As stated previously, as a result of the growth in some areas of Southern Pennsylvania, there are real and important differences between rural and urban communities due to a difference in their geographic cultures. As an advanced generalist practice social worker, it is important to stress that social workers in rural communities frequently work with individuals hosting a variety of problems. These problems include, but are not limited to, lack of public transportation, limited resources, and lower socioeconomic status.
Lack of public transportation is one of the most prominent problems along with limited resources. It is important to note that some rural areas may or may not have availability of public transportation; however, vulnerable individuals may or may not have access to it or may or may not have the funds to pay for it. For example, in Fayette County, there is availability of public transportation. This form of public transportation runs on its own schedule and is not always accessible to an individual’s needs. Specifically, as an example per the bus schedule, one individual has to walk a mile at 7:00am to the local bus stop and may not arrive home until 5:00pm for a doctor’s appointment that lasted 45 minutes due to the buses schedule. This is not validation for an individual in a rural community. For those individuals do to have access …show more content…
It is also important for social workers to develop and implement their specific skill sets to address the problems that are unique to both communities, especially in small-town environments in order to empower and advocate for vulnerable individuals. After all, our primary goals as social workers is to address social problems and enhance an individual’s well-being whereas advanced generalist practice aims to assist individuals in doing so (NASW,
Lack of public transportation is one of the most prominent problems along with limited resources. It is important to note that some rural areas may or may not have availability of public transportation; however, vulnerable individuals may or may not have access to it or may or may not have the funds to pay for it. For example, in Fayette County, there is availability of public transportation. This form of public transportation runs on its own schedule and is not always accessible to an individual’s needs. Specifically, as an example per the bus schedule, one individual has to walk a mile at 7:00am to the local bus stop and may not arrive home until 5:00pm for a doctor’s appointment that lasted 45 minutes due to the buses schedule. This is not validation for an individual in a rural community. For those individuals do to have access …show more content…
It is also important for social workers to develop and implement their specific skill sets to address the problems that are unique to both communities, especially in small-town environments in order to empower and advocate for vulnerable individuals. After all, our primary goals as social workers is to address social problems and enhance an individual’s well-being whereas advanced generalist practice aims to assist individuals in doing so (NASW,