Introduction
A community is a group of people who live in one place and also share characteristics. A group of people who form community may either be living in the same neighborhood, city or even town. Members of the community may have a common interest, come from the same race or even share the religion. The fact that people have common interests makes them appreciate one another as members of the same community (Garcés and Martin, 2009). Since the community is made up of people who have a common interest and come from the same geographical region, it is important for the government to make sure that the needs of the community are addressed in order to have improved welfare (Wood and Judikis, 2002). The community assessment paper will focus on the role of the government in the provision of health services among other social services. The paper focuses on the provision of social services to the Pasadena community. Pasadena is a county in Los Angeles, California, United States. By 2010, the Pasadena community had a population of about one hundred and forty thousand people.
The most common social service used by this community is the health service.
1. Cal Works
Cal Works is welfare program that provides cash and support services to needy families within California.
- Eligibility requirements
- A person must resident of one of the fifty eight counties from California.
- The person must have a child or be pregnant, and one of the parents is absent, disabled or deceased. If both parents are at home, the person would only be eligible of the parents are unemployed or the principle wage earner works for less than one hundred hours per month
- The person must be US citizen or a lawful immigrant
- Must have a social security number or must have applied for one
- Must provide proof that the children attend school regularly
- Must provide that children below age six have been adequately immunized
- The person’s net monthly income must be less than the maximum aid payable for that particular family size
2) Benefits
- People who qualify for this social service obtain financial aid to enable them take care of necessities like housing, food, medical services among other utilities (Austin and Feit, 2013)
3) Application process
- The persons who believe that they are needy can apply via for the online portal or visit the Cal Works offices at the Department of Public Social services.
4) Location
- The Cal Works social services are offered at the Department of Public Social services, Los Angeles, Pasadena.
2. WIC
This program provides grants to the state which are then used to provide supplementary nutrition and nutrition education to pregnant and breastfeeding women who are from the low income bracket (Oliveira, 2008). The funds are used to provide supplemental nutrition to infant and children up to age five who are at a nutrition risk.
1) Eligibility Requirements
Eligibility requirements are as follows:
- Categorically, pregnant women are eligible, during pregnancy and up to six months after the pregnancy; postpartum women for a maximum of six weeks after birth and breastfeeding women until the infant’s first birthday.
- Infants are eligible up to their first birthday while children are eligible up to the child’s fifth birthday.
- As for the residential requirements, applicants must live in the state in which they apply (Richardson et al. 2004).
- The income requirement states that residents are only eligible if their income is below the income level set by the state agency.
- Applicants must also be assessed by a health professional to ascertain that they are at a nutrition risk.
2) Benefits
- This program provides grants to the state which are then used to provide supplementary nutrition and nutrition education to pregnant and breastfeeding women who are from the low income bracket (Oliveira, 2008).
3) Application process
- Making an appointment with WIC officials by calling this number: Call us at (626) 744-6520
- Submitting necessary documents like proof of income: pay checks and proof of address: such utility bills. Proof identity is also necessary.
- Once the documents are assessed, the person would then be found eligible
- Alternatively, a person can apply by via this link: http://www.sonoma-county.org/health/wic/en/applications/elig1.asp
- The link chosen however depends on county in which the applicant resides
4) Location
- The WIC offices are located at Villa Parke Community Center 363 East Villa Street, Suite 115 Pasadena, CA 91101
3. Food Stamps
1) Eligibility
- People eligible for food stamps must fall within the income bracket set by the agency. It is important to note that the eligible criterion varies from one county to another (Richardsonet al 2004).
- Theincome bracket of the applicant must fall within or below the level set by the agency (Robertson and Slomba, 2003).
2) Benefits
- Qualified people for this social service obtain financial assistance to purchase food
3) Application process
- The application processes involves the filling of an application form and its subsequent submission in order to wait for the response after evaluation. It is benefits poor people by enabling them to access food.
4) Location
- This service can be found at LA Department of Human Services, CA
4. Medi- Cal
1) Eligibility
- People are eligible for this service if they fall within the income bracket that has been set by the agency (Urbatsch, 2011)
- People are eligible for this program include children who are under twenty-one years of age; persons who are over sixty five years of age
- people who are disabled and those who are blind;
- Women who are pregnant; women who have been screened for breast and cervical cancer and families with one child who is under 21 years of age with one parent who is disabled.
2) Benefits
- This program is beneficial to the senior members of the society as well as low income families. It enables them to gain access to medical services without regardless of the financial state.
3) Application
- The first step in applying for this program is to evaluate one’s eligibility. The application form is then filled either online or in hard copy. The eligibility worker will then assess whether the applicant qualifies or not (Richardsonet al 2004).
4) Location
- The Medi-Cal offices are found in the Department of social services Pasadena – 03 955 Street N. Lake Ave. Pasadena, CA 91104
4. General Relief
1) Eligibility
- Eligibility varies with each of the fifty-eight counties in California (Oliveira, 2008).
- Eligible persons must be from lower income brackets.
2) Benefits
- Medi-Cal provides relief and support to adults who cannot support themselves and have not been supported by any other assistance program. The county’s board of supervisors establishes and funds the county’s General Relief program.
3) Application process
- The application process involves the filling of forms that are then evaluated by the eligibility worker to identify the people who qualify. It is beneficial to people who are need of financial support.
4) Location
- The General Relief offices are found in the Department of social services Pasadena – 03 955 Street N. Lake Ave. Pasadena, CA 91104
What are barriers to individuals needing service?
Barriers to individuals needing service include the people’s ignorance of the existence of community service providers. Ignorance prevents them from accessing the support due to their lack of knowledge concerning the presence of such service providers.
Voluntary Social Services
The voluntary services are advertised and readily available to the communities. People in need of such services can simply visit the places where they are offered in order to be served. It is also important to note that the voluntary services are readily available to the members of the society. Consequently, any person who is in need of such services can access them without any problem.
One of the major barriers to individuals obtaining is ignorance on their part. Most people may not know that there are service providers whose in the society is to help sort out their problems. This, therefore, makes it difficult for the people to access the service although they may be advertised. Before the eligibility of a person has been ascertained, it is important for them to provide necessary documents aimed at enabling the eligibility workers to evaluate the qualification of the applicants for the relief aid.
Private community agencies provide food and shelter to people who do not the financial capacity to support themselves. Food is distributed to the people tom enable them to access basic needs within the society. It is, therefore, necessary for the people who are needy to make sure that they have applied for such services. People must ensure that they have necessary documents like proof of identification, proof address before applying for such relief programs. Examples of nonprofit organizations that provide support for the poor in Pasadena community are outlined below:
- Pasadena Ronald McDonalds House
It provides a community supported home for families who come into Pasadena in search of medication for their critically ill children. Some of the medical cases that are supported by Pasadena Ronald McDonalds House include cancer, premature births among other critical illnesses. The house also provides food, supportive care for patients and special in-house activities provided by volunteer groups. The house advertises its service to the public, and the services are readily available.
- Pasadena Senior Center
This agency provides recreational, fitness and education facilities for senior members of the society. The people who are targeted are aged fifty years and above. The agency also provides client services for the low income senior members of the society. It provides an opportunity for senior members of the society to gather and meet their friends over a cup of coffee, attend educational lectures and also participate in wellness programs (Pasadena Senior Center, 2014). This agency advertises its services that are readily available to the eligible members of the society.
- Jewish Family Service of Los Angeles
This agency seeks to provide essential services to member of the community who are disadvantaged or those from low income bracket. People who get support from the agency are from different age groups and so no one can be locked out of this service due to his or her age group. Some of the services offered JFS include counseling families, providing shelter to the homeless, feeding the hungry and protecting people who are vulnerable. It does advertise its services that are readily available to any member of the society as long as they are eligible.
- Friendship Baptist Church, Pasadena, CA
This church organization also offers social services to the Pasadena community. The church provides services like food for the hungry and shelter for the homeless. The provision of this service is aimed at improving the welfare of the community by providing support for the people who are unable to support themselves due to financial constraints or physical impairment. The provision of social services plays a very important role in ensuring that all members of the society have accessed the necessary services regardless of their financial situation.
Elderly
There are a number of resource centers in Pasadena community to take care of the needs of the senior members of the society. These resource centers provide food, shelter and recreational facilities for the senior members of the society. Food and shelter are services that are offered to the elderly who may not have the financial capacity to take care of their personal needs. It is also important to note that the facilities provide recreational as well as fitness programs for the elderly thus making that they remain healthy throughout their stay. Some elderly members of the society may not have the necessary funds to be able to access such services from elsewhere hence the need for social service centers. Examples of resource centers for elderly people within Pasadena community include:
- Pasadena Senior Center
Pasadena Senior Center is a social service center which provides recreational, fitness and education facilities for senior members of the society. The agency targets senior members of the society who age is above fifty. These are people who may be frail and, therefore, not able to take care of their physical welfare. It is, therefore, crucial for the social services to be provided for such people within the society. The agency also provides client services for the low income senior members of the society. It provides an opportunity for senior members of the society to gather and meet their friends over a cup of coffee, attend educational lectures and also participate in wellness programs. It is important to note that the agency makes it possible for elderly people in Pasadena community to access wellness services regardless of their low financial status. This agency advertises its services that are readily available to the eligible members of the society.
- Jewish Family Service of Los Angeles
This agency seeks to provide essential services to member of the community who are disadvantaged or those from low income bracket (Dorff, 2006). People who get support from the agency are from different age groups and so no one can be locked out of this service due to his or her age group (Jewish Family Service of Los Angeles, 2014). The agency, therefore, benefits all people whose income cannot allow them to enjoy similar services elsewhere. The agency benefits all the people irrespective of their racial, ethnic or religious background. Some of the services offered JFS include counseling families, providing shelter to the homeless, feeding the hungry and protecting people who are vulnerable. It does advertise its services that are readily available to any member of the society as long as they are eligible. JFS provides social services for people of different ages (Leneman, 2001). Among the beneficiaries of the services offered by this resource center include the senior members of the society. The resource center provides food and shelter for the elderly who many not are able to afford such essential services. It also provides recreational facilities and wellness programs for the elderly. The provision of recreational facilities makes sure that all members of the society are accessing the basic services regardless of their financial position within the society.
- Jackie Robinson Center
This resource center provides a variety of services to the elderly within the Pasadena community. These services include health screening, recreational facilities as well as senior day’s camp. All these services are aimed at ensuring that senior members of the society have adequate facilities to engage into activities that would prove beneficial to their health. The objective of this resource center is to make sure that senior members of the society have all the necessary needs taken care (Jackie Robinson Center, 2014). Although some fee is charged for this service, it is important to note that as far as elderly members of the society are concerned, the fee charged is not as a high such. Senior members of the society can, therefore, access the needed resources irrespective of their financial position. In fact people from the lower income bracket are the target for such services.
Women and Children
There are a number of day care centers for children in Pasadena. They provide facilities useful in taking care of children. The provision of day care services helps especially in making sure that welfare of women and children is taken care of within the society. The following are examples of day cages within Pasadena:
- Linda Vista Children’s Canters
This child care center was established in 1955. It is non-profit organization aimed at serving the Pasadena community Linda Vista Children Center (2014). It is also non-sectarian, and it is aimed at serving infants all the way to pre-kindergarten children. It offers the following services:
- Providing developmental programs
- Enables children to develop socially intellectually, physically and emotionally
- It serves all families regardless of the racial, national, ethnic or religious background
- It accepts children between the age of six weeks and five years
- It operates on part-time and full-time basis
- It does not have shelter for battered women because its focus is on children
- The charges for child care service are affordable to the people within the community because the objective of this organization is not to maximize profit but rather to improve the welfare of the society.
- Bayshore Medical Center
Bayshore Medical Center is a center whose aim is to provide support for women in different stages of their lives. Women face a number of challenges including conflicts within their husbands and pregnancy related complications (Bayshore Medical Center, 2014). They may, therefore, need financial, material as well as emotional support in order to overcome such challenges. Bayshore Medical Center provides medical support for pregnant women to enable them to have a safe delivery. The services offered by this organization include:
- Prenatal nutrition counseling
- Ultrasound evaluation
- Breastfeeding assistance
- Postpartum care
- Labor coaching and delivery support
- Gynecological care before and after pregnancy
- Medicaid registration assistance
- Free pregnancy testing
- The Children's Health Insurance Outreach Program
This program helps in enrolling pregnant women and their families in health insurance programs. An example of an insurance product offered under the Children's Health Insurance Outreach Program is Medi-Cal. It covers children who age ranges from 0 to 21 years (The City of Pasadena, 2014). The children must be legal US citizens who do not qualify for any other health insurance option. It also covers pregnant mothers who may receive pregnancy services and post-partum related services. Eligibility for this insurance cover is based on the income of the applicant as well as the size of the family. The applicants must fall within a set income class.
Mentally Ill
- Pacific Clinics
This organization offers food and shelter for the homeless and mentally ill persons. It is a street out-reach program aimed at providing home for people with mental disorders that are homeless (Pacific Clinics, 2014). It also provides medical services to bring about cure for their mental illnesses where possible. This program also reaches out to people who had been addicted to drugs with the main objective of restoring their mental health and getting them out of the drug addiction. People who are homeless can, therefore, find help from Pacific Clinics. Pacific Clinics provides social services to people who have been rendered homeless as a result of financial constraints among other reasons. People who have become drug addicts can also find help in Pacific Clinic.
Analysisand Problem Identification
There are a number of health problems within Pasadena community. Some of the health problems in this community include cervical cancer, mental illness, heart diseases and hypertension Pasadena Healthy Times (2014). The people’s normal line of defense refers to their level of wellness. It can, however, change over time depending on the prevailing circumstances. The flexible line of defense is the outside boundary protecting the structure. A person’s health is, therefore, dependent on the nature of his or her flexible line of defense.
Community Nursing Diagnosis
According to the Pasadena health times (2013) some of the health issues identified within this community include obesity-related problems, teen pregnancy, mental health and the abuse of drugs. These problems can be handled through the use of the most effective community nursing strategies.
Conclusion
Various social services are offered by a variety of agencies within the Pasadena community. These agencies include the Cal Works, Food Stamps, General Relief and the Medi-Cal. Needy people have been able to obtain financial support in order to meet needs their necessary needs like food housing and medication. In the community nursing diagnosis, some of the health issues identified within the Pasadena community include obesity-related problems, teen pregnancy, mental health and the abuse of drugs. These can be dealt with by use of the most appropriate community nursing strategies.
References
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