Agency Report on Human Services Agency Essay

I chose to write a business sector relationship or so the YWCA perforate County, located on 405 Broadway St, Tacoma Washington. The YWCA or Young Womens Christian Association is unrivaled of the oldest and largest womens organization in the nation, serving over 2 million women, and their families at more than 1,300 locations crosswise the unify States. The original Christian perspective is still strong in many of the national associations, simply some have changed their focus to be more of a social and biotic community based program. The YWCA pierce County is a community leader and forerunner in domestic military unit for over a century now. Established in 1906, the YWCA is has steadily expanded and enhanced a comprehensive menu of domestic force service provision, offering clients real tools to implement change in their own lives. Their mission terra firmament is to transform lives through gum elastic, healing and empowerment. This is an organization that is dedicated to eliminating racism and empowering women. The YWCA Pierce Countys vision is to create a safe, just and equit fitting community and they do this through education and outreach by promoting peace, referee, freedom and dignity for clients from e rattling races and walks of life. Their comprehensive Domestic Violence services that highlights intervention and pr even sotion includes 24 hour publishncy c be (intervention hotlines), free legal services (with protection orders, as tumesce as new(prenominal) criminal and polite law), immigration and safety planning, p benting plans, emergency auspices, transitional housing, case man get on withment, therapeutic services, advocacy, support groups, food, clothing and diapers, transportation, teen dating violence prevention, full interpretive services and more. in that location is much(prenominal) a great concern with the conundrum of domestic violence within the community as a whole.The legal definition for domestic violence a s defined by the RCW 10.99 (Revised Code of Washington) is crimes committed by hotshot family member or base member against a nonher. Here are the grim statistics One in 4 women will engender DV during her lifetime. Women experience more than 4 million bodily assaults and rapes because of their partners, and men are victims of nearly 3 million physical assaults. Women are more likely to be shooted by an well-educated partner than men. Women ages 20 to 24 are at greatest risk of becoming victims of domestic violence. Every year, 1 in 3 women who is a victim of homicide is murdered by her original or former partner. The domestic violence related offenses rate for Pierce County and Tacoma are among the highest in theState. More troubling is the fact that the rate of DV fatalities in Pierce County removed exceeds comparable counties, and it is estimated that around 10, 000 households are affected by domestic violence in any prone year. The definition of a DV fatality refers to a death that arises from an ill-treatmentrs efforts to assert power and arrest over an intimate partner. These include all homicides in which the victim was a former or current partner of the person responsible for the homicide(s) of people other than the intimate partner that occurred in the context of intimate person violence or in the midst of a perpetrators attempt to kill an intimate partner.The YWCA, Pierce County serves a diverse client population. In the 2012-2013 annual report, the YWCA, Pierce County describe running(a) with over 6,000 plus clients in some capacity and experiencing 5,473 crisis hotline calls. Providers reported from these calls, there is greater representation of clients from populations of deform with the highest numbers from the Afri displace American and Hispanic communities. Additionally, the YWCA states that a higher number of clients in any assumption DV related program (e.g. prevention, shelter residents, etc.) are non-Caucasian. On average, cl ients from minority groups have limited English advancement and some are undocumented several(prenominal)s and for a few programs naturaliseing in the Hispanic communities, the majority of these clients snuff it these characteristics. Some picturers report a growing number in different populations. A number of providers state that there is an increase in the number of Latina clients served, as well as persons with language barriers. There is as well as an indication of the emergence of newer ethnic populations such(prenominal) as Middle Eastern and East African individuals in the client population.Specific programs tend to movement with some specific segments of the population. For example, the Korean Womens Association tends to work with a high proportion of Asian Women such as Korean, Vietnamese and Cambodian clients, while organizations such as Tacoma Community House and Centro Latino deal with a larger Hispanic population. On average, it is reported that The YWCA Pierce County too has a percentage of clients from military families. The YWCA has partnered with JBLM (Joint base Lewis-McCord) to provide assistance to meet the unavoidably for our military both on and off base. TheYWCA, Pierce County is the first organization in the county and state to overly provide services that include the LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer/ questioning) community. At the YWCA, no client is ever turned away. If the YWCA is uneffective to provide a client with a service that may be required, the organization will do their very best to provide referrals to better meet the necessarily of the client or individual who is work in. Below is a table that illustrates the services provided and the demographics of clients that are served. This data is derived from the 2012-13 Annual Report.Beginning in 2010, the YWCA Pierce County offered shelter that included private kitchens and restrooms to clients and their children. The shelter also begin to accept male clients in 2012.The shelter caters to safety, privacy, dignity and basic needs of clients for no more than 90 days. During this time in shelter, clients are able to utilize individual case management, counseling and education, childrens services, support groups and a 24 hour on-the-spot(prenominal) advocacy. Having a shelter that addresses such comprehensive needs enable clients to build a foundation for lives that are void of violence. What sets the YWCA shelters apart from most communal ones is that the Indi dual apartments provide clients and their children private areas to heal, reflect and grow. Because of their pet sociable policy, the YWCA pierce County is also one of the few shelters in the country that is recognized by the American tender Association.The 24-hour Crisis Hotline offers clients the ability to safety plan. Loved ones and friends who may be concerned for DV victims and are looking for solutions will also be provided with resources to help. Following ini tial screening and paperwork, the individual meets immediately with a trained advocate, who performs a needs assessment to determine which services the clients require and need. Services are client driven, which means only what the individual indicates that they are interested in. The most common immediate needs are (1) applying for protection orders and (2) shelter/housing. Subsequently, a needs and danger assessment are performedduring the time that the individual is receiving services. It is imperative to understand a little(a) almost the trajectory of services that clients seek from the YWCA. Clients may be referred from a variety of sources (i.e. law enforcement, friends, family, online searches, medical examination offices, mental health or substance abuse counselors, court referrals, CPS, etc.).The YWCA Pierce County resource center offers community members drop-in, crisis intervention that is based on site as well as referral services. Clients who call-in or walk in are a ble to receive assistance with referrals to programs that are available at the YWCA as well as other community resources. Clients who are victims of domestic violence are able to call the business line for free legal representation and/or advocacy. Women and their children who are seeking safety and self-reliance are given free assistance with protection orders, dissolution of marriage, parenting plans, child support, custody issues, parentage action, immigration and safety planning. There is also full interpretive services available to non-speakers of the English Language. Another notable exception about the YWCA, is besides legal advocates, this organization has a dedicated staff attorney available to provide representation in civil matters.The YWCA provides individual counseling to both adult clients and their children. This service is also do available to shelter resident, clients participating in other YWCA DV programs, as well as the general community. periodical facilitated groups are offered to provide a means of healing and therapy for clients who are wanting to deal and overcome the abuse and trauma they have experienced. Participants are educated about the dynamics of healthy relationships and how to unfold and rebuild self-esteem. abet groups occur at the same time as childrens groups to prevent childcare issues to become a possible barrier.Since relocating and expanding the shelter in 2010, the YWCA serves children throughout Pierce Country, rather than just clients from the shelter. The Childrens program equips children with tools to parent healthy relationships. Children receive food, clothing, group therapy and are taught safety planning. They are also able to participate in special events andfield trips and these robust based activities are planned specifically according to the different age groups. YWCAS purpose here is to assist children who have been subjected to violence and trauma to be able to develop healthy minds and bodies and gi ve them a chance at a stable childhood which would transition into adulthood.When clients and their children miss violent and abusive relationships, the biggest issues and complications hardinessd are sudden homelessness. Family Permanency Project Housing is a pine term housing program that offers families affordable housing while being supported by individual case management. Client who participate in this program are able to set and work towards goals that are specific to their individual family needs.It is estimated that violence occurs in 1 out of 5 teen relationships. The Teen dating Violence Prevention curriculum aims to educate high school and middle school youthfulness about the issues of power and control that could lead to abuse in relationships. The curriculum that is provided in schools around Pierce County educates youth on warning signs, safety tips and available community resources for participants.The YWCA, like most non-profit organizations derives its effective ness through a large number of community volunteers that serve clients in a myriad of ways. These individuals who give of their resources (time, donations, money, and talent) are parcel to change lives through their selfless giving. The organization partners with other agencies to provide a more comprehensive direct of service to meet the needs of clients. Some of their community partners include the Tacoma Community House, Korean Womens Association, United Way, Crystal Judson Family Center, Joint Base Lewis McChord, Exodus Housing and Sexual Assault Center of Pierce County, among others. There is a variety of cultural competence needed to serve a diverse population of clients that each call or walk in to the YWCA.Because these individuals are coming from different cultural backgrounds, they may face economic struggles, have gender identity struggles and issues, are dealing with discrimination, stress and trauma, or any other issues from the spectrum of human services conditions, the daily practice of usingculturally centered communication skills are vital to making effective interaction and assistance possible. Cultural minded helpers in any given smear will project to the demeanor and other aspects of culture, including paying close attention to their own verbal and non- and verbal communication and being very sensitive to the needs of the clients that they interact with.There are clear challenges that emerge in working with clients who have difficulty speaking and understanding English, particularly in helping these individuals fly the legal system and getting them connected to appropriate support resources. While some agency advocates can help with basic translation/interpretation concerns for victims in need, many comment on the additional complexness of working with these individuals, even when they share the same language. There is also the belief among providers of the need to address these barriers even at the broader community level. One senti ment is that the work with non- English English speaking client, even with an translator present can take more time and it is more intensive. Here it is very important to go forward through a series of steps with these individuals by being patient, non-judgmental, building trust and rapport with those from different cultural backgrounds and ethnicities. Another in the flesh(predicate) competency that should be addressed is the ability to manage your own personal biases especially in dealing with clients who may have a completely different belief, lifestyle or sexual orientation. Because the YWCA caters to the LGBTQ community, it is very important to be particularly sensitive to this community who have experienced a great deal of discrimination, prejudices and even violent crimes because of their orientation.For the pat week, I was fortunate to be able to attend the spring 2014 Domestic Violence Victims Services Training at the YWCA, Pierce Country. This training enabled me to get a better perspective on the domestic violence issues that is plaguing the community. I learned so much about professionalism, communication, cultural competencies, and the needs of clients as well as the organization as a whole. I was late impressed.One of the things that really hit me was that the Programs at the YWCA have been specifically catered to be culturally competent because of such a diverse population of clients that come through their doors every day. The staff there truly reckon to care about the clients that they interact with. They take their commitment to ending domestic violence and empowering clients very seriously.The YWCA does not practice the hierarchical management system. The CEO is very caring and interacts with the staff at a very personal level. This is a dynamic group of professionals and individuals who are dedicated, possess a lot of empathy, they are conscientious, authoritative and have a synergistic energy. Because most agencies will experience bur n out at one time or another, it is very important to practice good self-care. The YWCA Pierce Country has a work culture within their agency that emphasizes the importance of self-care, well-being that trranslagtes validatingly to how they interact and take care of their clients.As I mentioned, I learned so much and developed a great deal of lever for the Director and Education manager who presented some of the classes and training material. The training manager who is also in bash of community outreach was such an inspiration to me. She has taught me that if you do not have a deeper understanding of the barriers that clients are facing, accordingly you are not able to meet their needs in the best way possible. She goes on to suppose that we cannot go out into the community to provide services or training in social justice if we are not able to first examine our own motives, beliefs and biases that exist within ourselves. I trust to be able to complete my internship at the YW CA, Pierce County and perhaps accept a position in the future with this wonderful organization. I believe they have a made a deep and positive impact on my life.