Indirect Service
Human services is a people based field; although much of the profession is about working with clients directly there is another side that has to do with indirect services. Direct services means to work with the client on a one-to-one basis. Indirect services are more of the work that happens outside of client interaction such as: record keeping, research, team meetings, etc. Both direct and indirect services have an equal part to any agency. Therefore, it is important as someone entering the field to have knowledge in both. Through many classes and fieldwork, I have achieved knowledge in the indirect side of human services.
Standard 18 addresses some of the administrative functions that take place in the Human Services field (CSHSE Standards). During my second internship, I was able to work as an administrative assist for the director of A Child’s Life Learning Center, I gained knowledge of the behind the scenes aspects of the company. For the twelve weeks I was there, I was in charge of scheduling the staff for the week (See Appendix Z). During that time we had some major changes. In addition to loosing three staff over the course of two months and hiring two to replace them, we also were under going a large construction project that forced us to close rooms.
There are many legal aspects of a daycare, with requirements that must be adhered to. For instance, there is a legal ratio of how many children one teacher can have. When scheduling I had to be aware of how many kids were coming each day and what staff were available to work. We had several employees who worked full time and many who were in school that had special schedules. Due to cost constraints we could not allow any one to go in over time. Taking into account all of these things was difficult but as we got into the heavier construction we were also closing rooms for days a time. Mindy the director was very helpful in how to not only remain calm in such a hectic situation, but also how to creatively think through scheduling issues. Needless to say, each and every day the children were well taken care of and legal ratios where maintained.
This was not my only task while interning at the daycare; part of my learning goals was to locate new sources of funding (CSHSE Standard 14d). When I began the quarter I thought I would simply find grants but as I begun my research I found that grants for daycare/preschools would not be the most effective way of gaining funds. Many of the ones I found were for specific programs or academic areas. The daycare needed more general funding, things that would be sustainable and easy to maintain. I found three options for fundraising: recipe books made by the families, t-shirts, and collecting printer cartridges. I presented these ideas to Mindy and we discussed how they could be done with minimal cost to the center (See Appendix AA).
Standard 15 requests that a student understand information management (CSHSE Standards). This learning goal allowed me to learn how to both gather and present information in a professional manner. It also challenged me to be creative in the options I came up with. The daycare is a small organization and would not be able to supply a lot of money up front for a fundraiser so when choosing these three options, I created a way for us to begin the fundraiser with little to no start up cost.
Standard 15 is also applicable to this section (CSHSE Standards). In this situation my client was not a single person but an agency. Often times in Human Services, the client will be a larger group. For one assignment our client was a portion of the larger community. As part of the Photo Essay project I did in Human Services Professionals and Global Systems we were asked to analyze a neighborhood within the Bellingham community (See Appendix I). As part of the photo essay we were asked to do interviews of members of the neighborhood. Through the interview I performed, I learned that the Happy Valley Neighborhood was in need of a safe walking path for students within the community to get to school. Standard 14 requires a student to review the needs of the client and then to plan appropriate strategies and services. After completing our asset map, interviews and needs assessment our group sat down to discuss what the Happy Valley Neighborhood could use. We identified three needs a need for a meeting place, more interaction, and safe side walks. The community was already in the process of applying for a grant do have safe walking paths put in. We then felt that by presenting the idea of having a more central meeting place could be accomplished by working with the Neighborhood Association.
For the Happy Valley students making a safe walking path promotes their independence. For many children around the world, walking safely to school means something completely different. After reading Children at War I was able to examine how children in many countries were being pulled into combat from a very young age (See Appendix E). By reading the book and doing follow-up research, I explored why children were being used to fight in wars they did not understand. Part of making change in the world is to understanding the conditions that both limit a person’s functioning and help it (CSHSE Standard 13). For these children there are many things that can bring them into a battle. Whether it is because they feel they will be respected when killed or just see no other option, children in war-torn countries are being used to fight adult battles. The limitations these children face can be over come. By working not only to change the political field and the view of the communities, it is important to provide more options and resources to children before and after they have left the militant group.
Standards 13, 14, 15, and 18 have all guide my learning in the indirect service area of Human Services. As an employee with A Child’s Life and through my internship I now have a better understanding of how the administrative side affects the rest of the working environment. By examining both the smaller community, like the Happy Valley Neighborhood and the more global issue of child soldiers I was able to gather information about what the needs were and how they could be addressed. Indirect services may not be provided on the one-to-one basis – like direct services – but they are still extremely essential to the function of the Human Services field.
Standard 18 addresses some of the administrative functions that take place in the Human Services field (CSHSE Standards). During my second internship, I was able to work as an administrative assist for the director of A Child’s Life Learning Center, I gained knowledge of the behind the scenes aspects of the company. For the twelve weeks I was there, I was in charge of scheduling the staff for the week (See Appendix Z). During that time we had some major changes. In addition to loosing three staff over the course of two months and hiring two to replace them, we also were under going a large construction project that forced us to close rooms.
There are many legal aspects of a daycare, with requirements that must be adhered to. For instance, there is a legal ratio of how many children one teacher can have. When scheduling I had to be aware of how many kids were coming each day and what staff were available to work. We had several employees who worked full time and many who were in school that had special schedules. Due to cost constraints we could not allow any one to go in over time. Taking into account all of these things was difficult but as we got into the heavier construction we were also closing rooms for days a time. Mindy the director was very helpful in how to not only remain calm in such a hectic situation, but also how to creatively think through scheduling issues. Needless to say, each and every day the children were well taken care of and legal ratios where maintained.
This was not my only task while interning at the daycare; part of my learning goals was to locate new sources of funding (CSHSE Standard 14d). When I began the quarter I thought I would simply find grants but as I begun my research I found that grants for daycare/preschools would not be the most effective way of gaining funds. Many of the ones I found were for specific programs or academic areas. The daycare needed more general funding, things that would be sustainable and easy to maintain. I found three options for fundraising: recipe books made by the families, t-shirts, and collecting printer cartridges. I presented these ideas to Mindy and we discussed how they could be done with minimal cost to the center (See Appendix AA).
Standard 15 requests that a student understand information management (CSHSE Standards). This learning goal allowed me to learn how to both gather and present information in a professional manner. It also challenged me to be creative in the options I came up with. The daycare is a small organization and would not be able to supply a lot of money up front for a fundraiser so when choosing these three options, I created a way for us to begin the fundraiser with little to no start up cost.
Standard 15 is also applicable to this section (CSHSE Standards). In this situation my client was not a single person but an agency. Often times in Human Services, the client will be a larger group. For one assignment our client was a portion of the larger community. As part of the Photo Essay project I did in Human Services Professionals and Global Systems we were asked to analyze a neighborhood within the Bellingham community (See Appendix I). As part of the photo essay we were asked to do interviews of members of the neighborhood. Through the interview I performed, I learned that the Happy Valley Neighborhood was in need of a safe walking path for students within the community to get to school. Standard 14 requires a student to review the needs of the client and then to plan appropriate strategies and services. After completing our asset map, interviews and needs assessment our group sat down to discuss what the Happy Valley Neighborhood could use. We identified three needs a need for a meeting place, more interaction, and safe side walks. The community was already in the process of applying for a grant do have safe walking paths put in. We then felt that by presenting the idea of having a more central meeting place could be accomplished by working with the Neighborhood Association.
For the Happy Valley students making a safe walking path promotes their independence. For many children around the world, walking safely to school means something completely different. After reading Children at War I was able to examine how children in many countries were being pulled into combat from a very young age (See Appendix E). By reading the book and doing follow-up research, I explored why children were being used to fight in wars they did not understand. Part of making change in the world is to understanding the conditions that both limit a person’s functioning and help it (CSHSE Standard 13). For these children there are many things that can bring them into a battle. Whether it is because they feel they will be respected when killed or just see no other option, children in war-torn countries are being used to fight adult battles. The limitations these children face can be over come. By working not only to change the political field and the view of the communities, it is important to provide more options and resources to children before and after they have left the militant group.
Standards 13, 14, 15, and 18 have all guide my learning in the indirect service area of Human Services. As an employee with A Child’s Life and through my internship I now have a better understanding of how the administrative side affects the rest of the working environment. By examining both the smaller community, like the Happy Valley Neighborhood and the more global issue of child soldiers I was able to gather information about what the needs were and how they could be addressed. Indirect services may not be provided on the one-to-one basis – like direct services – but they are still extremely essential to the function of the Human Services field.
This paper meets the Council for Standards in Human Service Education
National Standards: 13, 14, 15, 18, and 21
To see a synopsis of the Standards go to: My Standards Page
And to see the full list go to: Council for Standards in Human Service Education Appendix C
National Standards: 13, 14, 15, 18, and 21
To see a synopsis of the Standards go to: My Standards Page
And to see the full list go to: Council for Standards in Human Service Education Appendix C
Reference
Council for Standards in Human Service Education. (2009). National standards: Baccalaureate degree in
human services. Retrieved May 19, 2010, from
http://www.cshse.org/documents/StandardsBachelor.pdf
Council for Standards in Human Service Education. (2009). National standards: Baccalaureate degree in
human services. Retrieved May 19, 2010, from
http://www.cshse.org/documents/StandardsBachelor.pdf