Human Service Personal Interview Essay Example

helping the people who come to them for help? 9. How does someone look into getting help for someone they love through the Arc? 0. I noticed on your website it says you help employ people with disabilities, who would someone contact to get help in this area? 11. How would you describe the mission of the Arc as a whole? The information received through the interview was educational about how the Arc of the Ozarks strives to work with people in the community facing mental and physical disabilities. The goal of the Arc is to help people facing mental and physical disabilities learn the skills necessary to become independent members of the community and live life like anyone else.

The Arc provides private residential assistance, group home placements, individual supported living (ISL), community integration, and helps to find meaningful employment to people through the employment solutions with referrals by the vocational rehab center. Arc of the Ozarks mission statement is “To support individuals with disabilities in directing their own lives as valued members of the community” (The Arc of the Ozarks, 2010). The Arc supports clients in accomplishing the preceding goal by teaching them daily skills needed to live independently, such as cooking, cleaning, and shopping.

The Arc of the Ozarks makes sure to advocate for any needs the clients have such as money for dental work, methods for transportation, and medical care.

Some of the problems the organization continues to fight to overcome is the lack of funding, budget cuts, advertising, and the inability to take on new clients unless the individual is found to be basically homeless. The funding for the Arc

mainly comes in the form of grants from state, federal, county governments, and the Department of Mental Health. Donations are also accepted from members of community to help provide services to clients.

The organization is looking into ways to raise funds through local fundraisers in the community, which will also help spread awareness of the organization within the local communities. The Arc of the Ozarks looks for employees with experience, eagerness to help others, kindness, and the ability to empathize and help others learn daily life skills. Employees must complete training classes in the Mandt System, Med Admin, CPR, Insulin, and positive behavior support.

New hires must complete the preceding classes before working with clients one on one or providing hands on care to the clients.

Staffing is another issue the organization has to overcome to provide help to clients. Many times people hired do not end up staying, leaving the organization understaffed and out the expense of the classes the employees received. People looking for help in the care of a loved one may contact the Department of Mental Health first and then contact the Arc of the Ozarks regional offices in Springfield or Joplin, Missouri. The success of the Arc in providing help to those in need can be seen by the steady growth in the number of clients supported and the growth of the organization itself, combined with the increasing numbers of staff.

The Arc is definitely an organization meeting the goals it has put in place for itself but still has potential to grow even further.

The information gathered by the interview has led me to the conclusion that I could

definitely see myself enjoying a career with the Arc of the Ozarks. The in-person interview allowed me to have a chance to see the staff interacting with some of the clients. I also had a chance to see the dedication people of the Arc have in helping people in the community with mental and physical disabilities to achieve living independent lives.

The most important thing I noticed in the interview was the sense of accomplishment and pride the staff had when working with clients. The organization has taken steps to help people in the community to live independent lives successfully without discrimination against anyone.

The goals of the Arc will continue to improve the ability of individuals with disabilities to learn to live independently within their community.