SOC 320 Reflective Essay (1) Essays - , Term Papers

SOC 320: Social Work Practice II Assignment - Community Project Reflective Essay DUE May 1, 2018 by 12:00 pm Michelle Glaser 4-14-18 This is a reflective paper worth 100 points total. In this essay, I want you to reflect on your experience with the community project with Aspire writing subjectively (from your point of view) including the following: Make connections between themselves, class lectures and the activities participated in with Aspire. Think about what you have learned and how you will use the newly acquired information. Explore how you have changed from this project, developed or grown from the experience. My experience with Aspire has been one of surprises, expectations, scared of residents, and realizations. I have found that I was very surprised about what Aspire does and what I expected. I did not realize that Aspire had so many different house, with diverse types of residents. The demographics of the clientele has shackled me/ I was able to ask a lot of questions about what the staff at Aspire residential center was. I had no idea that the residents at the Aspire center did such beautiful artwork and crafts. The talent amazed me. Some of the residents were very open and almost childlike. I could not help finding an attachment to them. The aspire houses were what I expected. I was not happy to see that. I saw clients at some houses that were left alone for the entire time were we at the home. I also saw people just sitting in chairs or made to take part when it was obvious that they were uncomfortable when it was obvious that the residents were not happy with the added people in th eir home. A few of the houses the staff seemed invested in the clients. There were other homes where we just sat with the residents because no one was around to supervise any interactions with the cliental. I would not be a very happy person if I saw my granddaughter in a situation like that. The new policy that says the State will now tell the homes what to make and what an adequate part is. This to me is wrong. The residents up too now had a choice in their food selections. Now they are told what to make and what to eat. These individuals are paying to live in these homes. Some had no family, some had families that wanted nothing to do with them and some had what I call the "Pity visit" They come to see their loved one when they feel they absolutely must. Like an obligation, like going to the dentist. I would love to see a big brother/sister type program for the disabled or impaired. To have to pay to be in a place like this and be told what you will do. How you will do it, and wh en you will do it. This is not right, as least in my opinion. I get that this is the way that things must be to be able to keep the doors open at these centers. I just think that there needs to be some major policy changes. This type of organizations is defiantly needed, but I feel we are taking advantage of these people and treating them as 2nd class citizens. I could use a lot of the terms and words we learned in the class and I know I am supposed to, but my reflections of this experience I would like to be honest about what I am feeling and I would not use the terms we learned to describe what we saw in the homes. What I have learned is that the residents at the Aspire center are truly wonderful creative people. The crafts that they do are so creative and beautiful. The staff is just wonderful with the clients. We all have a picture in our heads of what these places look like and what happens in them. What I found at the center was a wonderful, warm. Inviting, and creative environment. The residents loved the company and different faces. They were all so helpful and informative. The one thing I was not aware of is how much Aspire