Addressing Societal Issues

Human services professionals contribute to addressing societal issues; to do so, they might review the literature to explore recommendations others have made. These recommendations might be based on experience and/or research. Once possible recommendations have been identified, it is important to consider any potential ethical challenges that might arise in addressing the issue by following the recommendations.

To prepare:

• Select a societal issue that detracts from the mental health and welfare of society members anywhere in the world.
• Identify at least two recommendations that leading scholars and/or practitioners have made for resolving the societal issue you selected, and reflect on the ethical challenges that might emerge if the recommendations were implemented.

With these thoughts in mind:

By Day 4

Post a brief description of the societal issue you selected, and describe two recommendations experts have made for resolving this societal issue. Then, identify two ethical challenges that might arise when following these recommendations. Finally, explain how you might address those ethical challenges. Be specific, and reference a professional code of ethics to support your response. Please be certain to include references and clearly identify the experts and type of expertise for the individuals you have selected.

References:

Homan, M. S. (2016). Promoting community change: Making it happen in the real world (6th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage.
Chapter 10, “Getting the Word Out” (pp. 287–328)
Chapter 12, “Taking Action—Strategies and Tactics” (pp. 379–417)

National Organization for Human Services. (n.d.). Ethical standards for human service professionals. Retrieved from http://www.nationalhumanservices.org/ethical-standards-for-hs-professionals

Smith, V. C., & Jemal, A. (2015). Addressing the health of formerly imprisoned persons in a distressed neighborhood through a community collaborative board. Health Promotion Practice, 16(5), 733–744. doi:10.1177/1524839915588293. Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.