Indirect Services Essay

Before entering the Human Services Program I was under the impression that indirect
services had little importance to the human services field. I took this negative perspective to my
field experience at Interfaith Homeless Shelter. I was under the impression that my field
supervisor was abusing me as an intern by having me continuously do filing and organizational
duties. Overtime my perspective changed and I began seeing the importance of organizational
skills in the field. Throughout the Human Services Program I was able to practice indirect
services inside and outside the classroom.
I was first exposed to the idea of indirect services through HSP 302- Introduction to
Human Services. This class was a foundational class that provided key insight to how human
service practitioners provide indirect services. Whether it is consultation services or
informational services it is important that our clients receive proper care and assistance as
needed.
One class that really helped me develop an understanding of indirect services was
through HSP 430 - Readings and Projects in Human Services. This class enabled students to pick
and choose a topic that was interesting to them. I chose to do a research project researching many
of the mental health disorders in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health
Disorders (DSM-IV). Here I created a learning contract and mental health research paper that
was a culminating project for the class. Through this project I learned about many different
mental health disorders and how they are treated. This research assignment demonstrates my
ability to provide knowledge and skills of information management which follows standard 14.
After completing my culminating research project I felt more knowledgeable and better equipped
to help and serve individuals with mental health disorders.
One class that placed a great deal of emphasis on the importance of indirect services was
HSP 485- Program Planning and Evaluation. Here students were required to design and
implement a program of their choosing. This assignment helped me developed a sense of what it
means to provide indirect services. My program was designed to help house the homeless
population by building cheap and efficient houses. I quickly learned that my program would not
be able to sustain and provide services to such a large population. After realizing this I began
searching for outside resources and organizations that I could refer clients to. No one ever wants
to say no to help someone in need, but I learned that providing referrals and consultation services
is often times just as effective as providing direct services.
Another class that taught me about indirect services was HSP 340 Practicum and
Seminar I. During my field experience I was required to do a great deal of filing and
organizational duties. Initially I thought this was meaningless repetitive work where I was not
developing any human services related skills. I quickly learned I was wrong. In order to have an
effective and efficient system it is essential to have good organizational skills. During my field
experience at Interfaith Homeless Shelter I was assisting staff with a caseload well above 30
families. Without the organizational skills I developed I would have been unable to provide
services to the families I worked with.
I was not only responsible for organizational duties while interning at Interfaith Homeless
Shelter, but I was also responsible for providing a wide variety of indirect services. Often times I
found myself working as a liaison between the residents of Interfaith and organizations they
needed to be better connected with. I provided consultation and informational services to help
educate many of the residents who sought assistance. Often times I found myself in many
situations where I could not provide assistance or an answer to many of the questions/problems I
received from my clients. These situations taught me the importance of referrals and directing
clients in the right direction.
I was also exposed to indirect services through HSP 341 Practicum and Seminar II and
HSP 440 Internship and Seminar interning at Echo Glen Childrens Center. It was at this
facility where I began developing an understanding of how complex indirect services become.
Since the youth are incarcerated and are under the age of 18, staff members are required to act as
advocates and as a guardian to the residents. I have worked with many youth who have had me
contact schools, sports coaches, social workers, parents, and other people/organizations of that
nature to help connect them with the community. As stated in standard 15 I have analyzed and
assessed my clients needs and have created a plan of action to better prepare them for when they
reenter society. One youth in-particular I remember providing indirect services to was a 15 year
old sex offender. This youth was actively engaged in his treatment plan and excelling in school.
He felt remorseful for his crime and is trying to move forward in his life. This resident was
especially excited to leave and enter his new school where he wanted to play on the football
team. I contacted the residents new school and spoke to the football coach concerning his
offense. Initially the head coach said no to the boy entering the football program, but later agreed
after I informed him that this would be beneficial for his well-being. This situation followed
standard 16 because I made an appropriate referral. As a sex offender this young man will be
labeled for life. He will struggle applying for school, jobs, and anything that involves a
background check. I thought that entering the football team would be reinforcing because it
would show that he is just like everyone else.
My experiences in the Human Services Program have opened my eyes to the importance
of indirect services. Regardless of the delivery of services it is important that our clients and
potential clients are able to receive the best quality of care. Indirect services provide an
infrastructure to the delivery of human services.