6.6 Key Takeaways and Discussion Questions
Included in this section are tools for the reader to refresh and retain the knowledge. A Key Takeaway serves one of three purposes:
- highlighting an especially complex aspect of the chapter,
- summarizing an overarching idea, or
- emphasizing an idea that invites the reader to think about it more deeply, to connect to life experiences, and/or additional learnings.
Discussion Questions are recommended for individual reflection or class discussion.
Key Takeaways
- Human services organizations come in all shapes and sizes. As you become aware of agencies and government programs, consider some of these questions so that you have a more complete understanding of the functioning of services.
- How is it funded?
- What size is it? How many levels of management or bureaucracy does it have?
- Who or what is the legal entity responsible for the organization?
- What is its primary purpose?
- Health and well-being are impacted by the social problems of poverty, privilege, and oppression.
- Health and healthcare are integral to the functioning of individuals, families, and communities.
Discussion Questions
- What kind of initiative would you want to start in your community, like BIKETOWN, which increased the number of bikes in communities across the Portland, Oregon, metro area? You should consider combining at least two types of funding: non-profit, governmental, private, or even medical.
- Discuss prevention, intervention, and remediation.
- What kind of work do you see yourself as well matched for?
- What are examples of agencies that do each?
- Can you think of organizations that focus on more than one of these?
- How does the medical model compare to the wellness model? What role do human services practitioners play in each?
- What challenges do human service professionals in health care fields face? What characteristics and skills would be most valuable to someone who wants to work in health care (refer to Chapter 1)?
Comprehension Check
Licenses and Attributions
“Key Takeaways and Discussion Questions” by Elizabeth B. Pearce is licensed under CC BY 4.0. Revised by Martha Ochoa-Leyva.
a professional field focused on helping people solve their problems.
the state of lacking material and social resources needed to live a healthy life
develop strategies that fend off problems
action taken to improve a situation or address a problem
the correction or reversing of actions or behaviors