Visit an Agency: 3-2 Journal
Jocelyn Mills
SNHU
HSE 101: Introduction to Human Services
Dr. Mayfield
June 1st, 2025
Working for Eastmont Social Service Agency
From an employee's perspective, I believe it is a fast-paced environment with duties
that would include administration and direct client services. The waiting room is likely
frequently filled with a variety of sex, age, gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status clientele.
I do believe for most employees it can be emotionally taxing working with such a large caseload
of clients with ranging needs of intensity. They offer a wide variety of services and programs
like CalFresh, Medi-Cal, General Assistance, and CalWORKs that employees must be able to
inform clients about and assist with any questions or other needs (Eastmont Town Center, n.d.). I
believe that as employees, they need to be respectful, empathetic, and do their best to direct the
client to the resources they need.
From a client’s perspective, they will likely feel intimidated by the fast-paced
environment. They can be fearful or full of shame in relation to their circumstances. They will
likely see a variety of information posters across the walls as they wait. The room will be sterile
since it is a government agency that provides services to the public. It needs to be sanitary. They
may become frustrated by the long wait, not understand the process of the agency, struggle to fill
out forms, and more. However, I am sure most are grateful to have the opportunity to find
resources they need in those hard times.
Daily Challenges
If I worked at Eastmont, I think one of the biggest daily challenges would be managing
time while still offering compassionate service. Because it is a fast-paced environment with a
large volume of clientele, it would be difficult for me to give the same level of service to every
client while also dealing with administrative duties and more. I think I would frequently feel
under extreme pressure due to the many challenges that can be presented like language barriers,
technological difficulties, emotional burnout, high caseloads with staff shortages, and more.
Areas of Improvement
There are a variety of ideas I would suggest for improving the experience of supporting the
agency's clients. I would suggest there is trained staff member on the lobby floor to be available
to assist clients with navigating technology, filling out paperwork, and assisting with any other
needs. The DMV in my town has a person to greet and assist with the kiosks and informs the
public what to do in order to improve the agency’s efficiency and assist clients. It is very helpful
to a variety of people, especially those who are older. I believe the seating needs to be
comfortable because many clients will deal with long wait times. Additionally, there needs to be
more multilingual services to serve the diverse population of Almeda County, California, where
the Eastmont Social Services Agency operates.
Resources
Woodside, M. R., & McClam, T. (2018). An Introduction to Human Services (9th ed.). Cengage
Learning US. https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/books/9798214346533
Bringing storytime to the long wait for Social Services. PRX. (n.d.).
https://exchange.prx.org/pieces/103365?m=false
Eastmont Town Center. Eastmont Town Centre. (n.d.).
https://www.alamedacountysocialservices.org/contact-us/offices/Eastmont-Town-Center
