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STUDENT REPLIES
STUDENT REPLY #1 Tifani Crowley
In this picture, I am identifying myself as a liaison between veterans and social workers. I assist veterans with obtaining medical benefits, completing food stamps and Medicaid applications, obtaining rides to and from medical appointments, and finding resources to assist veterans with utility expenses and food insecurities.
The community in which I assist consists of veterans, nurses, doctors, social workers, the federal government, and family and friends of veterans.
The strength of the community is various programs are designed and only given to veterans. The community helps bring togetherness as it has been shown that some veterans relate better to other veterans. In the community of the Veteran hospital, there are a lot of resources in which veterans may obtain assistance beyond medical treatment such as free legal assistance labs, volunteer services, donation boxes to donate or received items, and job fairs. They are also allowed to sit in town hall meetings where they can address questions, problems or concerns about the VA system as well. The weakness of the community is it is a large community and funding may not allow for everyone to be assisted Because it is a federal government community the rules and regulations come from the federal government so what may work in one area of the U.S it may not work in another part but will still be implemented. Because there are different rules and regulations with who qualifies and who does not there are veterans who don’t receive assistance of any sort.
One strength the community has is togetherness, as previously stated a town hall meeting is also housed in the facility every month. The town hall meetings can be used to argue and advocate for the rules and regulations that are deemed unfair or that don’t meet the geographical location standards. For instance, Houston is a big city, we cannot expect to have the same amount of employees or pay for the employees compared to a smaller city such as Palm Springs. Through togetherness and using the resources that are allotted to the veterans, staff family, and friends advocation can be completed to establish the changes that have become a weakness for the family.
On a daily basis, I meet veterans who state that they are unaware of their benefits, what they are entitled to, or what is available. One area of macro-social skill that can be utilized to assist with this weakness is education. Education can be offered in pamphlets around the community that services the veterans. There can also be educational seminars or classes conducted monthly where veterans can be educated on what they may qualify for, what services are available, and where to go or who to contact to obtain these items (Kirst-Ashman & Hull, 2018). Another weakness the veterans are faced with is limited funding, such as the donation box, often runs out of soap, deodorant, socks, towels, toothbrushes, and toothpaste. To assist with getting more items fundraisers can be conducted. A car wash, or bake sale, reaching out to churches or veteran-sponsored groups, corporations may also be willing to donate or match profits to support the cause (Kirst-Ashman & Hull, 2018). In many cases, if individuals don’t realize there is a need they won’t donate so spreading awareness that donations are needed will also benefit the veteran with this weakness. As a lot of the policies and procedures that are implemented come from Washington DC, the best way to change or spread awareness would be social advocacy. Through social advocacy, individuals apply pressure to bring change that will benefit either an individual or a group who is experiencing social and economic injustice (Kirst-Ashman & Hull, 2018). For instance, veterans who have enlisted and served less than 24 months and have no service-connected injuries are deemed to be ineligible for veteran services at the Veteran Hospital and do not qualify for healthcare. Someone who falls under this category may feel this decision is unjust and may need to fight their case on an individual basis as there may be a reason beyond their control as to why they did not complete 24 months or longer.
STUDENT REPLY #2 Elda De Hoyos Plake
Description of the Community.
The community is Beeville, Texas. Beeville is located in Bee County, Texas, approximately 52 miles North of Corpus Christi and about 91 miles South of San Antonio. I do not live in this city, but I spend most of my days here due to my work.
Strengths and challenges.
Some strengths within the Beeville community are their sense of unity and camaraderie. The town also has a diverse population that contributes to its cultural richness. The challenges that the city faces are many, including economic disparities, limited access to healthcare services, education, poverty, and drug abuse.
Addressing the community challenges
Community Camaraderie:
This strength can be used to create programs that involve collaboration among members of the community to address issues that can help tackle economic disparities, drug abuse, and homelessness. Community members can come together to identify the needs and resources available to create permanent solutions.
Diverse Population:
The diverse population is an asset that brings various skills, backgrounds, and perspectives. It is an opportunity to foster inclusive decision-making practices that can help address challenges efficiently.
Macro practice skills to address community challenges
Needs assessment is one of the first steps, as it allows us to make informed decisions, identify key priorities, allocate resources, and develop effective interventions (Kirst-Ashman & Hull, 2018). A needs assessment provides us with an awareness of the needs that are affecting the community.
Advocacy: Involves advocating for changes and developing policies that can help identify social, economic, and health dissimilarities.
Collaborative: Working with individuals and organizations through collaborative leadership, where diverse stakeholders can be brought together to develop and implement solutions.
References:
Kirst-Ashman, K. K., & Hull, G. H., Jr. (2018). Empowerment series: Understanding generalist practice (8th ed.). CENGAGE Learning.
