reflection paper

Community Organization or Agency:

Describe the following elements that you discover or see in the community organization or agency

1. Date/time/location of interview

13th November 2019, Medical center Arlington TX

2. Briefly describe the selected community organization or agency in terms of area, location, geographic boundaries, etc.

It’s both a business and a residential area. Most areas have multifamily houses and these constitute about 80%. A couple of apartments, banks, shopping plaza and, the houses in around are well maintained indicating a good living standard by the inhabitants.

3. Briefly describe the services or impact provided by the selected community organization or agency.

The investigation of the mode of operation among the PT involves the collection of data

using qualitative data collection and analysis. Qualitative data analysis is process, where data

collected is reduced to simpler to create sense out of a large amount of information from

different sources to determine the underline principles related to the topic of investigation.

Qualitative data analysis focuses on the consistency and contradiction, context, ‘spoken word,

intensity and frequency of comments, and the evident trends and themes. In this case, content

analysis is the most appropriate way of analysis identified written resources.

Physical Environment:

Describe the area/community around the community organization or agency

4. Describe indicators of growth or decline (i.e., is this a “thriving” community or does it feel “run-down” and what evidence supports this?  Is there new or ongoing construction?  Are buildings, roadways, and public areas clean and well-maintained, or do you see dirt, trash and debris or graffiti?

This community is a thriving community considering the level of road maintenance kept in this area. The roads here are well maintained and the home grounds appear clean with no dirty scattered all over the fields. The businesses in the area charge higher prices on goods and commodities compared to the other shopping centers around the community. There’s a little bit of construction going on in the area but it’s nothing that causes traffics.

5. What are the places for employment in the community?

There are job opportunities in the community a couple of employment agencies and job vacancies at the malls.

6. Other

There are also arcade and a mall a couple of miles away from the clinic and other entertainment spots that characterize the area. In addition, there are several parks but the most popular one is the bob Duncan center on central park and matlock which has a skate park for youths and a community pool.

People:

Describe the following people that you see in the community

7. Describe community members including demographic information: age, gender, race, and ethnicity (i.e., what sorts of people do you see: young, old, male, female, single families, multiple families, generational families, etc.? Estimate % for each group you see)

The people in this area of the community include different of races, religions and cultures. Demographics in this respect has taken account of age, sex, race along with ethnicity. The population comprises of males, females, single families, multiple families and also generational families. In most places I have visited, there was about 45% Caucasians ,35% blacks and the rest of the population were either Mexicans, Asians of all the people in the community. Most people here belong to multiple families. Looking at way of life, clothing, languages and restaurants, the community in this area is diverse.

8. Does the population in the surrounding community seem to be homogeneous or diverse (as evidenced by—for example—hair styles, clothing, signs in languages other than Spanish, restaurants, festivals, etc.)?

This area seemed to be highly homogenous. The hotels and businesses in this area for example, offer services that are in most cases intended for the people with the same preference. Diversity, however, is obvious to some extent in the manner in which the youth if the community carry themselves. The youth from the community. There are a majority of the multifamily set-ups who’re different as compared to those who come from the areas where there are a lot of single-families. Families who are low income earners appear to be fond of upholding a certain style/livelihood.

9. Describe healthy lifestyle behaviors observed (i.e., exercise, relaxation, healthy eating, wearing helmets while biking, seat belt usage, availability of fresh produce in grocery stores, etc.)  Note the age, ethnicity, and race of persons (estimate %) observed participating in healthy lifestyle behaviors. 

Driving around the in the community I got the chance to see people of both young and old exercising (jogging/walking). The young ones engage in the exercises during the evening hours in the various parks and exercise centers. Lifestyle behaviors such as drinking, smoking and fighting are uncommon. Rather, people are aware of their safety as evidenced by exercise, relaxation, healthy eating, wearing helmets when biking, and use of seat belt usage.

10. Describe any health and/or safety risk behaviors observed (i.e., what are the lifestyle risk behaviors of people).  Do you see people drinking, smoking, fighting, etc.?  Do you see overweight/underweight people? 

There are a lot of people in the community who are overweight and this is an indication of a health risk. I didn’t notice people smoking but I did notice a couple of restaurants and bars. There was no fighting and I don’t think there’s a chance of that occurring in this community cause of patrol of police that goes back and forth every 10 mins.

11. Are there indications of safety concerns including: signs of violence, gang, graffiti, drug, and/or criminal activities?  Do you see bars on windows, etc.?  Note the age, ethnicity, and race of persons observed (estimate %).

There seems to be no safety risks in the area cause the windows in most homes do not have bars and even in some cases are not closed. Indications of safety concerns includes; violence, drug, and other criminal activities are not a common occurrence.

12. Describe any indicators of people living in poverty

The northern part of of Arlington which is located on the opposite part of the community has scores of people who can be termed as poor. These people stay in apartments that are not well maintained and are crowded together. Most of them are tenants in low quality houses.

13. Other

Interviewee Profile:

Describe the person you interviewed and his/her role in the community organization or agency

14. Name and position of person

Naomi Bitaseme Physical therapy technician.

15. Primary job description and main responsibilities.

They help people with physical injuries or illnesses to regain range of movement and control their pain and also help people who have lost motor function due to accidents, illness or age. they help determine the root causes of the trauma, counsel patients, and work with them to create a plan for rehabilitation. The vast majority of musculoskeletal pain and injury can only be masked with drugs and technology but does not heal injured tissues. Musculoskeletal injury is mechanical in nature, meaning that physical forces act on joints and muscles causing them to become compromised.

16. How what he/she does relates to the mission of the community organization or agency.

Educating students to serve the physical therapy needs of society by alleviating and eliminating impairments, functional limitations, and disabilities in people of all ages, with acute and chronic conditions; in addition to promoting prevention and wellness in all people

17. His/her vision for the future as that relates to either the community organization or agency and/or to his/her particular position (i.e., top three goals for the organization)

 I want to establish a strong mentorship with a veteran physical therapist in the pediatric clinic in which I work. To continue the learning process and further my skills as a pediatric therapist so that I can provide the best possible care for all my patients.

I want to develop a niche for myself and be one of the best at what I do. By obtaining a pediatric certification, I can expand my knowledge and network, enhancing my ability to provide the best possible care.

18. How he/she got to this particular position.

I started in this organization as a volunteer and got my license then got promoted and I’m currently training for another position. All to serve the community.

19. Advice for undergraduate students seeking careers in Public Health

Make a goal for yourself and see that you follow through, volunteer and seek career mentors. They’re very motivating and helps keep one focus.

Analysis and Summary: In this final section, you will analyze and summarize the information you observed during the assignment, including a brief summary of how the community organization or agency is related to your particular health issue or topic.

20. First, address the three core functions and 10 Essential Services of public health as those apply to the services provided by the community organization or agency. List one service or program provided by the organization and describe how that service or program is a component of the three core functions and 10 Essential Services of public health. (Must be at least two-three paragraphs.)

The lives of human beings are characterized by numerous health problems which affect the

quality of life. Some of the health problems pose severe consequences for the wellbeing of a

person and the families. As a result, the physical therapist attempt to counter such a problem by

providing valuable information that may help people live a healthy and humane life. This

information is circulated across different media, including through online websites and books

and journals, among others.

21. Second, focus on the key community-related issues associated with your health issue or topic and how the community organization or agency is serving those needs to improve health for the community.  (Must be at least two-three paragraphs.)

Physical therapists are health experts who improve people quality of life through patient

education, hands-on care, and exercise. Their main role in the field of health is to teach patients

how to prevent or manage their health conditions for long-term health benefits. They examine

each patient and develop their health improvement plant by utilizing treatment techniques to

enhance the ability to move, restore functions, reduce pain, and prevent the occurrence of

disability. Additionally, Physical therapist, together with a patient, work to prevent the loss of

mobility as a result of diseases or accidents by developing wellness and fitness-oriented

programs for active and healthier lifestyles. Due to their essential roles in society, they have a

well establish literacy practices that enable them to pass information between themselves and the society.

22. References—in this section list any references that you included

Naomi Bitaseme- 8326891056

Akua Obeng (Supervisor)- 9729743315

23. Appendices—in this section include any artifacts that you collected during your assessment that better provides a picture of the community (i.e., community map, photos, etc.)