Accessing Human Services Programs: Areas of Improvement with Awareness and Communication

Authors

Risha Berry, Virginia Commonwealth UniversityFollow
Kaprea F. Johnson, Virginia Commonwealth UniversityFollow

Abstract

Lack of accessibility to human services programs is a major barrier to service provision. Archival focus group data from 21 non-profit and public human services agency representatives examined consistency and discrepancies among reported services and services that were identifiable on the internet. This study is important because the internet is often the first step a consumer takes toward seeking help, if the information is not accessible online, this is a barrier to service. Our results found grave discrepancies between available information on websites and reported services during the focus group. Additionally, we found that most websites were not accessible to low readers or persons who spoke a language other than English. Lastly, we found that many of the services were not accessible to people currently “in crisis” rather the services were geared toward people who were “at risk” or “safe”. Implications for administrators and policy conclude.

Recommended Citation

Berry, Risha and Johnson, Kaprea F. (2020) "Accessing Human Services Programs: Areas of Improvement with Awareness and Communication," Journal of Human Services: Training, Research, and Practice: Vol. 7: Iss. 1, Article 1.
Available at: https://scholarworks.sfasu.edu/jhstrp/vol7/iss1/1