The Meaning of Human Services

Michael Falco

16 Oct 200906:05

Summary

TLDRSarah Mueller, a community health nurse with the Little Sisters of the Assumption Family Health Service, discusses the importance of human services in addressing basic needs from birth to death. She commutes two hours daily to serve vulnerable families in East Harlem, New York City, focusing on holistic care, including managing asthma and supporting children with special needs. Despite the challenges of poverty and the uncertainty of funding, her work aims to build trust and ensure families are self-sufficient, highlighting the crucial role of human service organizations in society.

Takeaways

🌟 Human services are essential for addressing basic needs such as childcare, welfare, health, immigration, and homelessness.
🚌 Sarah Mueller commutes 2 hours daily to work in East Harlem, highlighting the dedication of human service workers.
🏥 LSA Family Health Service focuses on supporting vulnerable families with services like food pantries, advocacy, early childhood services, and home health care.
🏠 Poverty is identified as a significant barrier, with East Harlem housing some of the poorest families in New York City.
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Sarah visits approximately 15 patients weekly, emphasizing the importance of personal relationships in healthcare.
🌿 LSA takes a holistic approach to health, addressing not just medical issues but also environmental factors like mold and pests that can exacerbate conditions like asthma.
🏥 The script mentions a decrease in emergency room visits and hospitalizations due to LSA's comprehensive care, underscoring the cost-effectiveness of preventive healthcare.
🤝 Building trust with families is crucial for the success of human services, which can take time and persistence.
👶 The case of baby Joseph with a cleft palate and micrognathia illustrates the complex needs of the families LSA supports and the long-term impact of their work.
🏡 Sarah considers her work successful when families become self-sufficient and confident, indicating the goal of empowerment in human services.
🌐 The script raises concerns about the future of human service organizations due to economic recession and the potential for vulnerable families to be left unsupported.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the Little Sisters of the Assumption Family Health Service?
-The main focus of the Little Sisters of the Assumption Family Health Service is to work with the most vulnerable families, providing services such as a food pantry, Advocacy Office, Early Childhood Services, parenting classes and groups, and a home health agency.
Why does Sarah Mueller commute for 2 hours to get to work?
-Sarah Mueller commutes for 2 hours to get to work because she is passionate about her job and the work she does with the most vulnerable families through the Little Sisters of the Assumption Family Health Service.
What are some of the challenges faced by the residents of East Harlem according to the script?
-The residents of East Harlem face challenges such as dire poverty, high rates of illness and mortality, and environmental triggers for health issues like asthma, including unclean air due to cockroaches, mold, and mice.
How does Sarah Mueller's role as a community health nurse impact the families she works with?
-As a community health nurse, Sarah Mueller impacts families by providing holistic care, addressing not only their medical needs but also their social and environmental issues, which can lead to improved health outcomes and reduced hospital visits.
What is the significance of the holistic approach used by LSA when working with families?
-The holistic approach used by LSA is significant because it addresses all aspects of a family's well-being, not just their immediate health concerns. This comprehensive care can lead to better long-term health and self-sufficiency for the families.
How does the script illustrate the importance of trust in the healthcare provider-patient relationship?
-The script illustrates the importance of trust by showing how Sarah Mueller builds relationships with the families she works with, which is crucial for them to feel comfortable and to effectively address their health and social needs.
What is the role of the environmental program in addressing health issues like asthma mentioned in the script?
-The environmental program plays a role in addressing health issues like asthma by identifying and mitigating environmental triggers such as cockroaches, mold, and mice, which can exacerbate respiratory conditions.
Why is it crucial for Human Service organizations to continue their work, as highlighted in the script?
-Human Service organizations are crucial because they provide essential services to vulnerable populations, such as senior centers, Meals on Wheels, after-school programs, and health services for immigrants. Without them, these populations would face increased suffering and despair.
What concerns does Sarah Mueller express about the future of her position and the families she serves?
-Sarah Mueller expresses concern about the uncertainty of her position due to the recession and its impact, questioning who will be there to support the most vulnerable families if her position cannot be replaced.
How does the script emphasize the long-term impact of the work done by Sarah Mueller and similar healthcare providers?
-The script emphasizes the long-term impact by suggesting that the work Sarah Mueller does not only affects the families now but also for many years to come, especially those who are most likely to fall through the cracks without such support.
What is the significance of the statement 'from womb to tomb' in the context of the script?
-The statement 'from womb to tomb' signifies the comprehensive nature of human services, implying that these services are essential throughout an individual's entire life, from birth to death.

Outlines

00:00

👨‍⚕️ Community Health Nursing and Holistic Care

Sarah Mueller, a community health nurse with the Little Sisters of the Assumption Family Health Service, discusses the importance of human services, including child care, welfare, and mental health. She commutes two hours daily from New Jersey to East Harlem, New York City, to work with vulnerable families. Her work involves home visits, focusing on health issues like asthma and addressing environmental triggers. Sarah emphasizes the holistic approach of LSA, which includes food pantries, advocacy, early childhood services, and parenting classes. She highlights the impact of poverty on health and the success of her work in reducing hospital visits for families she supports.

05:06

🌐 The Vital Role of Human Service Organizations

This paragraph underscores the significance of human service organizations, imagining a world devoid of their support. It paints a picture of the absence of essential services like senior centers, Meals on Wheels, after-school programs, recreational activities, health services for immigrants, and HIV clinics. The paragraph argues that these organizations are crucial for maintaining a caring society and preventing increased suffering and despair among the 2.2 million people they serve daily, emphasizing the moral imperative to support these services.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Human Services

Human Services refer to a broad range of programs and services designed to support individuals and communities in meeting their basic needs and improving their quality of life. In the video, Sarah Mueller emphasizes the importance of human services in addressing issues such as childcare, welfare, health, immigration, and homelessness. These services are crucial for creating a caring society that can meet the needs of its members from 'womb to tomb'.

💡Community Health Nurse

A community health nurse, like Sarah Mueller in the video, is a healthcare professional who works with individuals and communities to promote health and well-being. They often focus on preventive care and health education, and may work in various settings, including clinics, schools, and homes. In the script, Sarah's role involves visiting vulnerable families, providing health care, and addressing social determinants of health.

💡Vulnerable Families

Vulnerable families are those who face significant social, economic, or health-related challenges that can affect their well-being and ability to access necessary resources. In the video, Sarah works with families in East Harlem, one of the poorest neighborhoods in New York City, where residents experience high rates of illness and mortality. The video highlights the importance of human services in supporting these families.

💡Poverty

Poverty is a state of deprivation where individuals or families lack the resources to meet their basic needs, such as food, shelter, and healthcare. The script mentions that poverty is a significant barrier for the families Sarah works with, as it contributes to poor health outcomes and limited access to services. Addressing poverty is a key aspect of human services and community health work.

💡Holistic Approach

A holistic approach in healthcare considers the whole person, including physical, emotional, social, and environmental factors that influence health. Sarah Mueller's work with the Little Sisters of the Assumption Family Health Service exemplifies this approach, as she not only focuses on medical treatments but also addresses social determinants of health, such as housing conditions and environmental triggers for asthma.

💡Asthma

Asthma is a chronic respiratory condition characterized by inflammation and narrowing of the airways, leading to difficulty breathing. In the script, Sarah works with a child named Kon who has asthma, and she emphasizes the importance of addressing environmental triggers, such as mold and cockroaches, to improve his health. This example illustrates how human services can address health issues in a comprehensive manner.

💡Environmental Program

An environmental program is an initiative aimed at improving the physical environment to promote health and well-being. In the video, Sarah collaborates with an environmental program to address the triggers for asthma in the homes of her patients. This collaboration demonstrates how human services can involve multiple sectors to address health issues holistically.

💡Self-sufficiency

Self-sufficiency refers to the ability of individuals or families to meet their own needs without reliance on external assistance. Sarah considers it a success when she can help families become self-sufficient and confident in their ability to manage their health and well-being. This concept is central to the goal of human services, which aims to empower individuals and communities.

💡Recession

A recession is a period of economic decline characterized by a decrease in economic activity, often leading to job losses and reduced funding for public services. In the script, Sarah expresses concern about the impact of a recession on the availability of human services, as it may result in fewer resources to support vulnerable families. This highlights the importance of economic stability for the sustainability of human services.

💡Caring Society

A caring society is one that prioritizes the well-being of all its members and provides support to those in need. The video argues that human service organizations are essential for creating such a society, as they address the basic needs of individuals and communities. The script challenges viewers to imagine a world without these services, emphasizing the increased suffering and despair that would result.

Highlights

Human services cover essential needs from child care, welfare, physical and mental health, to homelessness and immigration.

Without human services, society would not be able to claim to be humane or caring.

Sarah Mueller, a community health nurse, commutes for 2 hours daily to work in East Harlem due to her dedication to vulnerable families.

Sarah works with LSA Family Health Service, focusing on providing services to the most vulnerable families in East Harlem.

LSA provides a holistic approach, offering services like a food pantry, early childhood services, parenting classes, and home health visits.

East Harlem is one of the poorest neighborhoods in New York City, with high rates of illness and mortality.

Sarah visits about 15 patients a week, focusing on building trust with the families and addressing their immediate needs.

One family with a child suffering from asthma improved significantly after LSA addressed the environmental triggers like cockroaches and mold.

LSA's home visits are cost-effective, reducing hospital visits and improving patient health.

Building trust is key to helping families, and Sarah works persistently to gain it, sometimes taking multiple visits.

Sarah helped a family with a baby born with a cleft palate and other complications, providing essential support post-surgery.

Success for Sarah means families become self-sufficient and confident in meeting their needs.

With economic uncertainty, there's concern about the future of Sarah’s position and who will help the vulnerable families if she can't continue.

Human service organizations play a crucial role in supporting vulnerable communities, providing services like senior centers, Meals on Wheels, and HIV clinics.

Without these services, suffering and despair would increase, but they exist because society values being humane and caring.