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Cultural Immersion & Agency AssessmentCamille SimpsonWilmington University ASH- 8100- Guided PracticumPopulations History & Major MilestonesMy agency at the Porter State Service Center deals with the majority of low-income African American men and women, with the exception of some low-income Caucasian men and women. During my internship, I noticed our agency didn’t have any services to assist the middle class population, in particularly the Caucasian population. The population group I decided to analyze is the socioeconomic status of middle class Caucasian men and women. On a national scale the Caucasian population’s leads in numbers, but because I’m centering my paper on my internship for the State of Delaware, Division of State Service Centers, I will look at statics on a statewide level. The State of Delaware according to the United States Census Bureau has a total of 925,749 residents, Caucasians making up 657,881, and African American’s making up only 205,005 in numbers. Caucasian people have been reported to make up one of the largest religions among the Catholic Church. The Caucasian population can heavily influence politics, policies, and change. Because our State Service assists individuals and families in accordance to federal poverty guidelines including family size and income, this automatically excludes many of the middle class individuals and families in need of some type of emergency assistance. Because the federal poverty line calculates that $40,090 is the maximum, most middle class Caucasian men and women exceed that as a annual salary they are left with little to no alternative option in trying to receive emergency assistance when there is a need.Indirect Immersion through FilmThe film that I decided to look at was a 2005 movie title “Fun with Dick and Jane” directed by Jerzy Zielinski by Columbia Pictures and Imagine Entertainment. The movie showed a prominent Caucasian family who appeared to be very successful with the husband working as a Globodyne Coporation Vice President of Communications who recently was offered a job promotion and the wife who works as a Director of a travel agency. After the husband landed a job promotion, he convinces his wife to quit her job and become a stay at home mom. The movie show how the middle class has full access to nice living in a well manicured suburban neighborhood, they drive nice cars, have all basic essentials, they enjoy time a private country club for recreational activities, until it’s all interrupted by the loss of the husband’s job. The film basically shows how the average middle class family would live and then shows the struggles and sacrifices they have to make when they are faced with financial obstaclesSome of the major themes that I was able to take away after watching the movie are that once the middle class family’s financial situation was rapidly declining the family were very private about their the financial hardship they were experiencing. Despite almost losing everything the family still tried to maintain their prominent image and did not seek out help for example from a State Service Center like the one I interned for. State Service Centers can be found nationwide and should be equipped to help all socioeconomic status, because unforeseen emergency do occur.Personal Interview The personal interview I conducted on November 3, 2014 was with Cathy Amon, a registered nurse who has been working in her profession for over twenty five years. I had a conversation with her around the need of the Porter State Service Center being in a position to help more of the middle class Caucasian individuals and families. In our conversation, I learned that her husband now slightly physically disabled spent many of his working years as a DuPont manager but now is a retired DuPont official. After talking with Cathy, I learned that she and her husband live in an upscale suburban Kennett Square community, secluded from the harsh realities of other low-income individuals and families. I asked her if she or her husband ever had to seek out assistance form a State Service Center for a financial or emergency hardship, and in short her answer was, no. Basically she expressed that early on both her and her husband learned the value of saving, and creating savings accounts or investments to help them when they experience such hardship. I expressed to her that based on my observations our agency seems to only be in a position to help low-income African Americans and some low-income Caucasian individuals and families. She too agreed that our agency being able to help low-individuals is wonderful, but should be better equipped to help middle class families because no one is exempt from unforeseen emergencies. I learned in our interview that there is a stereotypes that only low-income African Americans utilize State Service Centers, but in reality there are many middle class Caucasian individuals or families struggling and are not able to receive assistance from a state service center or that Caucasian middle class individuals or families mach enough money not to be in a predicament to not struggle. This is far from the truth. Cathy reports that many middle class families may be living beyond their means, abrupt absence of a spouse, loss of job, etc., can leave a middle class individual or family to face the same reality of a low-income African American individual or family. Summary and SynthesisIn concluding my cultural immersion film and interview, I learned that emergency situations occur outside of the low-income African American communities. I discovered that because Caucasian individuals or families have access to savings and investment opportunities is helps then better prepare for financial hardships or emergency situations. I realized after watching the film and conducting a interview that the federal poverty guidelines should probably be reevaluated and State Service Centers should be equipped to support all socioeconomic status including the middle class individuals or individuals. I think State Service Agencies should do a better job at breaking down stereotypes, that only low-income African American individuals are only supported by then and develop a strategic plan on how to accommodate the middle class Caucasian group who may have a good paying salary but may be over their heads in debt and may be experiencing a financial hardship. Assessing the Field Work Agency The agency that I have been placed at over the last twelve week was the State of Delaware, Division of State Service Centers, at the Porter Center located at 511 W. 8th Street, Wilmington, Delaware 19801. The neighborhood can be described as low-income high crime and drug infested communities occupied by mainly African American men and women. Public safety officials are known to monitor the area and arrest are often made. The majority of the staff that work inside the State Service Center are African American. The State Service Center in which I work is situated directly on the number eight bus route which helps in providing assess ability to low-income African American individuals and families. With-in my catchment area you’ll discover a handful of liquor stores, convent stores, a nearby St. Francis Hospital, daycares, a youth recreational center, park, Laundry mat, grocery store, senior resident homes, other transitional and shelter homes for community members, and a nearby police headquarters for the city of Wilmington. You’ll discover banks and other corporate business usually kept on the mainstream of the downtown Wilmington business areas kept out of immediate eye sight of low-income communities but accessible for them to travel right outside of their immediate communities. The middle class populations that I’ve analyzed do not live in these communities and the only time they are present are in their cars on their commute to and from work. However some of them work in nearby or around these communities within other community based organizations, non-profits or hospitals and business corporations.AccessIn the event a middle class Caucasian individual or family visits our State Service Center they would probably be expected to drive their own personal car crossing ethic and cultural boundaries into areas they are not familiar with. However public transportation can be available but would be dependent on where they live and would be coming from. Because I have never witnessed a middle class individual or family visit our agency, advertising would more than likely be done by them calling 211 for information or through word of mouth if their social groups is aware of the information. Below you will find a lick of the Porter State Service Center and its surrounding areas. Receptivity The décor of our agency is kept at a minimal. The waiting area in my opinion is gloomy and offers a sense of hopelessness and desperation. As soon as clients enter in to the front door they are automatically greeted by a stern looking security guard. The reception area workers are barricaded behind glass windows and don’t offer a pleasant greeting. The noise level is often heavily regulated with the presence of the security guard and no cell phone use inside the building is tolerated. Many of the client’s we serve are dressed as if they just got out of bed and because we service the homeless population foul odors are often common to experience. The waiting area is often showing some type of non information video, often a comedy while client’s wait. The color décor is grey and gloomy and I think helps to enhance their feeling of hopelessness and intensifying anxiety of not being eligible for help at the time. There is information plastered on the reception window area of other community resources and brochures of various emergency services again targeted to low-income communities. Clients are often times irate and combative with the workers and at times I have observed the staff being combative and unprofessional with the client’s. If I was a member of the middle class Caucasian population I have chosen to analyze visited our agency, in my opinion I would feel very uncomfortable and probably not too welcomed simply because I would stand out and may be viewed as not belonging there. I do not see myself or my characteristics reflected inside my agency or among the staff. I think that when individuals or families come in seeking help for an emergency situation the waiting area should offer bright colors that immolate hope and prosperity for opportunities to turn around. Much of the information seems to be in either in a English of Spanish format excluding other languages. Administration and Staff TrainingStaff trainings, education workshops, weekly meeting, and other formal components are critical in the development of agencies and their staff having the ability to deliver direct services in a professional and ethical manner. Since I’ve been interning with my agency, I haven’t seen many staff training take place. Recently the staff had employee recognition to highlight their performance as a team but I feel because of some of the employee conduct and behavior a cultural sensitivity and professionalism trainings or workshops needs to take place in the near future. I would even go as far as saying the administrator may need to revisit a training or workshop on dealing with employee communications and relations. I have not witness or heard of the staff gaining any trainings, skills, or knowledge as it relates to my target population. The agency has one Caucasian male staff member not of the middle class and I think at time it’s a challenge for the client’s to be able to sit down in front of him because and express their emergency situation because they may feel without knowing his socioeconomic status that he can relate to their current experience. I think this poses as a challenge when staff is not equally diverse and doesn’t have the ability to be relatable on a professional or personal level. FundingThe State of Delaware, Division of State Service Center receives federal money that is regulated by the state of Delaware. The State of Delaware is obligated to allocate money for cultural sensitive training to enhance service but it seem to assist and equip employees who are bilingual for support with interpreting Spanish clients. In addition to serving low-income African American client’s most literature is designed to support Spanish speaking client’s and all state service center must have at least one Spanish speaking employee to be able to translate, that’s about as much cultural variation will occur. Staff SensitivityIn some recent conversations with staff members I have often asked them why our agency is not equipped to help middle class Caucasian individuals or families. Their response is usually given in s non sensitive stereotype basis way. In many cases they argue that because out agency operate in accordance to federal poverty guidelines, there’s not much we can do as an agency for the middle class Caucasian population. Some staff members have jokingly expressed that they should have the income to avoid having an emergency situation as the low-income African American population we serve. In my opinion, I don’t think the staff is culturally sensitive nor has the ability to help my target population in nonjudgmental approach. Agency Programs and Services through Effort The agency in which I have been placed at has made no effort in reaching the middle class Caucasian population. I think this has more to do with the way the State Service Center receives money and adhering to the federal poverty guidelines. I think is a growing concern among my agency and across the state of Delaware but it hasn’t reached the priority list yet. The focus at our agency seems to be in helping low-income African American individuals or families and anyone living below the federal poverty level. I think it’s safe to say there may be some members of my group involved with committees either directly with my agency of at a higher level but there has been no decision made to develop culturally sensitive service for the middle class Caucasian group of people. Quality & EffectivenessThe programs and services can be monitored and evaluated through quality assurance client questionnaires, interviews, survey and discussion among staff that take place with the building administrator. There are some middle class Caucasian employees outside of out agency who work for the State of Delaware that assist in assessing the quality of services. I’m sure they take into account that middle class Caucasian group experiences financial and emergency hardships but it’s not considered a priority at this point. I think the eligibility for the federal poverty line has not taken into account cultural variations for the middle class Caucasian group of people, because services and eligibility are designed for individuals or families making minimum wage salaries, having low-income or subsidized housing, and having large families. Cleary a bias has been formed surrounding the federal poverty line and the services we render to our direct communities. In trying to develop changes, a reevaluation at the federal level has to occur. I think having the input from all State Service Centers in Delaware could help bring about change and begin to track not just middle class Caucasian but all middle class individuals or families who are denied services can potentially show the gap and when some of the need lies. The effectiveness of our agency does not represent my target population in the catchment area of the programs and services we deliver. My understanding of my target group is that the State Service Centers don’t have services to offer them because they make too much money, so many of them don’t bother to waste their time trying to see if they can get help.Individuals form the middle class Caucasian population that the quantity and quality of services that would be offered to then would be limited and with poor quality means. In most cases my target population can identify several services that include housing, rent, mortgage assistance, job employment, that go unmet because they exceed the federal poverty line guidelines to receive help. NASW Standards for Cultural CompetenceThe standards that I have selected for review as it relates to my agency, program and services, personal cultural and competencies will be discussed in this paragraph. As an agency I think under the human service professional’s responsibility to the community and society, statement ten which reads “human service professionals are aware of local, state, and federal laws. They advocate for change (middle class Caucasian group) in regulations and statutes when such legislation conflicts with ethical guidelines and/or client rights. Where laws are harmful to individuals, groups, or communities, human service professionals consider the conflict between the values of obeying the law and the values of serving people and may decide to initiate social change.”( Kiser, 2012). I think when human service workers begin to see that a particular population expresses a need and may not be serviced on account of their income, I feel the human service worker has a responsibility to lobby and advocate for change to occur.As it relates to the programs and services deliver I think the most appropriate standards would be statement seventeen. “Human service professionals provide services without discrimination or preference based on age, ethnicity, culture, race, disability, gender, religion, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic status.” (Kiser, 2011). I believe that because someone is considered according the federal poverty guideline to be above the guideline still deserves the opportunity to receive help, even if they it’s on a limited basics.Regarding the personal cultural competencies, the most suitable standard is reflected in statement twelve. “Human service professionals understand the complex interaction between individuals, their families, the communities in which they live, and society.” (Kiser, 2011). I believe that human service works need to be sensitive to all individuals but in particular individuals and families who don’t normally frequent the State Service Centers among the middle class Caucasian populations. Final ThoughtsIn concluding my paper I have learned a lot during this cultural immersion activity. I understand State Service Center were designed in mind for low-income individuals and families but people outside that particular socioeconomic status struggle with financial and emergency hardships as well, as proven in the film I watched and the interview I conducted with someone directly in the middle class status. I think for best practices State Service Centers should have more knowledge and skills on cultural sensitivity to individuals and families in the middle class Caucasian population and have the ability to gather community resources and direct them in appropriate places that may be able to assist them when our agency is not able to deliver services and programs to them. References Online Source. Retrieved from, 2014 HHS Poverty Guidelines. For the Contiguous States. sites/default/files/files/form/i-864p.pdf. Online Source. Retrieved from, Religion & Public Life Project. Religion Landscape Survey. . Kiser, P.M. The Human Services Internship. Getting the most from your experience. Third Edition. (2005) ................
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