PART 1:
The agency we are using is, Home HealthCare. Contact the agency and arrange for an on-site visit, to include a one-on-one interview with a staff person. When visiting the agency, be sure to observe agency activities, the environment, the consumers and staff. During your visit gather and record the following information:
- The name of the agency, its tag line, address, phone number, fax number, website address, and agency status – private or public; for profit or non-profit.
- Environmental characteristics of the agency – internal and external, e.g., organizational climate, size, appearance, and location.
- The name of the person you are interviewing, his/her title, length of employment with the agency, length of employment in the human services field.
- The organizational structure of the agency; obtain a chart if possible.
- The vision and mission of the agency.
- The primary and secondary goal(s) of the agency.
- The consumer needs the agency seeks to meet.
- The activities offered to meet the intended goals.
- The person(s)/stakeholders the agency serves.
- The cost of the service for the consumer.
- The eligibility requirements t receive services.
- The process by which consumers are referred.
- The process and tools/paperwork used to assess the consumer, the direct service provider, and agency/consumer goals and outcomes. Obtain copies if possible.
- The funding source(s) and amounts/percentages received by the agency.
- The number of human services professionals employed, breakdown by position/job title.
- The skills and education required for each different position.
- The salary ranges offered for each position.
- The ratio of supervisor to direct human services provider.
- The ratio of human services provider to consumer/client.
- The turnover rate and number of vacancies per position.
- The types of services offered to staff, such as reflective supervision, team meetings, counseling, training, continuing education opportunities, etc.
- Printed literature, reports, program descriptions, brochures, newspaper articles etc. that describe the programs and services provided by the agency, as well as the consumer.
Part I of this report should be a brief summary of the information collected, in the order provided; not to exceed 6 pages; including printed materials at the end of the report.
PART 2:
Contact a person (not yourself) who is currently receiving services from a human service professional at the agency you profiled. Arrange for a one-to-one interview at a location most suitable to the consumer. During your interview, gather and record the following information:
- The name of the person interviewed, date, time, and location of the interview.
- Personal demographic information including:
- Gender
- Age
- Race/ethnicity
- Sexual orientation
- Spoken language
- Marital status
- General economic income/status – no income, little income, middle class, upper class
- Number of people in household
- Highest educational level completed
- Employment status – not working, part-time, or full-time
- Number of children
- Religious identity
- Other
- The consumer’s initial reason for seeking assistance.
- The process by which the consumer was referred to the agency.
- How quickly the consumer was contacted by a HS professional.
- The consumer’s first impression of the HS professional.
- How soon assistance was granted by the HS professional to the consumer.
- The length of time the consumer has received services at the agency.
- If the consumer has been assigned different HS providers, briefly describe the process.
This second part of the report will consist of 8-9 pages. The first two pages should be a summary of the information collected, in the order provided. The next 4 pages will consist of the completed Consumer Service and Satisfaction Survey. The final 2-3 pages will be a concise written response to the following:
- Provide 2 reasons explaining why you feel the interview was effective.
- On a scale from 1-5 (higher is better), rate the accuracy of the responses the consumer provided to you and explain your rating.
- What would you do differently if you conducted the interview again?
- How effective do you believe the agency is in meeting the consumer’s needs?
At a minimum, when responding, apply concepts and principles learned from your experience, class lectures and discussions, and the Neukrug text.