Assignment : Identifying Community Resources

Human service providers work with a variety of clients with a variety of needs. Often, a group of agencies or specialized services may be required for a given client. In these cases, it is the human services provider who must refer the clients for those additional services. Awareness of the types of services available is critically important. This assignment is designed to provide you with an increased awareness of the types of services available to clients in their communities.

For this assignment, picture a scenario where you have three clients who have various referral needs to particular community resources. Your supervisor has suggested that you use the Internet to identify resources in your own community that will help you meet your clients' needs.

Consider the following scenarios and select any three that particularly appeal to you.

Your client has agreed to substance abuse treatment for 30 days. Locate local treatment facilities and Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meetings that your client can attend.

Your client's mother was recently diagnosed with terminal cancer. Locate a hospice that services the elderly in your county.

Your client just lost her young child to cancer. Locate a bereavement center for parents other than a hospice in your area.

Your client disclosed in counseling that she was a victim of childhood sexual abuse. Locate a local agency that provides group treatment for these adults.

Your client has a 4-year-old child who is autistic and is in need of various services including occupational, physical, and speech therapy.

Your client would prefer that the chosen agency offers some developmental counseling and education as well. Locate services both within and outside of the school district.

You are a school counselor and seeing a young child who recently moved from Mexico. His parents do not speak English but have recently expressed an interest in taking an English as a Second Language (ESL) course. Locate an ESL course that either provides transportation or is easily accessible by the local bus system.

You are working as a human services worker in an adoption agency and your client has disclosed that she is seeking adoption services because of an unplanned pregnancy. She also disclosed that she cannot share that she is pregnant with her husband because she fears he will become physically violent with her. Locate all services for her that you believe would be appropriate considering her situation.

Your client is a victim of domestic violence and is in need of human services, including assistance with her criminal case, a support group for herself and her children, and counseling and advocacy services for her. Locate victim-advocacy services both within the county prosecutor's office as well as within the community.

Your client is a single mother and has recently lost her job. She will be evicted soon and has no family to provide her with the funds necessary to remain in her apartment. Locate as many services as possible that will help her with her short-term and long-term housing needs (both governmental and private).

You have several clients who are asking for faith-based counseling services. Locate at least one faith-based agency in your area that provides general human services and support.

Select any three of the scenarios. Use the Internet and your local telephone directory to compile an information bank of community resources to meet the needs of clients in your three chosen scenarios. The description of each resource should include:

The name, address, phone number, and Web site address of the agency

The at-risk population the agency or organization serves (it could serve multiple populations)

A description of services provided by the agency

An explanation about why the agency would be a good fit for the given scenario

After gathering the information about your selected resources, use that information to write a paper in your own words, providing the required information about each source. Your paper should be at least 2-3 pages in Word format (not including the title page and references page). Apply APA standards to citation of sources.