Social Work and Human Services Assignment.
The African American community has been marginalized over the years by race, social class, and negative stereotypes. Due to this, social agencies seek to assess and document the needs of the members of this community which have been ignored due to their marginalization. To gain information on the needs of African American families, the agency chose Craig’s family to participate in a case study. Social Work and Human Services Assignment.Craig Robinson is a twelve-year-old African-American boy who lives in the south side of Chicago. Craig lives with his grandparents, Lottie and James Peterson, his mother Mitchell, his older brother Peter who is nineteen and his younger brother Joe who is five years old.
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While preparing to meet the family, I will research on the topics to be discussed to gain an in-depth understanding of the family’s needs and access up to date information on the selected topics. Creating a rapport with the family is important for open and effective communication. Having relevant information will help create a feeling of mutual understanding and connection. The Human perspective theories of the Hus model will be used to focus on service delivery about health care and insurance, and access to education. Social Work and Human Services Assignment.
Human perspective in Health care for African American Families
Health disparities exist in the United States due to the unmet medical needs of members of minority groups such as the African-American community. The sad reality is that the quality of care in the United States receives depends on who they are and their ability to afford it. Due to past and current discrimination of “black Americans,” members of this group experience poor health outcomes. A report by Hargraves & Hadley (811), shows that 6.5 percent of African Americans recorded unmet medical needs compared to 5.6 percent of whites. The participants of the research cited challenges in obtaining insurance coverage, institutional discrimination by health care providers and low income as factors in the disparity. Social Work and Human Services Assignment.
For example, in Craig’s family, his mother is the sole breadwinner of the family. She poses a question on how she will be able to afford health insurance for all the members of the family. Insurance health plans are expensive, and the family is already economically disadvantaged because the sole source of income winner has a disproportionate low-income job. Most of the hospitals in the area have policies which protect whites while disadvantaging African Americans. In the area Craig and his family live, most of the families cannot afford a balanced diet such as vegetables since fresh produce is expensive. The next best option is fast food which is affordable but poses various health risks. Lack of access to proper food affects the nutrition of members of this community, and they are at risk of lifestyle diseases such as diabetes and heart attacks. Social Work and Human Services Assignment.
Human Perspective in Access to Education for African American Families
Despite being in the 21st century, children from African American families do not have the same kind of access to quality education like their white counterparts. According to Wu (33), racial discrimination in educational institutions still exists. The result is that children from African American families do not have the same access to opportunities as whites. In the school Craig Robinson attends, most of the children are from his community. Social Work and Human Services Assignment. The public school is overcrowded, and the resources available do not match the number of students. Craig would like to attend a private Catholic school on the Upper side of Chicago, but financial challenges do not allow him. He has resigned himself to the quality of education he receives despite knowing that he deserves better.
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The United States has witnessed various social movement campaigns advocating for equality among all the races. The African American community has especially fought hard for decades to gain the same social standing and access to health care and education as whites. Despite having achieved some milestones in those campaigns, families in the “black American” community still have challenges in accessing quality health care and education. Historical discrimination still exists, and it causes disparities in health care and education. There are still unmet medical and educational needs among members of this minority group as identified in the case study. Social Work and Human Services Assignment.
Works cited
Hargraves, J. Lee, and Jack Hadley. “The contribution of insurance coverage and community resources to reducing racial/ethnic disparities in access to care.” Health services research 38.3 (2003): 809-829.
Wu, Margaret. “A comparison of PISA and TIMSS 2003 achievement results in mathematics.” Prospects 39.1 (2009): 33. Social Work and Human Services Assignment.