HSM Personal Leadership Plan Essay

Trinity Services, Inc. is where I am currently employed, as an independent living counselor (ILC), in an adult learning program. Trinity Services, Inc. is an established, community based, not for profit, non-sectarian human services organization that provides an array of quality services and supports for people who have developmental disabilities. The mission statement of Trinity Services, Inc. s, â€Å"Trinity strives to be a leader in providing the highest quality, socially responsible and cost effective services and supports to persons with disabilities, so that they might achieve their full potential and have the opportunity to live full and abundant lives. † As an ILC in an adult learning program, I work on teaching and training of life skills. I also provide individualized assistance and coaching with personal care, activities of daily living, transportation, and other areas of need. At Trinity Services, Inc. the preferred and minimum qualifications to gain employment as an ILC are a high school diploma or GED. I truly enjoy my job and find it to be extremely rewarding but I would really love to have the ability to help the clients even more by obtaining a leadership position at Trinity Services, Inc. such as a program coordinator or case manager; two job positions that require a Bachelor’s degree that relates to the human services management field. It is my current job and the people I serve that have inspired me to go back to school and get my degree. Obtaining a leadership position in a human services organization means that I will have the ability to be a better advocate for the clients I assist but along with that comes more responsibility which is why ethics, morals, and, values are so important in the field of human services. As a leader in a human services organization the moral responsibilities I would have include â€Å"upholding the law, fulfilling the legitimate duties of my position, observing relevant codes of ethics and otherwise abiding by generally held moral principles such as honesty and not knowingly doing harm† (Teehankee, 2007, para. 3). Leaders of human services organizations operate in a variety of ways and perform many different roles. For example, these leaders have responsibilities to the clients, community and society, colleagues, and also to their profession and employers (â€Å"National Organization for Human Services†, n. ). The National Organization for Human Services (n. d) website has two sections pertaining to ethical standards for human service professionals. The first section covers standards for human service professionals while the second section covers standards for human service educators. These ethical guidelines were designed so that human service leaders and educators could use it to assist them in making ethical decisions when faced with difficult ethical dilemmas. Practicing ethical leadership is important because it sets a good example for the organization and the community, builds trust, brings credibility and respect to the leader as well as the organization, leads to collaboration, and creates a good climate within the organization (Rabinowitz, 2013). My moral vision as a leader in a human services organization is to carry out Trinity Services, Inc. mission statement, and utilize the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) (2013) code of ethics and the National Organization of Human Services (NOHS) (n. ) ethical standards for human service professionals to the best of my abilities in order to guide me as an ethical human service leader. Although I don’t believe it will always be possible to specifically use these as guidelines since every situation is different and poses different challenges, however I do believe that as long as I have a good understanding of ethics and what ethical leadership means then I will be able to make the most ethical decisions no matter what obstacles I encounter. For me, it would be a dream come true to see each and every person who has developmental disabilities live in a safe environment where they are respected, treated fairly and are free from abuse and neglect. They are human beings who have rights and should be able to make choices, have friends, and participate in the community without experiencing discrimination of any kind. I hope to make my dream become a reality for people who have developmental disabilities and I believe as a leader in a human services organization I will have the tools to make that happen. There are many different ways that leadership can affect the overall performance of a human services organization and I believe it is important to be an ethical leader to improve performance. Placing the well-being of clients above all other issues is a significant moral responsibility of an ethical leader.