Texas Social Service Programs

There are many programs that Texas has created to improve the life of their citizens. The programs in the in the health and human service area are specifically designed for the citizens. Texas has created many financial and social service programs for their citizens. These programs are seen to be useful and efficient. However, some of the programs are not as efficient as perceived. Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) is one of the many financial programs that Texas has. This program specializes in helping families get through hard times. They help families pick themselves back up after a hardship. This program is “a federally-funded program run by states that provides limited cash assistance to extremely low-income parents and
According to Wold (2010) “Texas is charged with investigating abuse, neglect and exploitation of persons age 65 and older or adults over the age of 18 with disabilities and providing services to victims… also abuse, neglect, and exploitation in certain facilities that provide services to individuals with mental illness and/or mental retardation” (p. ii). This program is responsible for protecting adults who are incapable of protecting themselves due to biological issues. Adults that are not physically or mentally able to protect themselves physically or mentally are put under their protection. This is probably due to the fact that they are above the legal age and are legally responsible for themselves. However, if they do not have the ability to do so then the state steps in. One of the problems in this program is an internal issue. The issues that are plaguing this program are the staff that work there. Wold (2010) states that two areas for improving the system in texas are “improving hiring practices… [and] recommendations for ongoing support of current employees” (p. 78). There have been problems of improperly hiring employees. Wold offers one suggestion to fix their problem. She states that the program should start “screening new employees” (Wold, 2010, 78). Screening the new employees would help the program make sure that they are properly recruiting the people that would bring
CPS specializes in the care and protection of children who are underage. CPS “is required by law to investigate reports of child abuse or neglect” (Texas RioGrande Legal Aid, 2013). This is one of the most popular health and human services in Texas. CPS is widely known for their unwaivable desire to go to any measure to protect a child. Even though they are determined to bring justice, there are still some flaws that plague this program. The employees that work for CPS have complained of “staffing shortages, lack of communication between state agencies, and what they are sometimes unrealistic evidentiary thresholds needed to remove kids from dangerous homes” (Hirschfeld, 2014, p.1). Many of these issues are why CPS has a shaky reputation. It is often said that CPS is being too harsh or they are not harsh enough. It is possible that because they do not have enough staff members, their productivity is falling short. This program, like many of the others, are trying to put on their best performance in the conditions that work