Multi-agency programs involve the cooperation between a number of agencies that provide a variable number of services such as crime prevention or other social welfare programs. For the purpose of this review, the multi-agency program is based on the concept of interrelations between agencies in the provision of social services and interventions that are significant in increasing the quality of life and the client services. Several agencies can work in tandem in providing an array of services or programs. These agencies could range from government managed ones such as law enforcement agencies to privately owned agencies such as health insurance agencies or Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs). In essence, for all the agencies to coordinate and collaborate in the provision of social services to the families, it is crucial for all the professionals from the involved agencies to work in unison to ensure optimal service delivery. As such, this paper is aimed at providing a sociological-based discourse on a couple of interventions or programs that could be applied to families that would require the services of multiple agencies.
Part 1
A social intervention is an intimate combination of strategies of a program that are designed to improve the health status of families, behavioral changes, their education status, the environment in which they live in, and their living standards (What is an Intervention, 2017). As such, for families with middle or low living standards, the selected interventions are; housing and employment coupled with welfare. These families would appreciate not only the involvement of agencies such as the housing agency but also other organizations such as law enforcement to alleviate the crime rates in their neighborhoods as well as federal government agencies such as the department of labor that deals with unemployment of persons. Multiple agency interventions regarding housing would significantly reduce the burden of homelessness faced by these families. Homelessness is in most cases as a result of poverty, and as such, intervention by other agencies inclusive of the federal government is crucial in its eradication as well as mitigation of the causal factors.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
This intervention from different agencies will undoubtedly increase delivery of the intrinsic services such as the provision of shelters, hospitals, as well as other essential services. Based on past statistics on the intervention, 60 percent reduction in homelessness has been observed (Coalition for Evidence-Based Policy, 2013). Moreover, in regards to employment and welfare, the phenomenon can be taken up majorly by the federal government through the department of labor as well as other private intervening agencies such as the Unemployment Insurance Agency. The intervention includes programs such as the Los Angeles’ Jobs-First GAIN program which would quickly propel welfare recipients (families with low living standards and no employment) into the workforce or employment (Coalition for Evidence-Based Policy, 2017).
Part 2
Interventions and the programs pertaining to them entail a myriad be of benefits as well as drawbacks that could be experienced by communities, human service professionals, as well as the agencies. The housing intervention is mainly aimed at advantageously preventing and eradicating homelessness and recurrence of the same especially to families living in shelters. In providing housing, agencies fulfill their ethical responsibility to the community. In addition, housing the homeless eases the burden of the community in funding the homeless shelters. In the same accord, if every homeless family and individuals are properly housed, the community together with the law enforcement agencies will enjoy an aura of safety and reduced crimes. Through this achievement, human service professionals such as police officers will concentrate more on pressing matters than petty community crimes perpetrated by the homeless individuals. Further, professionals from NGOs involved in feeding the homeless individuals will have adequate time to concentrate on worse afflicted people in other jurisdictions.
However, these interventions are not without their drawbacks. Agencies involved in welfare and curbing unemployment are faced with a conundrum when huge corporations and organizations thwart their efforts by offshoring their services and in effect their jobs to other countries. The community, as well as the human service professionals, fall in a sticky quagmire when the rate of unemployment rises consequently crowding the population in the shelters as well as in the streets. In regards to housing programs and interventions, agencies, the community, as well as the professionals are tremendously set back in their efforts to provide housing when the community is hit by natural disasters such as Hurricanes that destroy houses and buildings which ultimately raises the number of homeless people.
Part 3
Housing professionals such as project managers or a housing practitioners require certain skills and competencies to ensure optimal service delivery. According to Richardson, (2017), technical and comprehensive knowledge regarding the housing law is fundamental, especially when working with other professionals from different jurisdictions. Excellent communication and writing skills are equally important competency skills which ease inter-agency communication by the professionals. In essence, to achieve the objectives of the intervention, professionals are required to be good team players in a bid to optimally deliver quality services with efficiency. Research and inquiry skills further drive the agenda of the professionals and the intervention program at large. Ultimately, critical thinking skills and ability to meet the needs of the homeless families help the professionals achieve synchrony and perfect harmony hence ensuring optimal service delivery.
Working with multiple agencies exposes a service delivery professional to certain ethical issues such as anti-social behavior from other professionals. In addition, a professional could be exposed to a situation where one or more agencies refuses to take responsibility for their unlawful actions regarding housing such as embezzlement of funds meant for the intervention project. Moreover, professionals from other agencies may become abusive which is unethical based on the standard work ethics for any working environment.
Conclusion
Social interventions are particularly fundamental especially in the current society that faces increased rates of social issues inclusive of unemployment and homelessness as illustrated. Intervening agencies are required to have comprehensive outlined strategies for dealing with the militating social problems faced by the affected families. By so doing, several pivotal advantages are acquired thereby easing the workload borne by the afflicted communities or families. However, prudence is required for all agencies to correlate and debunk the debilitating issues regarding homelessness and unemployment.
References
Coalition for Evidence-Based Policy. (2013). Top Tier Evidence Initiative: Evidence Summary for the Critical Time Intervention. Coalition for Evidence-Based Policy. Web. Retrieved from: http://toptierevidence.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/CTI-write-up-for-Top-Tier-site-September-2013.pdf
Coalition for Evidence-Based Policy. (2017). Los Angeles Jobs-First GAIN Program. Coalition for Evidence-Based Policy. Web. Retrieved from: http://evidencebasedprograms.org/1366-2/los-angeles-jobs-first-gain-program
Richardson, J. (2017). Skills and Learning for the Housing Industry of the Future. CIH. Web. Retrieved from: http://www.cih.org/resources/PDF/Policy%20free%20download%20pdfs/Learning%20today%20leading%20tomorrow/02%20Delivering%20learning%20Richardson.pdf
What is an Intervention? Retrieved on 12 September 2017 from http://health.mo.gov/data/interventionmica/index_4.html
