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.
Reference
~
Woodside, M. R., & McClam, T. (2018). An Introduction to Human Services
(9th ed.). Cengage Learning US.
https://mbsdirect.vitalsource.com/books/9781337671262
