Human Services

Paper Summary:

This paper reviews and discusses the history of humans providing health and social services to other humans. According to the paper, it was the Catholic Church that first provided these services, followed shortly by the English Crown. The paper also mentions that it was Hippocrates that first recognized mental illness as issues that called for a rational scientific approach.

From the Paper:

"When the American colonies were established, principles of the Elizabethan Poor Law were instituted; the public assumed responsibility for the poor, legal residency issues were addressed, and families were obliged to look after their own when possible. In 1662, the very first American institution ("almshouse") for mentally handicapped people, orphans, the very poor and criminals was built (in Massachusetts), according to Woodside on page 47. The treatment of criminals and the mentally disturbed though was harsh in many cases, and it took the bright mind of Benjamin Franklin to acknowledge that special services were needed for mental patients. Still, when immigrants began pouring into America - and industry grew rapidly - in the 1800s, the need to help the less fortunate became obvious; still, on page 48 the authors explain that helping the poor only encouraged more poor to line up with their hands out."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Meshvara, Deva (2002). Mental health and mental health care in Asia. World Psychiatry, 1(2),118-120.
• Woodside, Marianne, & McClam, Tricia. (2002). An Introduction to Human Services. PacificGrove, CA: Brooks/Cole.

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