Midterm paper for a social work major class. Term Paper

Racial Oppression at the CCNY
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Social organizations play key roles in the community. They primarily step in to assist the most vulnerable in society who have experienced oppression in various forms including discrimination, marginalization and violence. Over the years, social service organizations have helped and rescued many children who being abused by their care-givers and placed them in homes that guarantee them a better upbringing. They have also stepped in to arrest and resolve cases of domestic violence that would have otherwise escalated and resulted to detrimental consequences. Majority of social service organizations are nonprofit and as such, depend on funding from donors and well-wishers and which at times can prove to be a daunting task to collect. Despite the benefits that social service organizations provide in society, they are also plagued by a myriad of challenges. The employees/ social workers of these organizations who continuously and regularly attend to various cases of hostility and violence are left exposed to these traumatic experiences and often suffer from mental breakdown among other issues. Furthermore, there are reports that social workers are subjected to discriminating organization policies and practices. Particularly, employees from minority groups such as African Americans are discriminated and oppressed because of their race and ethnicity and consequently, denied opportunities to voice their opinions and sentiments and also to sit in leadership and supervisory roles. Discrimination in social service organizations is also witnessed in terms of gender, age, sexuality and income. To have a clear understanding of these atrocities happening in social service organizations and provide conclusive solutions, it is prudent to obtain first-hand account from one such establishment in the US in the Child Center of N.Y.
Summary of the Findings of the Interview at the Child Center of N.Y
The US has an abundance of social service organizations that address different forms of oppression in society including the Child Center of N.Y. The interview that was conducted by Dr. Lee who is a therapist and data analyst at the Center revealed the following findings. The organization was established in 1953 and since then has been instrumental in strengthening families and building the American community in general. It is estimated that the organization assists about 35000 children and their families annually by providing them with not only skills and opportunities but also emotional support that is crucial in building healthy and successful lives (The Child Center of NY, 2020). The agency has made it its mission to assist children from birth to adulthood in five distinct areas: early childhood education, behavioral health, health homes and integrated care, prevention and family support, and youth development. The center runs over 80 programs in Queens, Manhattan and Brooklyn. Some of the issues that the organization strives to address include mental health, substance abuse, prevention (child abuse protection), home visits, youth delinquency and truancy issues. Due to the uniqueness of programs heavily located in Queens, the agency serves a lot of immigrant population. Central office is located in Forest Hill. Other programs are located heavily in Queens such as Woodside, flushing, long island city, Astoria, Elmhurst, South Ozone Park, Jamaica, South Jamaica, college point, Far rockaway, East New York. To achieve its mission and objectives, the Center has employed a holistic approach. For instance, to assist a child who is exhibiting challenges in school, the organization makes effort to understand all aspect’s about the child’s life including family, school environment and their place in the community. It also collaborates with leaders and other organizations in the region and in so doing, ensures that all children get adequate support (The Child Center of NY, 2020). Additionally, through its data-driven approach, the organization continuously measures and tracks its progress.
The executive leadership of the Child Center of N.Y comprises of experienced professionals from diverse backgrounds. These individuals are also passionate about helping children and families particularly from disadvantaged communities succeed. The leadership structure of the organization is an almost equal mix of men and women with Traci Donnelly currently serving as the Chief Executive Officer. A similar mix of men and women also characterizes the organization’s board of directors. Richard Jay who is the sitting president of the board has risen through the ranks since he joined the organization in 1998. Overall, the organization has over 1000 licensed therapists and social workers who are keen on helping the adversely-affected in society reach their full potential (The Child Center of NY, 2020). The organization also has a fair mix of young and old people which is an essential component for any company that is keen on success. While the old employees provide wisdom and guidance, the younger staff members ensure continuity of the organization within its culture. However, the composition of both the executive leadership and the board of directors showcase minimal representation of members from minority groups. Majority of the members who run the core duties of the center are predominantly white. Nonetheless, Dr. Lee shared that the organization addressed issues pertaining to race and oppression within the organization and other stakeholders in different ways. It conducts regular cultural competency, sexual harassment trainings at the central office. Furthermore, about 80% of staff members are coming from multi-cultural background with multiple language ability to serve immigrant populations.
Additionally, the interview also revealed that the organization receives a significant portion of its funding through donation. It shares different programs on its website using videos and emotional photos stories to encourage well-wishers to make a difference in the lives of children and their families. Over the years, the monthly giving program has proven to be one of the best supporting mechanisms. It not only provides a reliable revenue stream for the organization but also allows the donors to spread their “gift” over time (The Child Center of NY, 2020). The organization in partnership with Crowdrise and Razoo has created a web portal that allows individuals to raise money to support the different programs through their own campaigns.
The interview with Dr. Lee also highlighted the culture of the organization and how it is reinforced. Through its data-driven approach, the center ensures that all information is captured electronically and communicated with program directors weekly. Consequently, the directors cascade the information to supervisors who sit in local offices in and around the expansive N.Y area. The supervisors then also share and delegate the tasks to their staff members. The organization encourages regular staff meetings where suggestions and proposals are received on ways some of the issues and concerns could be tackled.
How might the location and/or inclusion-exclusion criteria be expanded upon to provide additional support to individuals and communities?
Based on the extensive and detailed findings revealed from the interview with Dr. Lee on the Child Center of N.Y, both positive and negative facts became apparent. While the organization has been instrumental in helping children and families from poor backgrounds and minority groups such as immigrants overcome their challenges and lead successful lives, the domination of leadership and board positions by white Natives paints it in bad light. Despite the US being labelled as the land of the free because of its liberal constitutions that guarantees various rights and freedoms to its citizens, racial discrimination is quite rampant. Members of minority groups including African Americans are continuously discriminated and victimized because of their race in almost all aspects of life. They are denied equal opportunities and access to essential services such as education and health care. They are also subjected to take up low-paying jobs and consequently live in deplorable conditions (M. Nkomo & Al Ariss, 2014). These forms of discrimination are replicated in many organizations in the region including those that provide social services such as the Child Center of N.Y.
White privilege has been identified as a major concern that is impeding the objectives of organizations such as the Child Center of N.Y. Historically; whites in America have considered themselves as being superior to all other races. They have the belief that they are not only stronger but also vastly knowledgeable on various is...