The Alabama Department of Human Resources (DHR) is one of the state agencies in Alabama that was created in 1935 to provide social welfare to the people. The organizational structure of the agency involves the State Board of Human Resources chaired by the governor who directs all the operations of the Alabama Department of Human Resources. The structure also includes a commissioner who provides direction and supervision on day-to-day services in the four primary sectors that include; filed services, staff training and development, fiscal and administrative services. The department also provides some of the benefits to the community such as financial assistance, food stamps and child-care services (Moon, Biliter, & Croskell, 2001). Adult services, adoption and child protective services are among the activities that the department provide to the citizens. The central office of the DHRs is at Montgomery even though other offices are spread all over the 67 state's counties to ensure sufficient provision of services to the people across Alabama. It is crucial to note the apart from providing services to the community the department also benefits from the community in different ways.
The Alabama Department of Human Resources (DHR) benefits from the community resources. For instance, currently, over 600 social workers provide their services to the department and in return, earn money. The community also supports the department to carry effective awareness walks, for instance, that involve the protection of children and care of the adult in the society. It is also one of the critical stakeholders also play vital services to the department, for instance, in making some of the critical decision and guiding the department in the community level to address issues concerning child and adult care. On the other hand, the locals benefit from the social services provided by the department, for instance, provision of food stamps, child and adult care services, child protection and adoption services.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
The Alabama Department of Human Resources provides its services to different groups in the state's population that include children, and the older people in the community. The agency provides services directly and indirectly to the people of the state of Alabama. The indirect services that community benefit from the department includes employment opportunity where approximately 600 earn their sources of livelihood by working in the organization. Groups of children is another crucial population that receive services from the agency. Currently, about 6,000 children receive foster care from the Alabama Department of Human Resources. Adults who are victims of maltreatment also form another significant population that benefits from the agency's services. Approximately 4,700 adults who are the victims of different maltreatment are benefiting from protection and assistance services of the agency.
The general atmosphere within the agency is good, and it consists of effective communication and interaction between the leaders, staff and the subordinates. The Alabama Department of Human Resources also embraces stakeholder involvement during the decision-making the process to ensure accurate and reliable decisions that benefit the agency and its clients (Fernández, Junquera, & Ordiz, 2003). The manager, staff and their subordinates work together to achieve the ultimate goal by facilitating good work experience in a complex job setting. Effective communication between the employees and their leaders in the organization is crucial in ensuring its success in delivering the services to the community. The agency also upholds justice and fairness that guides them towards providing quality services to the population. Alabama Department of Human Resources ensures that no discrimination takes place concerning, age, gender, place of origin and disability when providing the services. The agency ensures the achievement of a pleasant environment that enables the leaders and employees to work effectively to realize the set goals and objectives.
Since the establishment of the Alabama Department of Human Resources in the year 1935, many programs have changed to meet the changing need of Alabama people. The primary goal of the agency is to help the needy people that include the elderly and children in the state. Some of the objectives of the department include enhancing child protection and foster care services, providing financial assistance and food stamps to the needy community. The mission of the agency is to ensure the provision of safety, well-being and self-sufficiency among the children and adults of Alabama State. Currently, the Alabama Department of Human Resources provides foster care to over 6,000 children, and over 4,700 adults have been victims of maltreatment. It is also essential to appreciate the fact the department is providing financial support to approximately 48,117 individuals through the program of Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) and over 29,000 children benefiting from subsidized child care.
The core services of the agency through the leadership of the commissioner is to provide fieldwork services that include staff training and development, administrative and fiscal services, resources involving families and households such as financial assistance, food provision, and child-care services. The agency also provides child protection and foster services and adult services that experience maltreatment in the community. The Alabama Department of Human Resources ensures that the older people, those living with disability and the young receive essential services to enhance their lives.
Funding is crucial for the overall operation of the Alabama Department of Human Resources. The department requires money to ensure effective delivery of services to the citizens as well as carrying out awareness about various issues affecting the community. The Alabama Department of Human Resources receives its funding from three primary sources that are the federal government, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) (Potter, 2002). Currently, the federal government provide approximately 84% of the total funds in the agency. The sources of funding to the department is essential because it enables the DHRs to operate effectively in providing service to the community. Between the year 2005 and 2006, DHRs spend over $1.25 billion that was received from the three primary funding sources. Out of $1.25 billion, the department spent over $297 million for child welfare services, $100 million for Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, $650 million for food stamp services and $108 million to support child-care services. During this period, the federal government managed to donate approximately $998 million in funds to the agency.
The State Board of Human Resources under the leadership of the governor and a commissioner are responsible in making the policies that guide the operation of the agency. The same body also formulates nondiscrimination laws that the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) enforces to ensure no discrimination takes place in the provision of opportunities to participate in the program activity. OCR also play another critical role of enforcing Title II of the American with Disability Act that protects people with disability from public discrimination regardless of the ability of the entity to receive financial assistance from the federal government (Services, 2003). The State Board of Human Resources has the mandate to make the policies that guide the operation of the agency and ensure that it achieves the set goals and objectives of providing quality service to its clients.
The major clients of the agency include the bodies that provide funding to ensure that the department accomplishes its mandates. The federal government contribute up to 84% of the total amount of funds to the agency is one of the clients that expect the department to provide quality and sufficient services to the needy in the state. The Department of Agriculture in the U.S and the Department of Health and Human Services are also important clients to the agency, and they provide their financial support to ensure that the Alabama Department of Human Resources accomplishes its tasks. The clients want to ensure that the agency meets the set goals and objectives of providing quality services to the needy people in the community.
When providing these services to the people, the agency needs to incorporate the discipline of fairness and just, particularly when addressing the issues in the population (Pynes, 2008). Embracing justice and discouraging discrimination is crucial in ensuring that all the needy people regardless of age, gender, nation, and disability, receive appropriate assistance and service to improve their lives. It is also essential for the agency to be understanding when addressing various issues affecting the people of Alabama. The clients and the agency should understand and work with one another effectively to ensure that the citizens receive timely and quality services they require.
The Alabama Department of Human Resources (DHR) is an agency that aims at providing social welfare services to the people of Alabama. The organization has mutual benefits with the people because the community give the labour force for the agency in return earning money and social services to the needy people. DHRs provide financial assistance, food stamps, child and adult care services to the population. The community, on the other hand, provide 600 workers to the agency and also supports the organization in activities such as awareness campaigns. The agency receives its funding from the federal government, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The State Board of Human Resources under the governor and a commissioner directs all the operations of the agency.
References
Fernández, E., Junquera, B., & Ordiz, M. (2003). Organizational culture and human resources in the environmental issue: a review of the literature. International Journal of Human Resource Management, 14(4) , 634-656.
Moon, R. Y., Biliter, W. M., & Croskell, S. E. (2001). Examination of state regulations regarding infants and sleep in licensed child care centers and family child care settings. Pediatrics, 107(5) , 1029-1036.
Potter, A. (2002). Accessibility of Alabama government web sites. Journal of Government Information, 29(5) , 303-317.
Pynes, J. E. (2008). Human resources management for public and nonprofit organizations: A strategic approach. John Wiley & Sons.
Services, U. D. (2003). Office for civil rights. Standards for privacy of individually identifiable health information, 45 .
