Empowerment Approach to Human Service Management

Empowerment Approach to Human Service Management

R

BSHS/425

8/29/2016

Dr. Ashley Huffman

Empowerment Approach to Human Service Management

Empowerment means to give power or management to. The purpose is to expand decisions making in social services. This type of approach is to inspire and uplift clients to become more dependent and stable.  Empowerment is used in all different agencies. It  then provides good vibes, care plan, and structure. Since everyone has weaknesses the clients strengthens will be the main focus and worked on in a respectful and empowering way.

Twelve principles that characterize an empowerment approach to human service management are: “1. Empowerment-oriented organizations which create formal structures that support client’s participation in organizational decision-making. 2. Empowerment-oriented organizations that creates partnerships with program beneficiaries in which clients, staff, and board members are all treated equally. 3. In service delivery the purpose of involving the client is to decrease personal feelings of powerlessness, improve the quality of services, and the access to services. 4. Empowerment-oriented organizations will develop policies, programs, and procedures that will bridge cultural, ethnic, gender, and other demographic barriers to effective service delivery. 5. Empowerment-oriented organizations have managers who are 100% committed to the empowerment of staff members and program beneficiaries. 6. Empowerment-oriented organizations have specific strategies that will increase the psychological empowerment and workers motivation. 7. Team building and collaboration among staff members are promoted within empowerment-oriented organizations. 8. Empowerment-oriented organizations will encourage staff members to advocate improvements in policies and services. 9. Empowerment-oriented management approaches will produce an effective outcome when a consistent funding base is available to maintain the organization. 10. Clients, community groups, and staff members are involved in the ongoing evaluation of services and program renewal in empowerment-oriented organizations. 11. Empowerment-oriented organizations act to increase political power, as well as political influence of program beneficiaries of their own. 12. Empowerment-oriented organizations acknowledge the limitations of participatory management approaches and take proactive measures to balance inclusion in decision-making with tasks associated with organizational maintenance” (Lewis, 2012). These principles help the needs of a client with more than one issue going on. This also has to deal with mental health.

We will start by naming my dream organization Raising Above. I believe the name gives encouragement right from the start. It will use the empowerment principles because it helps people of all different ages who have been abandon, mistreated, and who are handicap. Starting with the top of the principles we will support our clients and have them participate in any decisions making. Over this time they will make plans, goals, and set a time frame to complete them. With the guidance of staff they will recieve feedback and evaluations of their progress. If the client is not old enough to make their own decisions the appropriate guardian will be able to sit in on the decision making of the client. Unless stated the guardian can NOT be involved. An advocate can then be with the client. I will hold Raising Above to the highest standards of education and if we ran into problems we will have the correct resources on hand. I will also have the staff do yearly classes to insure this. Our main focus is to provide services to our client in a respectful manor as well as respect for anyone involved including staff.

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