Week 2 Discussion
HUMN 8150 –History and Development of Human Services
Walden University
Human Services agencies play a vital role in connecting community resources to those in need of services. Some of the agencies are more beneficial to the community than others. Some of the larger agencies that are well connected with political figures tend to receive more funding, and directly affect local policy changes. Inadequate, funding prevents most human services agencies from conducting program evaluations that could be used to help strengthen their capacity, increase funding and track success. One small organization located in Tallahassee, Florida defies those odds. The agency is located inside Bond Community Health Center the largest community health center in Tallahassee. The small agency is a pioneer of social change in the field of HIV/AIDS creating the only active Peer Navigator program. The Minority Alliance for Advocating Community Awareness and Action, Inc. (MAACA’s) mission statement is to empower the minority community through the linkage of services, the creation of culturally sensitive programs and through mobilization strategies. According to the history “the Minority Alliance for Advocating Community Awareness and Action, Inc. (MAACA), formerly known as the Minority AIDS Action Committee (MAAC) was established in October 1999, under Shisa, Inc. Shisa, applied for federal funding from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) to help with the increasing number of new African American HIV infections cases in the United States. The CDC cooperative agreement capacity-building grant no. PA00003 Priority 3: Strengthening Community Capacity for HIV Prevention was awarded to Shisa, Inc. Shisa’s task was to build the capacity of African American communities to address the growing need for HIV prevention. States and counties covered under the cooperative agreement included Mobile, Alabama, the
References: 1. Center for Disease Control and Prevention. HIV Diagnoses among injection-drug Users in states with HIV surveillance-25 states, 1994-2000 3. Hansenfeld, Y. (2010). “The Primacy of the Institutional Environments.” Human Services as Complex Organizations, (pp. 14-15). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. 4. Meyers, J. W., M and Rowan (1977). Institutional Organizations: Formal structure As myth and ceremony 5. Scott, W.R. (2008). Institutions and Organizations: Ideas and Interests. (page 15).