Exam 9: Current Controversies and Issues

Many educators believe that graduates of recognized undergraduate human services programs should be considered professionals.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, one out of five of our population will be age 65 or older in the 2030s.

Traditional professional human services workers do not object to being supervised by a professional from another discipline.

Among older adults, sexual intimacy poses many risks and should always be discouraged.

Conservatives and liberals generally agree that the country cannot afford to help everyone. There is little agreement, however, on how much we can afford and who should be helped and by what means. Describe what you think would happen to those in need who would not be helped and what it might mean to the future of our country.

Whom do human services workers serve?

Identify what you believe to be a current controversy in the field of human services (one that is not discussed in Chapter 9). Describe its effect on the consumer of human services programs and how you might resolve the controversy.

When government, be it liberal or conservative, reduces funding for social programs, the middle classes generally suffer the most.

Many health care professionals have been slow to respond to the needs for sexual expression in later life individuals because:

Activists can expect strong support from the community when proposing radical changes.

Discuss whether or not you would change the present criteria that establish the differences between generalist and traditional professional human services workers regarding salaries, status, and advancement. Give the reasons for your decision. If you would make changes, what would they be?

Human services workers are frequently faced with making choices between personal and professional values when working with clients.

Many human services workers believe that only human services workers who have earned a graduate degree in traditional human services programs should be considered professionals.

Generalist human services workers must have earned bachelor's degrees.

Generalist human services workers have been known to outperform traditional professional workers in providing some services.

All professional human services workers are eligible to receive third party payments.

In regard to target populations discussed in an earlier chapter, if you were required to cut benefits or programs because of financial limitations, whose benefits would you reduce?