Social Science - Sociology Assignment

The Cano article, in your Learning Resources, links diversity among and within organizations with the ability to successfully serve communities and advocate for social change broadly but also functionally—that is, as a leader by example within an organization. According to Cano (2020), “social workers must be at the forefront of the efforts to implement agendas that promote diversity and inclusion in the workforce” (p. 107).

As a student and intern, of course, these efforts must be tempered by humility and in a spirit of learning. To that end, in this Assignment you take an inventory of diversity and inclusion in your agency.

Note: The goal of this Assignment is for you to learn about your agency. It is important to recognize that agencies approach diversity and inclusion differently—therefore, the intent of this Assignment is  not to critique the agency's approach but to learn what they do.

Resources

Be sure to review the Learning Resources before completing this activity. Click the weekly resources link to access the resources. 

WEEKLY RESOURCES

To Prepare

· Review the Cano article in the Learning Resources. NOTE: Article is attached separately.

· Use the Diversity and Inclusion Worksheet to record and analyze how your agency successfully works toward policies promoting diversity and inclusion

ASSIGNMENT BELOW

Submit the completed Diversity and Inclusion Worksheet. Be sure to: WORKSHEET IS ATTACHED SEPERATLY.

· Complete the policy inventory for your internship agency.

· Respond to the analysis questions found in the worksheet:

· How do agency initiatives connect to practice behaviors around diversity and to social work values?

· After reviewing how policies promoting diversity and inclusion are applied at your agency: What work do you notice at the agency related to diversity and inclusion that is not covered in the inventory, or that is not listed in agency policies? What are the gaps at the agency, and how might they be closed? (For example, who or what is missing? How is power distributed? What opportunities do you see for training and professional development surrounding diversity and inclusion?)

INFORMATION ABOUT LIGHT HOUSE CENTER.

1. Share your PowerPoint slide to provide the details of your agency.

Note: only one slide with the demographics and diversity of the facility LIGHT HOUSE TREATMENT CENTER OF AUGUSTA.

Note: Light house treatment center of Augusta GA.

About Lighthouse Care Center of Augusta

Lighthouse Care Center of Augusta is a mental health treatment facility in Augusta, Georgia. Children, adolescents and adults who are struggling to cope with mental health concerns can receive support at this center. They provide partial hospitalization programs, medication management, crisis stabilization services and acute residential care to individuals over the age of five. The facility maintains the Joint Commission’s gold seal of approval accreditation, and they’re LegitScript certified.

This clinic seeks to provide care to as many patients as possible, so they accept many types of insurance policies from Georgia Managed Medicaid, Aetna, and Cigna to UnitedHealthCare and Blue Cross-Blue Shield. If you find yourself out of network, then the facility will work with you on creating a single case agreement plan. This type of arrangement between your provider and the facility might allow you to get the coverage and care you need without having to search for a different facility or provider.

One great thing about this facility is that they have an onsite school that can help children and adolescents meet their educational goals. The school, which is accredited by the Georgia Accrediting Commission, can help interested individuals receive their GED or high school diploma, learn independent living skills and build upon their vocational goals.

Patients who seek help at the clinic will undergo an evaluation before being provided with an individualized treatment plan that considers their strengths and weaknesses. The facility can help patients who are experiencing anxiety, mood disorders, paranoia, depression, homicidal thoughts and self-harming behaviors.

Diversity and Inclusion Worksheet

Student Name:

Instructions: Inventory how your agency works toward policies promoting diversity and inclusion by exploring the key indicators below. Use “Yes” or “No” in the “Implemented” column to indicate the existence of such a policy at your agency.

If you answer “Yes,” identify the policy in the righthand column. Then, reflect on what you have learned and answer the analysis questions in Part 2. Note that organizations address these types of policies in different ways and as a result of different influences.

This Assignment is meant to facilitate greater learning about your agency and the context in which it works. The Assignment is not meant to judge the organization’s commitment to diversity and inclusion.

Part 1: Policy Inventory

Policy to Promote Diversity and Inclusion	Has this policy been implemented in the agency?	If “Yes,” identify the policy.
Diversity and inclusion training for supervisory staff
Diversity and/or diverse populations included in the organization’s mission, vision, and values
Creation of affinity groups (e.g., working parents, people of color, women)
Diversity in hiring and advancement practices
Policies to address discrimination in the organization
Diversity emphasized in the orientation and training of new employees
One or more employee roles that include diversity and inclusion as job functions
Multilingual employees who can work with clients whose English is limited
Professional development and/or mentoring to support employees with diverse backgrounds

Adapted from Cano, M. (2020). Diversity and inclusion in social service organizations: Implications for community partnerships and social work education.  Journal of Social Work Education, 56(1), 105–114. https://doi.org.10.1080/10437797.2019.1656577 

Part 2: Analysis Questions

· How do agency initiatives connect to practice behaviors around diversity and to social work values? 

· After reviewing how policies promoting diversity and inclusion are applied at your agency, answer the following:

· What work do you notice at the agency related to diversity and inclusion that is not covered in the inventory, or that is not listed in agency policies?

· What are the gaps at the agency, and how might they be closed? (For example, who or what is missing? How is power distributed? What opportunities do you see for training and professional development surrounding diversity and inclusion?)

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