Human Services

Research Paper # 45177

Political Science > Government Agencies
Political Science > Social Security and Welfare
Political Science > State and Local Politics

Human Services

An examination of how the collaboration between welfare services and policy makers produces desired policy decisions, which then lead to sound practices and processes.

4,124 words () | 14 sources | MLA | 2003 United States

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses how the field of human services has a proud history of helping those in need, but how it is also cognizant that involvement in politics is necessary if the profession is to be effective in implementing sound policies. It looks at how the professional field of human services is one model in the helping professions that assists individuals, families, and communities deal effectively with change. It evaluates how change can be a crisis or stressor that may temporarily or permanently disable an individual or family in functioning effectively in all areas of life. It shows how collaboration with policy makers produces desired policy decisions, which then lead to sound practices and processes and how nowhere is this more evident than in the area of welfare.

Outline
Introduction
Politics of Welfare
Policies of Welfare
Practices of Welfare
Conclusions
Recommendations

From the Paper:

"The results of sending welfare to the states are mixed. Marks (2003) argues that "welfare reform is an unqualified success. Caseloads that were bulging at more than 5 million back in 1996 have been cut in half. The child poverty rate, which peaked at more than 22 percent, has plummeted to 16 percent, allowing more than 2.9 million children to move out of poverty" (p. 1). Marks (2003 also argues that the number of single mothers who were able to work jumped from 44 percent in 1992 to 64 percent in 1999. Marks (2003) also recognizes that the vast majority of those who left the welfare rolls are working at minimum wage jobs and only about half of those who would qualify to receive welfare weren't receiving it."