Week 2 Current Issues in Human Services Essay

For this essay:

1. Search for and identify one (1) current issue in the field of Human Services. You may locate this issue in a newspaper, journal, television, or other media outlet. You may use the resources below.

2. Write a 3-4-page paper in which you:

• Define a social problem, in your own words.
• Describe the issue through the lens of one of the theories or philosophies we discussed this week – who does it affect?
• Why does it exist?
• The rationale for choosing the problem – Why did you choose this social issue?
• What factors contribute to your identification of this social issue? (values, beliefs, norms, sanctions, symbols, etc).
• Create a description of a viable solution (program or policy) for addressing the issue on a macro level (you may create a fictitious resource, program, or organization).
• What opposition might you face? (societal, economic, political, cultural…)T

This essay must follow all APA style formatting requirements. For further guidelines on your paper, refer to the Essay Rubric

Resources (choose one (1) topic to review):

Review the PowerPoint below:

Supporting People with Developmental Disabilities During Aging

This PowerPoint outlines how to support people with developmental disabilities during the aging process. Prepared and funded through a collaboration between The Developmental Disabilities Council of Washington, The University of Washington Center on Human Development and Disability, Northwest Center, and Washington State Division of Developmental Disabilities.

Review the websites and articles related to the field of disabilities and disability services:

• Americans with Disabilities Act This website provides comprehensive information on the Americans with Disabilities Act.
• Disability.gov This is the federal government website for comprehensive information on disability programs and services in communities nationwide.
• National Council on Disability This website includes publications and policy briefs that contain data and provide recommendations to the Administration, Congress, and executive branch agencies on the broad spectrum of issues that affect people with disabilities, from the National Council on Disability.

Review the videos related to the field of disabilities:

• How Crime Affects People With Disabilities Video PSA (Part 1)
• How Crime Affects People With Disabilities Video PSA (Part 2)
• Nick Vujicic: Life Without Limbs – CBN.com
• Patrick Henry Hughes

Review the websites and articles related to aging and geriatric services:

• Aging Statistics This website includes the 2016 Older Americans Report, which was compiled by The Federal Interagency Forum on Aging-Related Statistics (Forum). This forum was founded in 1986 to foster collaboration among Federal agencies that produce or use statistical data on the older population.
• National Institute on Aging This website contains information on aging research, from the National Institute on Aging.
• Gerontological Society on Aging This organization is the oldest and largest interdisciplinary organization devoted to research, education, and practice in the field of aging
• Living Old This web link leads to a 6-part series on the unique issue of those who live over the age of 85, who are often referred to as “the old old”.

Review the videos related to aging and geriatric services:

• Understanding Alzheimer’s Disease (Alzheimers #1)
• Stages of Alzheimer’s Disease (Alzheimers #2)
• Treating Alzheimer’s Disease (Alzheimers #3)
• How to Interact with Alzheimer’s Patients
• Elder Abuse
• Stagebridge: Healthy Aging Program
• The Senior Citizens’ Song” – Ira Stanphil, Hilton Griswold
• Koch Presents “Aging Well” During Alumni Weekend
• Aging Well Into the 21st Century

Review the websites and articles related Mental Health:

• Mental Health: The Report of the Surgeon General This site contains the mental health reports, from the U.S. Surgeon General (1999 & 2001).
• Report of the President’s New Freedom Commision This is the final report of the President’s New Freedom Commission on Mental Health (2013). It highlights the keys to transforming mental health care in America.
• Achieving the Promise: Transforming Mental Health Care in America (Executive Summary) This is the executive summary of the President’s New Freedom Commission on Mental Health (2013). It highlights the keys to transforming mental health care in America.
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration This site contains comprehensive resources about the topics of Mental Health and Substance Abuse. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is the agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that leads public health efforts to advance the behavioral health of the nation. SAMHSA’s mission is to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on America’s communities.
• MentalHealth.govThis site provides one-stop access to U.S. government mental health and mental health problems information.

Review the websites and articles related to Substance Abuse and Addiction:

• National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism This web link contains an executive summary that outlines how to improve the delivery of alcohol treatment and prevention services.
• The Science of Addiction This document outlines the effects of drugs on the brain, the relationship between addiction and health, and best practices in treatment and recovery.
• The Economic Costs of Alcohol and Drug Abuse in the United States – 1992-2002 This is an executive summary that highlights the economic costs of alcohol and drug abuse in America, from 1992-2002.

Review the websites and articles related to Criminal Justice issues:

• Critical Criminal Justice Issues Think link contains a booklet that highlights critical criminal justice issues, as determined by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs. This resource should be used to complete your Reaction Paper assignment this week.
• Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics This site was created by the University at Albany, Hindelang Criminal Justice Research Center. It is a comprehensive source of statistics related to criminal justice issues, across the United States.
• National Criminal Justice Reference Service This site contains a topical index from the National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS), which is a federally funded resource offering justice and drug-related information to support research, policy, and program development worldwide.

Review the websites and articles related to HIV/AIDs epidemic:

• Center for Disease Control and Prevention: HIV/AIDs This site includes comprehensive information about HIV/AIDS, from the CDC. It includes information from who is at risk for contracting the disease, to policies and prevention programs that have been proven to be effective.
• HIV-AIDS The Science Inside This link contains a booklet that takes a comprehensive look at HIV/AIDS.
• Surviving AIDs This site contains interactive activities related to AIDS research, and what scientists are learning about preserving the immune system to keep infected people from progressing to AIDS.

Review the PowerPoint:

• Domestic Violence PowerPoint This PowerPoint presentation was created by Noelle Sincere Duckworth, formerly of the Delaware Coalition Against Domestic Violence (Used by permission)

Review the websites and articles related to domestic, child and youth violence:

• Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) This site defines Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) and includes information from data sources, to IPV prevention strategies.
• Violence Prevention This site explains the history of Violence Prevention, through the CDC. It includes information about different approaches and models used to develop strategic directions to address this issue.
• Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention This site defines Child Maltreatment and includes information from data sources, to child maltreatment prevention strategies.
• Youth Violence This site defines Youth Violence and includes information from data sources, to youth violence prevention strategies.
• Guide to Starting a Youth Program This site contains a guide to help individuals who wish to start their own youth program. Best practices and program evaluation methods are included.
• Training Youth Development Staff This document contains an article that explores best practices in training staff for youth-serving programs.

Review the videos related to the issue of homelessness:

• People Power – Homeless Hero
• The Mobile Homeless – USA
• Homeless In America

Review the following resources on theories:

• Ecological Psychology – Replacing the Medical Model Paradigm for School-Based Psychological and Psycheducational Services
• An Existential-Humanistic Perspective on Black Lives Matter and Contemporary Protest Movements
• Phenomenology of Pain and Suffering at the End of Life – A Humanistic Perspective
• From the Couch to the Chair – Applying Psychoanalytic Theory and Practice in Counseling