People with Disabilties

' People with Disabilities

Physical (mental impairments) - a limitation of (or more major life activities (seeing, hearing, speech, movement).

Mental illness - MH/MR - chronic problems like cancer, arthritis, heart, back problems, broken limbs, homosexuality, drug addicts - do not MH/MR

Rights of these established in America with the Disabilities Act 1990 - a landmark law - children and adult - Congressional mandate - many rights guaranteed to MH/MR - architectural access and employment arrangements must be made.

A fine line between things and being respectful towards being them and disabled into the mainstream American life. Impacted private as well as public businesses to accommodate them. There will be loopholes found to get around legislation there is a disappropriate number when older, poor, color, blue-collar workers found in society.

Characteristics of: poorer then able-bodied; unemployed and underemployed earn less even in rural areas. functional terms act is in how does disability effect person in community; home and work environment. Could be learning disabled (ex) ACCESS (can interfere everywhere and how. Could learn to (ADA- American Disabilities Act) issue of discrimination towards these. Perceptions made towards people (ex) obese people - cancer survivors inappropriately

Resistance to this legislation

1. Cost of ACCESS to areas

2. Social Security and Medicare discourage disabled from looking for work

3. Negative Societal attitudes - self defeating behavior can effect abled bodied persons too - create a sense of vulnerability.

Anxiety about lose - expose own weaknesses and things we cannot control. Attitudes we have will effect.

Helpers do:

1. recognize ways society sees disabilities in people; some segregate disabled people (TAB's - Temporarily abled bodied)

2. recognize our own vulnerability - takes away the me/we attitudes.

3. know the laws of people with disabilities along with the organizations that work with these challenged persons views of being disabled.

Psychosocial Model of Disability

It is not medical or a disease and society's reluctance to accommodate persons with disabilities not just as individuals but as societal groups along with individual attitudes from us as our abled bodied thoughts was of the environment that may create problems. Make people with disabilities be able to ask for help in a more comfortable way. One way is through 'interviewing' that is based on a plan and purposeful goal and one that has a conscious goal of communication.

How to open a interview with a client and what effects it. Here are the reasons for having an interview. The primary purpose or the main goal of an agency (narrowly defined) is to do the work required for and of the client. In some cases a result is a referral and is a fit mission of an agency. The image of the agency or the reputation of and agency in the community such as (CYS) Children and Youth Services one must (remember) that helping interviews should be flexible and fluid. The helper gently guides the process without taking away control away from the person seeking help, as much as possible.

*Core Views

Some of the Core views are mainly much like counselors have and these three main skills are empathy, genuineness, and an unconditional regard (respect) for the person and/or client. Empathy means to put yourself in the client's shoes which is an ongoing process. If you put yourself in another's feelings and thoughts you could gain an understanding of what is going on in the clients world. Genuineness is the open expression of appropriate feelings that are non-defensive and also willing to admit mistakes. An unconditional regard or respect is an open expression of appropriate feelings that are non-defensive and shows a willingness to admit mistakes.

Components of the Interview

The various parts of the interview will involve much like planning a presentation or even a major paper. The first part of the interview is the beginning or the introduction as the interview begins one must recognize that assistance is needed. The first impression of the agency will influence future rapport. You must first thank the client for trusting the agency for coming for them for help. You can then ensure them that the step they are taking was a courageous step and an important one in building a rapport with each other. Let the client state their purpose or call (ask global questions) and ask about his or her perceptions of public. If the interview is not client iniatited you should state the purpose and circumstances immediately. Try to explore and clarify expectations about the organization and what services are possible, and if the services that are needed are not provided you may make a referral to the client. This is a way to clarify expectations.

The Core of the Majority of Interviews

You and the client while talking will explore the problem and about how they feel and experience the situation and generating options for solutions. This also maybe a place to discuss group and individual therapies. The human services assist to identify thoughts and feelings, clarify views and perceptions about a situation and interpret what is said as they say it while listening intently to statements about the nature of the situation. The human service worker maintains a balance and will facilitate the interview and allow client to tell his/her story. Hopefully, it will illict their feelings that are reflected to formulate a possible action plan. The human service worker can make seem planned to let them see that it was their idea to seek out his/her options by scheduling the appointment to their schedule and the workers. In closing or terminating the session the human service worker must not be abrupt but give a brief summary of what has been said or decoded. You will need to set the next appointment or interview to solidfy the next step which is to restate the action that is agreed upon and accept that there is a time limit to session(s). Do not introduce new material. You should summarize the next step or do a review of your notetaking and recording for your record-keeping. As the human service worker you must develop the ability to listen intently and remember what the client shares, and do not if you can do not let the client see you writing too much.

A skill that human service workers and really everyone should learn is the skill of *Active listening which is the hearing and remembering what the client is saying. There may be some specific important names and dates that are not easily remembered. One must be accurate in writing these key words or phrases needed to be recorded, but be unintrusive as possible. If the sessions are to be tape-recorded there must be 'informed consent'.

Record-keeping

The human service worker must assume continuity from one human service worker to the next and document the progress or problem(s) in a treatment plan. This shows the funding sources or agency that a worker is doing the tasks he/she is assigned. There is an idea called *Self-disclosure that could be used as a model of sharing behaviors and show how the human service worker has had a similar concern or problem for the benefit of the client.

What is the human service worker suppose to do?

The human service worker helps with problems for the benefit of the client. They will try to illustrate the universality of human services but it should be done to help the client clarify or understand his or her issue. Self-disclosure must be relevant and beneficial to the client. What if the advice is requested? The human service worker should find out what the interviewee is already thinking and doing.

To be continued: Settings