds to design preventive programs aimed at eliminating the negative impact of discrimination and oppression.

Direct client services focus on outreach activities to a population that might be at risk for developing mental health problems.

Direct community services are a form of preventive education and are geared to the population at large; the focus of preventive programs is on teaching effective living and problem-solving competencies.

Indirect client services consist of client advocacy, which involves active intervention for and with an individual or a group.

Indirect community services are attempts to change the social environment to meet the needs of the population as a whole and are carried out by influencing public policy.

Outreach approach includes developmental and educational efforts, such as skills training, stress management training, education of the community about mental health and the benefits of counseling, and consultation in a variety of settings

Social Activism people who are deeply engaged in their own communities and who are actively working to promote change

Copyright © 2019 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

Copyright © 2019 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.