Running Head: Accessing Services for Low-Income Poverty Families
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Accessing Services for Low-Income Poverty Families
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Accessing Services for Low-Income Poverty Families
Abstract
Judgement and injustice is found in housing, voting, land use, transportation, education, employment, lending/credit, healthcare services, and government benefits. We see judgement and injustice in a manner of improper treatment of people, for reasons that have nothing to do with legal rights. When it came to lack of equal access and opportunity in social services for people of color, NASW supports a complete, multicultural society in which people of color are valued, respected, and oppression and discrimination totally not tolerated (Administration for Children and Families DHHS, 2003).
The quality of life for families of color hardly ever receive equal attention when complicated social policy issues are discussed. Although poor families of color have profited from educational and job opportunities originating from newly created social justice policies, the societies that they still live in continues to face problems like ongoing issues with police, deprived educational systems, high unemployment, individuals feeling trapped, and unforeseen crimes (Rand, 2004).
Impact Oppression and Discrimination Had on People of Color
The impact that injustice and prejudice has had on people of color is the public social service agencies have seen a widespread decrease in welfare caseloads, but the decreases haven’t actually been followed by any progress within the status of families of color and their environments. The impact has been seen in such as areas as:
(a) Low-Income Poverty Family Status – The main bread winner in the low-income family works fulltime, and households led by females of color earn significantly less than households led by white females; low-income families wind up relying on under the table jobs and assistance from private charities, whenever the need is great; poor low-income families continue to face the problem of unforeseen crimes, deprived educational system, police run-ins, prejudicialness in the TANF programs, and high unemployment (Carnevale et al., 2001).
(b) Low-Income Poverty Family Programs – lack of programs that strengthen families of people of color that encourage healthy child and family improvement through home visitations, educational parenting and early childhood programs that boost school preparedness, and outreach efforts (Carnevale et al., 2001).
Ethical Dilemmas
Social workers should advocate for the overall welfare of society, from local to worldwide levels, and the growth of people, their societies, and their surroundings. Social workers should advocate for living circumstances favorable to the desire of basic human needs and should advocate for social, economic, political, and cultural standards and institutions that are appropriate towards the awareness of social justice (NASW, 2008, 6.01).
Public policy is the main factor in deciding the nature of social work practice, and it is totally affected by government policy. Even though social work agencies and professionals can help form different approaches and systems, the type of service conveyance and the validity of the social work profession is created by community social policy. The changes with government guidelines can alter a client’s eligibility and their potential for getting benefits and services. Restricting and changing the government’s responsibility has completely changed the accessibility and the distribution of social work services, role, and position of social work as a role (NASW, 2015-2017, p. 262).
Analyzing Policy Implications
Since 2006 and the beginning of the Great Recession, the federal government has tried to fight the economic and social impact. Both Presidents George W. Bush and Barack H. Obama, used federal funds to sustain the unstable economy in an effort to avoid a major economic depression. Then in 2009, American Reinvestment and Recovery Act allocated billions to maintain the states. The bigger chunk of the billions went to states to assist Medicare funding, whereas, money also went to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF), Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) housing assistance, energy assistance bill, public schools in poverty areas, and child care, in order to help low-income people (Smeeding et al., 2011).
Growing inequality came before the Great Recession and has continued in its after affects. Growing need in areas of common concern to social workers current social policy challenges. The constant belief that the free market, free of constricting community welfare guidelines, can answer better regarding human needs by presenting short-term assistance whenever required. Policy makers support education and training programs to encourage job readiness for those who are unemployed, but these programs do not produce immediate results, and in fact they leave laid-off workers with few resources, especially when the unemployment benefits expire. Then there are the tax policies to give some relief to the working poor through the earned income tax credit, but the middle class and wealthy have benefited way more under the tax code as income has been reallocated upward, increasing class discrimination (Bricker et al., 2012).
Social Justice Advocacy Methods
Assistance or advocacy activities offers a way for social workers to link their practice with the profession’s goal of social justice. Family support programs may address the general population or target ethnic and cultural minorities, adolescent parents, or families of facing health issues. Current advocacy approaches for assisting families of color are as follows (Calzada et al., 2014):
(a) Supporting Young Parents – this program supports young pregnant or teen parents and is tailored to the teen parent's level of growth, targeting health care, child growth needs, and connecting teens to a full selection of assistance. For example, teen parenting service network and young parents program (Calzada et al., 2014).
(b) Education Service – children and youth information and resources for approaches with guaranteeing stability in their educational experience with care and providing higher education opportunities for youth when they leave home. For example, meeting educational needs of children and youth leaving home, and special education (Calzada et al., 2014).
(c) Employment and Training Services – assisting youths and their families with obtaining better skills, employment readiness, and stable employment (Calzada et al., 2014).
(d) Health Services – information and resources about programs such as, how to get free health services, Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Programs (CHIP), and low-cost insurance in their state or local community. For example, Medicaid, CHIP, the Affordable Care Act, types of health services, and health services locators (Calzada et al., 2014).
Current Effective or Ineffective Policies Addressing Social Justice Problem
The current policies do not seem to effective, in fact they strongly suggest that current models of social service and health requirements, mainly reflect middle class white values, and don’t successfully meet the needs of racially diverse and ethnic groups. To continue to fail at addressing cultural changes creates and keeps distrust, and possible conflicts between social workers and new clients, all while giving way to poor quality of care and health issues. But, continuing to deliver culturally knowledgeable services should remain a focus and hopeful approach for encouraging real results amongst ethnically and racially diverse groups, all while finally reducing health differences (Calzada et al., 2014).
References
Administration for Children and Families DHHS (2003). “Temporary assistance to needy families program: Fifth annual report to Congress.” Retrieved at: http://www.acf.dhhs. gov/programs/ope/ar2002/indexar.htm.
Bricker, J., Kennickell, A., Moore, K., and J. Sabelhaus (2012). “Changes in U.S. family finances from 2009 to 2010: Evidence from the survey of consumer finances”. Federal Reserve Bulletin, 98(2): 1–80. Retrieved from http://www.federalreserve.gov/pubs/ bulletin/2012/PDF/scf12.pdf.
Calzada, E. and Suarez-Balcaza, Y. (2014). “Enhancing Cultural Competence in Social Service Agencies: A Promising Approach to Serving Diverse Children and Families”. Office of Planning, Research & Evaluation (OPRE), OPRE Report #2014-31. Retrieved at: https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/opre/brief_enhancing_cultural_competence_final_022114.pdf.
Carnevale, A. and Rose, S. (2001). “Low earners: Who are they? Do they have a way out? In M. Miller (Ed.), Low-Wage Workers in the New Economy. The Urban Institute Press, Washington, D.C., pp. 45-66.
National Association of Social Workers (2008). “NASW Code of Ethics”. NASW Member Services: Washington, D.C.
NASW (2015-2017). “Social work speaks: NASW policy statements” (10th ed.). NASW Press: Washington, DC. ISBN: 9780871014597.
Rand, D. (2004). “Financial education and asset building for welfare recipients and low income workers: The Illinois experience.” The Brookings Institution, Washington, D.C.
Smeeding, T., Thompson, J., Levavon, E. and Burak, E. (2011). “Poverty and income inequality in the early stages of the great recession”. In D. Grusky, B. Western, & C. Wimer (Eds.), The great recession (pp. 82–126). Sage Foundation, New York, NY.
