Informal Agency Scenarios

The Informal Agency Structure

The Lauderdale County S.P.A.N. program consist of a team of professionals. An interdisciplinary team whose primary goal is to deter youth from a life of crime, who has been adjudicated as delinquent. Informally the agency acts as a family, whose soul desire is to see their family members succeed. The team leader and other members of the team will occasionally call the student’s their sons and daughters. The team leader acts as a strain yet affectionate father who gives correction to bad behavior, yet always focuses on positive behavior. Like a traditional father figure the rest of the team follows the led and guidance of the team leader. When the students misbehave the team leader is often the last person the

Being close to the kid’s age, they look up to me like a big brother. To the youth, I can be more reliable than the older staff members, so the students will often share some information that they may not be inclined to share with the staff members. I then relate that information to the team during debriefing; furthermore, I led group sometimes. During this time, I develop a lesson plan that focuses on coping skills, good behavior, smart choices, and much more.

The S.P.A.N. program is directly associated to the Juvenile Court as their clients are referred to the program by the judge. Therapist and Prevention Specialists come from Riverbend Mental Health Center to speak with the students about their anger, behavior, attitudes, and deterrence from drugs, bad choices, and crime. Workers from the Healing Place, come to speak to the students about grief, lose, and acceptance. Different professionals come to talk to the students about career choices, and sometimes give them opportunities to occur some experience working at local fast food places, restaurants, and stores. One of the reasons why the local S.P.A.N. program is so successful is because of the partnerships they have developed in the

One event I had the privilege to help with has been a 70’s Social. For this community event, I assisted my supervisor in planning and creating the program for the event. I made decorations for the event alongside the clients. I even worked alongside the event’s hostess/decorator, in sitting up and finding decorations for the event. The agency’s advisory board labeled the event as a success. They even made a profit from the event, and decided to make it an annual event. Another community event I helped set up at was the Burrell Slaters Alumni Banquet, in which I worked alongside the clients at too. I was also privileged to join the team on home visits, juvenile court visits, DHR QA meetings, and monthly evaluations. Assigned assignments included working on a scrapbook, filing papers, office work, leading group sessions, walking clients to and from class, and everyday interaction with clients. All of these activities were based on pre-established goals, which I and my supervisor established. The goals were a combination of client, student, and agency centered goals. I feel that all my goals were reached. Although, while doing the wide range activities, I didn’t think about checking off the completion of each one. I just did what I was instructed to do, and I received satisfaction from the belief that I was helping, not be completing a