Discussion: Applying Theories to Regional-Level Challenges
In the roles of social change agent, leader, and advocate, human services professionals have many responsibilities. At the regional level, multiple or missing standards, guidelines, laws, and regulations may pose challenges to human services professions. As a human services professional, you should be aware not only of your responsibilities, but also of any regional-level challenges you may encounter when attempting to fulfill your responsibilities.
To prepare:
- Select a regional-level challenge related to human and social services professions and/or the roles and responsibilities of human and social services professionals. This should be a challenge you or the human services profession might face when attempting to address issues at the regional level, such as funding or available resources. Regional may include but is not limited to your local community, geographical zone, county, state/province, or surrounding locality.
- Then, think about why addressing the challenge is important to the profession, as well as what difference the challenge’s resolution or improvement might make.
With these thoughts in mind:
Post the name of your region, as well as a brief description of the challenge you selected. Explain why addressing this challenge is important to the profession and what difference its resolution or improvement might make. Explain how you might apply change, leadership, and/or advocacy theories and processes to address the challenge. Describe the ethical challenges that might come into play when attempting to address the challenges. Be specific, and provide examples to illustrate your points.
References
Homan, M. S. (2016). Promoting community change: Making it happen in the real world (6th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage.
- Chapter 14, “Increasing the Effectiveness of Health and Human Services Organizations” (pp. 451–473)
Lenette, C., & Ingamells, A. (2015). Mind the gap! The growing chasm between funding-driven agencies, and social and community knowledge and practice. Community Development Journal, 50(1), 88–103. doi:10.1093/cdj/bsu024.
Lonne, B. (2009). Social justice and high-quality human services: Visioning the place of a contemporary professional association. Australian Social Work, 62(1), 1–9. doi:10.1080/03124070802635084
