The two articles summarize about address homelessness and hunger. These two issues are
growing concerns and require immediate action.
The first article is called California governor set to release $1B for homelessness. The
article is about how the current governor, Gavin Newsom agreed to release funding to
address homelessness. Prior to this, funding had been delayed due propositions either being
too vague or unrealistic. A meeting was held this past Friday by the state governor, with
local mayors and leaders agreeing to release the funding due to acknowledgement and
positive feedback taken from the meeting. Human services personnel will be needed to
advocate on behalf of the client to secure affordable housing.
The second article I chose to write about was called Food pantry fee waiver heads to San
Jose City Council. This article is about a local food bank that was temporarily closed due to
noncompliance of zoning issues. The city temporarily delayed the fees which in turn
allowed the food bank to reopen. A more reasonable approach was necessary considering
this was an essential necessity for those in need. With the support of a GoFundMe account,
the establishment met their monetary goal and pay the zoning fees. Foodbanks are a vital
lifeline to those that are unable to afford a decent meal. Human service personnel are
essential here because they coordinate these functions and work to disseminate to those
who need.
The current event I chose is the recent Supreme Court decision, Dobbs v. Jackson which
overturns Roe v. Wade - giving the decision back to the States. Below is a summary of the
two articles I found on this subject:
Dobbs Decision Threatens Full Breadth of Ob-Gyn Training
This article, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA),
explains that almost half of the accredited ob-gyn residency programs are in states that
severely restrict or ban abortions. Because of this, those residents will not have full training
and education in ob-gyn. The worry is, because of the lack of training and education,
residents will not be able to treat and manage individuals who are experiencing
miscarriages and pregnancy loss as the medical procedures for these medical emergencies
involve abortion. This includes the requirement for ob-gyn doctors to have clinical training
in dilation & curettage. Without this required training, these candidates risk becoming
board-eligible to practice medicine in their field. This, in turn, creates a shortage of these
medical practitioners in the states where abortion rights are limited or banned altogether.
Dobbs Decision Presents Wide Ranging Ramifications for Women's Rights
This article draws upon a webinar put on by the Women in Law Section of the New York
State Bar Association in reference to the Dobbs decision. It is explained that this decision
is the first from the Supreme Court that removes rights from individuals rather than
granting more rights. The fear expressed is that Dobbs leaves the door open for more
overreaching decisions to make by the court including rights that guarantee protection
under the 4th (protection from unreasonable search and seizure) and 5th (protection from
incriminating oneself) amendments as well as limits to privacy rights. The article also goes
on to explain that this recent decision could cause a burden on communities that are
struggling already with providing for women and children.
How does this impact human services?
The first article describes how the Supreme Court decision impedes the proper training of
residents in the Ob-Gyn field. Without properly trained medical professionals in the field
and available to the community, the potential for loss of life of pregnant individuals is
heightened. In addition to undertrained or unavailable medical professionals, clinics and
community health centers may become overtaxed. In the second article, it is explained that
clinics and community health centers are unable to absorb the challenges that come with
rising maternal and infant needs. These shortcomings are particularly present in the 26
states that have the most strict laws in place. The inability to provide these services
overstretches human services agencies.
References
Dobbs Decision Presents Wide Ranging Ramifications for Women’s Rights. (2022,
October 24). Premium Official News.
Peachman, R. R. (2022). Dobbs Decision Threatens Full Breadth of Ob-Gyn Training.
JAMA, 328(17), 1668–1670. https://doi-org.ezproxy.snhu.edu/10.1001/jama.2022.13662
