Natural disasters, such as hurricanes, floods, and earthquakes, can wreak havoc on communities and often have disproportionate effects on marginalized populations. For example, during Hurricane Katrina, many people in low-income neighborhoods, like the Ninth Ward, were forced to “ride out” the storm because they did not have access to reliable transportation in order to evacuate. Furthermore, residents in this neighborhood and many others either lost their homes and or sustained significant property damage, due to a neglected levee system that failed. After disasters like Hurricane Katrina, human services organizations are integral to helping communities recover by providing basic needs (e.g., food, shelter) to community members and helping them secure much needed government aid. However, there is often a greater need for resources than there are available resources, which is just one of many ethical dilemmas that may arise.
In this Discussion, you will assume the role of a supervisor in a human services organization in your community after a disaster has occurred. You will identify ethical and cultural issues that may arise, consider how you would address those issues, and explore how you would mobilize human services employees to help the community recover.
To Prepare
- Consider how certain populations may be disproportionately affected by natural disasters and how advanced human services practitioners can respond to help these populations.
- Review the Learning Resources on cultural considerations for human services delivery. Think about how to provide culturally sensitive services to diverse populations adversely affected by natural disasters.
- Review the Ethical Standards for Human Services Professionals. Identify ethical issues that may arise in the aftermath of a disaster.
- Find one article from an academically appropriate source that focuses on helping communities in the aftermath of a disaster.
- Post a brief description of a natural disaster that has occurred or could occur in your community and a specific human services organization that would be integral in the aftermath of the disaster. Assume you are a supervisor in the organization. Explain the ethical and cultural issues you would need to address to help the community as a whole respond to the disaster. Then, explain what you would ask employees to do to help the community recover after the disaster and why. Be specific.
Support your post with specific NOHS ethical standards and at least one article from an academically appropriate source that you found in your own search.
