In Chapter 6 we learned about the different models of delivery. These models consist of the medical
model, the public health model, and the human service model. Within the medical model, they talk
about how the person coming for help has a disease or illness (Woodside 2018). In this model, they
deal a lot with clients who are sick. The public health model resembles the medical model but goes
into the discussion of treatments and diagnosis (Woodside 2018). This model is different from the
medical one because it goes into individuals' diseases and how they affect the population. Lastly, the
human service model details the correlation between an individual and their environment (Woodside
2018). This last model takes into consideration the first two models but takes it a step further by
looking at how the client's environment affects them. You can clearly see that these models are
different, they have their similarities but, in the end, they are different. I really enjoyed this chapter
and how they went into each model. It opened my eyes to the different services.
The Medical Model
Is based on an orientation developed by the medical profession; it assumes that mental disorders are
diseases or illnesses that impair an individual’s ability to function. The medical model sees the person
coming for help as an individual whose problem is a disease or a sickness. One obvious example of
the medical model’s application to human service problems is its use in treating mental illness.
The Public Model
Resembles the medical model in its diagnosis and treatment process, but the model differs in
recipients of services and methodologies of treatment. The public health model applies a multicausal
approach to studying the causes origins of problems and emphasizes prevention.
The Human Service Model
Is concerned with the interaction between the individual and the environment, stressing the need for
balance between the two. A primary focus of the human service model is to provide services that help
individuals solve their problems. According to the human service model, problems are an excepted
and even necessary part of everyday life. The human service model considers the problem of the
individual within the context of the environment.
The public health model bridges the medical and human service models but is more obviously linked
with the medical model. Although recognizing both medical and public health perspectives, this model
focuses on the interpersonal and environmental conflicts that may result from the problem (e.g., a
mental disorder).
All three models are used to deliver services today, and depending on the problem, an integration of all
three models may be most effective. Therefore, these are the characteristics of each model and a brief
history of each and how it is applied.
The medical model assumes that mental disorders are diseases or illnesses that impair an individual's
ability to function. (Woodside, 2018) This disease responds to medical intervention. Intervention such
as medication, lab studies, or even physical therapies. There are many different drugs and treatments
that can be used to treat the patient.
The public health model is the same as the medical model in the sense of diagnosis and treatment
process. However, the people receiving the treatment and the method they are being treated, is totally
different. This model focuses more on groups of people whereas the medical model is more about the
individual patient. These groups are by population, types of problems, or specific characteristics, and
views mental disorders as malfunctions or pressures created by the environment or society.
(Woodside, 2018) The medical model and public health model view those differently since the
medical model sees these as a disease.
The human service model looks at the interaction between the individual and the environment, and
stresses the need for balance between the two. This model focuses more on interpersonal and
environmental conflicts that may come from a problem like a mental disorder. Treatment in this model
focuses on clients’ strengths and to provide services that help individuals solve their problems. This
model is different than the other two because it sees problems as a necessity to everyday life and
because human existence is complex. Problems are not seen as a disease. (Woodside, 2018)
Each of these view mental health problems and environmental problems differently, in addition to that,
they all use a different method of how to treat these problems. Each model views the person or what
needs treatment differently and it is important to recognize how each of them tackles problems.
As part of our discussion this week, we analyze human services models representing different
orientations to service delivery. The models relate to the medical field, public health, and human
services, which professionals use to provide clients with treatment plans tailored to their needs.
(Woodside & McClam, 2018).
Medical model - a diagnostic approach to medicine, the primary model that healthcare professionals
use to diagnose and treat patients. As a priority, the model focuses on treating symptoms to restore
health as soon as possible. It originated in the medical field, but the corrections profession adopted it
in the 1930s to move from punishment to treatment (for instance, prisons could be therapeutic settings,
rehabilitating inmates to re-enter society). A medical model of services, the oldest of the three, focuses
exclusively on the individual and treats them as sick or ill. The professional works to diagnose,
mitigate, and cure disease. Psychiatry played an instrumental role in the evolution of the medical
model. In turn, this led to the decision that those diagnosed as mentally ill would be treated in
hospitals by physicians as any other patient with a health concern would be. Based on the assumption
that mental disabilities are conditions that interfere with the ability of an individual to function, the
model is often used to intervene with drug and alcohol abuse problems (Woodside & McClam, 2018).
Despite its origins in medicine, various healthcare professionals use it.
Public health services - by its very name, the public health service model provides healthcare for the
entire community. A primary concern of the public health model is the control of society as it attempts
to alleviate many of its social problems. It uses a comprehensive approach to reduce or prevent a
particular illness or social crisis by identifying and treating its risk factors. Health, education, and
welfare all use this concept (Woodside & McClam, 2018). Historically we understand that infectious
diseases, poor sanitation, and a lack of medical knowledge have been problems in the community for
centuries. In this way, public health evolved into what we know today. As early as 1692, the local
government had the authority to remove and isolate the sick and infirm in the United States through
the Massachusetts Poor Law. The American public health service system strives to ensure equitable
healthcare access for all population segments (including the elderly, the disabled, and the indigent).
Today, the Public Health Service is part of the Department of Health and Human Services. Among its
goals is to address societal issues by collecting data from the general population and surveying
individuals about their health concerns. The area of interest encompasses infectious and chronic
diseases, such as (STD infection, cancer, and diabetes), social issues (family, community, and street
violence), and drug Abuse and dependence (Woodside & McClam, 2018). Ultimately, this will
promote wellness and prevent disease by improving the health of communities.
Human services delivery - an integrated, multifaceted system of interventions that seek to provide
clients with the most effective solutions for issues relating to their needs and difficulties. The human
services model utilizes medical, and public model approaches as part of its service delivery strategy
(Woodside & McClam, 2018). Using this model, human service professionals can understand how an
individual's environment and physical and mental disabilities influence their problems. For instance,
the effects of genetic predispositions, chemical imbalances, learning difficulties, inability to recognize
inappropriate behavior, a physical or mental disability, or social influences. Regardless of the
circumstances, the client is experiencing interpersonal and emotional difficulties that affect behavior.
The most effective approach to addressing these difficulties is focusing on the client's strengths instead
of their shortcomings, using a strength-based approach and emphasizing their most valuable qualities.
As a result of this model, clients are encouraged to reflect on past problems or situations they have
successfully resolved and acquire problem-solving skills that enhance their quality of life. A vital
component of the model is its emphasis on the relationship according to the individual and their
environment - and maintaining a balance between them -allowing for a more holistic treatment of the
problem (Woodside & McClam, 2018). This model can provide solutions to various social issues, such
as financial hardship, violence in the home, legal concerns, and health issues (Woodside & McClam,
2018). In addition, this model focuses on providing individuals with services that facilitate the
resolution of their problems. Services primarily consist of problem-solving, a systematic approach that
maximizes perceiving and using the client's strengths in the present moment, after identifying the
problem accurately, determining client strengths, describing the context, understanding the culture,
and recommending intervention, subjective to the issue's nature. In this manner, strategies support
individuals and prevent future problems, reducing human services' necessity (Woodside & McClam,
2018).
There are many similarities between these three models, including their ability to deliver safe and
quality healthcare while increasing the general well-being of individuals, families, and communities.
Moreover, they are all interconnected.
The three service delivery models all assist in diagnosing and treating a problem, but they target
distinct populations. Medical models exist to serve individual patients, public health models to serve
communities, and human services models to help individuals and their environments. There are
similarities and differences between the three models of delivery of medical, public health, and human
services. A medical model focuses on diagnosing and treating problems (diseases, illnesses) with the
help of physicians or service providers. The public health model provides services to individuals and
groups to solve social issues. Human services balance the individual's needs with the environment's
(Woodside & McClam, 2018). The type of services delivered depends on the choice of the model to
apply for service delivery, and in some situations, one model is more effective than the other two. For
example, as you compare and contrast medical, public health, and human services, you will find that
they all work independently or collectively to achieve the best results. However, according to
Woodside & McClam, "the public health model bridges the medical and human services models."
Mental illness is one prominent example of how the medical model can contribute to human service
problems. However, it is more apparent that the public health approach is more similar to the medical
model than the human service model. In each model, the same problem may appear from a different
perspective (Woodside & McClam, 2018).
Public health and medical models seem similar to me. In both cases, diagnosis and treatment are
identical. However, public health is different in that it emphasizes the health of the population rather
than the individual by expressing the illness directly to the people. The medical model, on the other
hand, emphasizes the patient within the context of the community and family. Models of human
service take into account environmental conflict as well. Finally, medical, and human services models
focus on individuals rather than collective needs. Each model aims to help clients and provides a plan
to achieve that, whether it's returning to the original state, maintaining symptoms, preventing abuse,
promoting social action, or enhancing the quality of life and ending services. The use of models can
provide insight into different approaches to client problems. They are adapted to meet varying social
needs, so their distinctions are not arbitrary (Woodside & McClam, 2018).
Nevertheless, from the perspective of human services, each model can contribute to resolving issues
(Woodside & McClam, 2018). As a human service professional, you must blend the models with the
treatment plans or services according to client requirements. Clients' needs are at the heart of human
services, and the flexible use of approaches from various models to serve those needs is one of its
strengths.
The three models of human service delivery are the medical model, public health model, and human
services model. They all three share the same goal at the end of the day and that is helping people
within their lives. The medical model focuses more on mental disorders, diseases, and illnesses that
impair an individual's ability to function. The medical model sees the person coming for help as an
individual whose problem is a disease or a sickness. (Woodside & McClam, 2018) The public health
model focuses more on groups in the population identified by geography, types of problems, and
special characteristics. The medical model and public health model are similar with the diagnosis and
treatments they both provide. (Woodside & McClam, 2018) Next is the human services model which
focuses on the people and their environment and how one another affects each other. This model
would be similar with each of the previous models as it serves the individuals and groups of people
who are experiencing problems in living and are seeking help.
The three models of service delivery have unique share some similarities and differences between
each other. First, there is the medical model which treats clients and their issues like how medical
professionals treat patients and a disease. However this model includes mental illness as one such
disease that prevents patients, which is what clients are called in this model, from functioning and thus
provide medical interventions to treat it (Woodside & McClam, 2018, p. 137). Next is the public
health model which shares the medical model’s diagnosis and medical treatment process. However,
the public health model differs in that it extends healthcare to populations rather than individuals,
attempts to solve society’s social problems, takes a multi-causal approach in analysing the origins of a
client’s problems, and focuses on prevention of future issues (Woodside & McClam, 2018, p. 142).
Finally, there is the human service model which focuses on the interactions between the individual and
their environment with the issues being seen as “problems in living” more than anything else
(Woodside & McClam, 2018, p. 148). With this model, problems are considered a necessary part of
life and are a result of the environment around an individual. Like the medical and public health
models, clients can be individuals or populations within the human services model. However, the
human services model differs greatly in terms of its treatment as it takes the approach of developing
problem solving strategies and identifying client strengths with the goal being to enhance the client’s
quality of life by teaching them problem solving skills (Woodside & McClam, 2018, p. 148).
References
Woodside, M. R., & McClam, T. (2018). An Introduction to Human Services (9th ed.). Cengage
Learning
