strengthening human services delivery across diverse populations apply relevant legal H e a l t h M e d i c a l
Overview
As a human services professional, you will witness many client challenges that, on the surface, seem insurmountable. In your role as an advocate, resource, and
role model, you will be in a position of having to help clients find creative approaches to solving problems. You will also have an ethical responsibility to try to
affect change on a larger scale. For this final project, you will create a slide presentation to raise awareness about a barrier to treatment experienced by many of
your clients. This project will help you to start thinking about client issues at a community and policy level while demonstrating leadership, compassion, and
advocacy to your clients.
In this assignment, you will address the following course outcomes:
Employ socially and culturally sensitive strategies in communications practices for strengthening human services delivery across diverse populations
Apply relevant legal and ethical standards to human services communications in demonstrating professional practice
Employ tools and strategies that articulate issues, deal with conflict, and establish rapport in human services communications
Develop human services communications using multiple modalities appropriate to varied audiences and messaging
Scenario
You have just finished meeting with your client, Mary, to review her treatment plan and discuss why she has been missing appointments at your agency. Referring
to the state-funded transportation program, Better Transportation Company (BTC), Mary stated, “BTC just don’t show up or I have to wait and sometimes I miss
the appointment.” “Sometimes I have to wait for hours to get a ride back home.” “They even forgot me last week.” “You know, back in my younger days, I would
have picketed the state house and shown them a thing or two!” “I love the drivers though; they are kind, help me with my bags and walker, and are always polite
and respectful.”
Mary has few financial resources and significant mental health needs and physical disabilities. Mary is also finding it difficult to pay for alternative transportation
or to rely on friends and family, though they are sometimes available. The therapist has recommended that Mary come to treatment group three times per week.
Mary has only been able to attend three groups in the past two months. She states she would be willing to come to the therapy groups if she could find reliable
transportation. For Mary, attending these groups would likely mean greater medical and mental health stability and therefore fewer emergency room visits,
fewer hospital admissions, and a greater quality of life.
As a human services professional, you already understand that Mary is facing a very real, personal, and difficult problem that may be challenging to remedy
quickly. You also know from your experience with other clients that transportation is a systemic issue and not one unique to Mary. Because you have a friend who
works at BTC, you have been able to arrange for an opportunity to present your concerns to the company.
Prompt
For this final project, you will consider Mary’s situation, evaluate the transportation options and funding sources in your own community, and create a slide
presentation for your meeting. This presentation will be developed for an audience of managers and bus drivers and may include dispatch and administrative
staff.
Your goal is to create a presentation that is professional, non-blaming, collaborative in style, and designed to elicit feedback and ideas from the meeting
attendees. Your hope is that you are able to raise their awareness of the client perception of transportation needs on an individual level while also presenting in
such a way that acknowledges transportation as a systemic issue and helps the audience better understand the challenges and barriers faced by the
transportation company, including what they think needs to happen to be able to offer better services for clients.
The project is divided into three milestones, which will be submitted at various points throughout the course to scaffold learning and ensure quality final
submissions. These milestones will be submitted in Modules Two, Three, and Four. The final submission will occur in Module Seven.
Specifically, the following critical elements must be addressed in your final submission:
I. Create a presentation (using PowerPoint or a similar presentation software) for an audience of managers, bus drivers, dispatchers, and administrative
staff at the transportation company that reflects a communication style you feel best suits you, the audience, and the message. Be sure to address the
following elements, and include speaker notes on each slide for the purposes of narration.
a. Introduction
i. Provide an overview statement that introduces the problem. What is your client’s specific complaint? Who does she feel is responsible
for the challenges she is experiencing? Be sure to maintain your client’s confidentiality as you explain.
ii. Specifically, what effect is this problem having on your client’s ability to be treated by your agency? Use the details of your client’s
story and the information you have received from other clients as examples to substantiate your claims. Share only the information
that is legally and ethically appropriate to deliver your message without compromising client confidentiality.
iii. What specific social and cultural factors must be considered in your client’s case that might affect her use of transportation services?
iv. Compose speaker notes/narration that will engage the audience by asking them to describe similar stories they may have heard
b. Describe what you have learned about transportation services available in the area.
i. Discuss the transportation options that are available in your community for people who have disabilities. Are there any limitations
(such as minimum notice requirements for scheduling, transportation is to be used only for medical appointments, etc.) on its use?
ii. What social and cultural factors will impact the use of transportation services? In other words, does dispatch have to know if the client
uses a wheelchair so an appropriate vehicle is sent for pickup? How will the transportation company engage with non-English
speakers?
iii. Communicate the extent to which the state’s funding policies for these transportation services affects their use. In other words, is
there a financial limitation on the services each client receives or wishes to use? Is prior approval required? How are the providers
and/or clients reimbursed by the state?
iv. Compose speaker notes/narration that will engage the audience by asking them to explain and discuss their understanding of the
regulatory environment and the state’s requirements of the agency for provision of services. For example, what are the legal and
ethical implications of not abiding by these policies?
v. Assess the impact of transportation services on treatment for clients in general. In other words, how might your agency’s ability to
treat clients be affected if the problems your client noted persist?
II. Reflection
a. Conclusion: Write a brief (no more than two pages) concluding reflection that addresses the following:
i. Identify the key stakeholders other than the transportation company with whom you would need to interact in order to affect
meaningful change to the service your client and others receive. In other words, who do you need to influence to ensure your clients’
transportation needs are being met adequately?
ii. Suppose you are going to adapt your presentation for a variety of audiences. Based on your research of available transportation
options, discuss how you would appropriately adapt the presentation’s message, and the most appropriate delivery method for
garnering support from various audiences. For example, you might adapt this presentation for public officials, clients, state
administrators, or your own colleagues. In order to cover this element comprehensively, ensure that you select at least one other
audience in addition to the transportation company you have already covered.
iii. Differentiate specific social and cultural factors you will need to consider in delivering your message to each of the target audiences. In
other words, how will you communicate the intended message most effectively to a diverse population of audience members?
iv. Differentiate specific legal and ethical standards you will need to employ in delivering your message to each of the target audiences.
For example, what information might you be able to legally and ethically share with one group that you might be unable to share with
another group? How will these considerations affect the message that you plan to deliver? Guidelines for Submission: Your presentation should be 10–15 slides long and 10–15 minutes in length. Your concluding reflection should be up to two pages in
length, using 12-point Times New Roman font, double spacing, and one-inch margins. Incorporate APA citations, as necessary, throughout the presentation and
reflection to support your work.