Describe the current government regulations or standards you researched. What kind of impact do these regulations or standards have on your issue and target population?
According to the United States Department of Health and Human Services, there has been both an increase and decrease in the number of substance abusers. The mixed results can be attributed to the rules and regulations implemented by the government on the use of drugs. Increased numbers of substance abusers has prompted the US government to develop anti-drugs strategies based on government regulations and policies (Sloboda, 2006). According to research studies, tobacco and marijuana are the most abused substances in the United States. Most of the government regulations and standards are based on social influences. By social influences, it means the availability of the drugs and social policies aimed at reducing the spread of substance abuse.
The research in this paper was conducted on current government regulations or standards that affect social policies and substance abusers. The government develops both formal and informal regulations. The federal government and its various states use formal regulation in form of declarations that abuse of substances is illegal and attracts penalties. The government issues warnings on alcoholic drinks and cigarette packs by outlining the effects of abusing the substances. For instance, the government requires that manufacturers of alcohol and cigarettes provide information on the harmful effects associated with abusing such substances. The government also specifies the minimum drinking age as a form of regulation (“Human Services in Contemporary America,” n.d.).
Government regulations reduce the number of substance abusers and helps in developing social policies that affect human service organizations. Government regulation on the consumption of alcohol and cigarette smoking has prompted human service organizations to double their efforts in providing education to the society on the health and legal implications. The organizations have developed educational programs aimed at assisting individuals faced with drug problems (Sloboda, 2006). The organizations assist such individuals to face their problems and provide necessary solutions to overcome them.
Identify obstacles that would prevent you from meeting the needs of your target population.
The target population is individuals who abuse substances. The abuse of substances has numerous effects on an individual. In the article Rural Research Needs and Data Sources for Selected Human Services, it is noted: “Alcohol use is associated with homicide, suicide, marital violence, child abuse, and high-risk sexual behavior. Heavy drinking increases the risk for liver disorders, cancer, high blood pressure, and stroke. The illegal use of drugs is associated with injury, illness, disability, crime, domestic violence, and death. Substance abuse also is linked with a reduced probability of employment and thus can affect family self-sufficiency.” In association with the effects of substance abuse, the victims are faced with various needs that require the attention of human service organizations (Sloboda, 2006).
Substance abusers have an unsatisfied life that needs to be satisfied by the government or any responsible person or group of persons. For instance, substance abusers are faced with serious health concerns as highlighted earlier in the text. Human service organizations are required to satisfy such needs by ensuring the victims have a sense of belonging and achieve self-actualization. The needs are met by providing rehabilitation programs to the victims. They also need medical care to address their health concerns (“Human Services in Contemporary America,” n.d.).
Despite making efforts to address the needs, human service organizations are faced with various obstacles that hinder them in satisfying such needs. The community may lack adequate resources to meet the needs. Such resources include hospitals and rehabilitation centers. Substance abusers may also not be aware of any existing resources that may meet their needs. This may be as a result of lack of information on the availability of resources such as rehabilitation centers (“The United States Department of Health and Human Services,” n.d.). Another obstacle may be the lack of skills and knowledge on how to use the available resources. The victim may not be able to use rehabilitation sessions to attain a sense of belonging. The last obstacle relates to the criteria requirements to use the resources. A victim may not meet the age, sex, level of income among other qualifications determined by the human service organization.
Consider future trends and changes to social policy that may be necessary in order for your issue to be resolved or for the target population to have its needs satisfied.
According to the research, the organization needs to make changes to social policies in order to address the needs of substance abusers. In making social policies, the organization must first of all gather all the information on substance abuse by conducting research studies. The availability of information will enable the formulation of sound social policies (Sloboda, 2006). The organization will develop policies that address almost all the needs of the target population. The information gathered relate to the spread of substance abuse and the amount of available resource to address the problem. The article on social policy notes: “Voluntary agencies formulate their policies and programs in essentially the same manner. Data are gathered, examined, interpreted, discussed, and presented to the executive and board of directors for their decisions.”
Future trends in social policies include the use of pressure and lobbying in influencing both the state and federal government to adopt the necessary policies that will address the needs of the target population. Human service organizations hold campaign rallies aims to persuade the government to adopt the presented social policy. The organizations may also use the media to highlight there plea to the government. The trend is almost likely because it has been used all over the country and succeeded in convincing the government. The article on social policy notes: “in the first half of 1981, over 1,000 new lobbyists registered in Washington.”. It therefore means that it will be a continuation of what has been in use (“Human Services in Contemporary America,” n.d.).
References
Human Services in Contemporary America. New York: Cengage Learning.
Sloboda, Z. (2006). Handbook of Drug Abuse Prevention. Chicago: Springer.
The United States Department of Health and Human Services:
http://www.aspe.hhs.gov
