Social Services Agency Review

Henry street settlement

 The purpose and mission of Henry Street Settlement is to provide opportunities to the Lower east side residents and other new Yorkers through social services, arts and health care programs. According to this mission Henry Street Settlement is a primary source agency.

Social services are those activities conducted by social welfare institutions. The services include both personal services (services to individuals based on relationships) and more institutional services (income programs, housing projects) (Dolgoff, Harrington, & Loewenberg,2012).Henry street settlement offer have a social services department base on the definition of social services this agency is a Host agency.

Description of services and programs provided

Henry Street offers programs through seven divisions:  Youth Services, Primary and Behavioral Health, Senior Services, Workforce Development Center, Visual and Performing Arts/Abrons Arts Center and Youth & Workforce Development and Housekeeping Services.  The Settlement offers dozens of programs in 17 locations on the Lower East Side, including:

• A senior center, a NORC (naturally occurring retirement community), Meals on Wheels and a Senior Companion Program
• An early childhood education center, including Universal Pre-Kindergarten
• Transitional housing for homeless families, single women and survivors of domestic violence; and permanent supportive housing residences
• Out-patient mental health services; and satellite clinics in public schools
• A primary care medical clinic
• Job training and placement for adults, public housing residents and out-of-school youth; and customized staffing services for small business owners
• High school equivalency prep and ESL classes
• Educational, recreational, after-school, college prep and leadership development programs for youth
• Arts programs, including instruction and performance

Size Budget and for the Fiscal Year 2015 (Guide star)

Revenue:

Contributions, Grants, Gifts   $6,290,006     

Program services                      $30,420,028

Membership dues                      $0.00

Special events                           $1,737,183

Other revenue                           $39,272142

Expenses:

Program services                     $34,502570

Administration                        $4,090,403

Fundraising                             $1,020,023

Payments to affiliates             $0.00

Other expenses                        $0.00

Type of Agency

            Henry Street Settlement is a non-profit organization with 600 staff and volunteers.

Geographic area served

While focused on the Lower East Side, Settlement programs reach all of New York City’s five boroughs — in New York City public schools, public housing developments and transitional shelters. Henry Street’s Workforce Development Center aids workers from all walks of life — from welfare-to-work participants to out-of-school youth to small business owners and degree-holding professionals. The staff members at Henry Street also come from many different cultural backgrounds, reflecting the diversity of the community they serve.

External factors

Funding Sources: Henry Street, like other Settlement houses, receives a combination of public and private funding. The proportion of funding depends on the nature of the individual program. Henry Street currently receives about 80 percent of its funding from federal, state and city sources; the balance is donated by foundations, corporations and individuals. But for the senior center department the funding is directly from Department of Aging with an annual budget cost of $683,870. The program does not have any mandated requirements, they all voluntary.

Henry street settlement is in competition with others settlement organizations in the Lower East side like: University settlement House, Educational Alliance and Grand Street Settlement.

The policies of the Department of Aging affected Henry Street Settlement Senior Center because the agency fund about forty other centers.

Internal factors

Henry street settlement have board directors ,  officers directors and advisory  directors.

The leadership style within the agency is in collaboration with the administrative agency to ensure the dignity and quality of life of New York City’s diverse population, and for the support of their caregivers through service, advocacy and education.

The agency does not have union workers nor offer any civil exams to be employed.

Responsiveness of the Agency to the Community and to Clients

Settlements are unique agencies in that they are neighborhood based. They frequently offer a wide range of services that address an individual’s entire life cycle, from birth to old age. Another characteristic of Settlements has been their historic involvement in social change efforts. Time and time again they have been the innovators of ground-breaking methods in social work. Henry Street Settlement knows the needs of the people in the surrounding areas and thus come up with programs to meet this needs. The programs are dynamic in nature and will change from time to time depending on budget and the needs.

The Role of Social Worker

Henry street settlement serve different department for social services, currently the placement I am located provide services to seniors over the age of 60. The role of the social workers in the department are all base on generic case management. Screening and Assessment to obtain basic information for case management and eligibility purposes.  Establishes treatment programs by setting schedules and routines; coordinating services being provided; arranging resources, including transportation and escort. Provide Medicare, Medicaid, food stamp and NYCHA housing applications and renewal services.

Social Policy Relevant to the Agency

Henry street settlement is provides welfare policy because:

According to the article of AUSTIN “in the 21st century, health and welfare agencies are increasingly serving the same low-income consumers who receive benefits from welfare-to-work programs and Medicaid health care programs. The forces of managed care and welfare reform have helped to shift the focus of health and social service agencies from categorical service delivery programs to collaborative and prevention-oriented services. Social services is all about meeting the needs of the disadvantaged in the society and Henry Settlement does exactly that. Social service is more than just providing services, Henry Street Settlement is more about empowering as opposed to just offer the services. Through empowering, the recipients will be able to stand on their own and offer the services to others.

According to social work code of ethics Henry Street Settlement senior center follow “ethical principles to provide ethical principles are based on social work's core values of service, social justice, dignity and worth of the person, importance of human relationships, integrity, and competence. These principles set forth ideals to which all social workers should aspire” (National Association of Social Workers, 1994 ). Social welfare is about the well-being of the entire society. The principles are meant to ensure that the well-being of the society is met and the work is done professionally with the highest level of integrity.

Nevertheless, Henry Street Settlement House reflect social justice by creating an environment to the clients and seniors of a safe culture. Because The settlement house movement developed in response to growing industrial poverty and other social problems associated with rapid urbanization, industrialization, and immigration. Housing is one of the basic needs in our lives as humans. It is thus vital for a social welfare organization to offer the same in the society in addition to the common welfare services.

The strategies involve neighborhood-based, family-focused services that provide access to such community assets as child care, elder care, affordable housing, transportation, employment services, health care and family well-being” (Henry Street Settlement, n.d.).

Conclusion

Henry Settlement is an important organization to Lower east side residents and other new Yorkers. It generally improves the overall welfare of the society by offering employments, reducing crime, improving the standard of living through health care services, tapping of talents in the society through the arts program, among other benefits. Organizations in recent years have proved to be vital social welfare agents filling the spaces in which the government has failed or is unable to meet. Due to their proximity to the society such as is the case with Henry Settlement, they are able to come up with activities that are specific to the needs of society. It is important for the society to appreciate this and work towards encouraging similar programs to rise.

References

Austin, M.J., & Prince, J. (2003). The implications of managed care and welfare reform for

the integration of health and welfare services. Journal of Health and Social Policy, 18(2), 1-19.

Dolgoff, R., Harrington, D., & Loewenberg, F. M. (2012). Brooks/Cole Empowerment Series: Ethical Decisions for Social Work Practice. Cengage Learning.National Association of Social Workers. (1999). 

Guide star. (n.d.). Guide star. Retrieved March 4, 2018, from Guide Star Website:https://www.guidestar.org/Profile/ViewPdf?ein=13-1562242

Henry Street Settlement. (n.d.). Henry Street Settlement. Retrieved march 4, 2018, from Henry Street Settlement Website: https://www.henrystreet.org/

Karem,  C. (2018, February 22). Personal interview.

National Association of Social Workers, Washington, Dc. (1994). Code of ethics of the National Association of Social Workers. NASW Distribution Center.