Specific Area of Human Services

Explain the specific area of human services in which you are interested in working (e.g., family
services, corrections, child welfare, teaching). It can be a broad area if you’re unsure or a more
specific role/job title if you know. This section can just be a sentence or two.
Identification of Specific Issue
Identify a specific issue within your area of interest that is a problem. This can be a policy issue, a
practical issue, or something else that stands out to you about the field. Use the literature to
support your argument. You should include citations to at least 3 sources that include statistics
and/or information about the problem. The literature should be used to provide evidence of the
problem and contextual information. Be sure to cite in APA format. For example, in child
welfare, you might discuss the lack of adoptive homes and the fact that children sometimes age
out of the system without being adopted, resulting in a lack of permanence. You could provide
statistics on the numbers of children in foster care, an article on the lack of adoptive homes, and
information specific to this problem in Illinois.
Ways to be an Advocate
Identify at least two ways you could be an advocate for your selected population in relation to the
problem you identified in the previous section. Discuss & provide examples of what your
advocacy might look like. Don’t just say speak out or be an advocate – be specific