HSL 4850 Human Services Programs: Community, Culture and Intersectionality Final Professional Development Plan Part III The goal of the Professional Development Plan is to 1) analyze aspects of professional ethical conduct, 2) articulate a specific area & areas of activism, and 3) Develop a professional plan for your career in this area. Part III will allow you to focus specifically on your area of interest and explore agencies in your geographic area. You have a choice here. You can either: ➢ Analyze human services available in your geographic location (i.e., town/city) OR ➢ Analyze human services available in your geographic region (i.e., Central Illinois) that address a particular problem or issue of your choice (e.g., food insecurity, families, child welfare) *Clearly identify which option you are selecting at the beginning of this assignment. Develop a resource list of at least 15 programs that meet your criteria (either in your geographic area OR address a specific topic and are within a geographic region). For each agency, write a brief summary that includes name, population served/services offered, website or contact information, & a 1-3 sentence description of each (could be taken from their website). After you have completed the resource list, select one agency at which you might like to work and discuss it in more detail. For example, you could discuss the history of the organization, the clientele, the size of the organization and number of employees, or what a human services employee might do at the agency. This should be about a page and include discussion of at least 2-3 different areas (those listed or other areas of your choice). Lastly, describe your dream job in 10 sentences or less. Talk about what it is, why it’s your dream job, and how your education at EIU is preparing you for this role. Grading Rubric Assignment requirements (5 points) The assignment is no more than 3 pages of content, double-spaced, uses 12 point Times New Roman font throughout, has 1” margins, each section is clearly labeled with an appropriate heading. No points will be earned if these criteria are not present. Clearly identified the focus of the assignment (2 points) The student clearly stated which option they are completing (all human services in their town or human services focused on a particular topic in their region). Resource List of 15 Agencies (30 points) At least 15 agencies are identified and described in this section including name, population served/services offered, website or contact information, & a 1-3 sentence description of each. Selected Agency (8 points) This section is included and clearly discusses one agency at which the student might like to work. Additional information is provided on the agency (above and beyond what is provided in the list of agencies). This section is about one page and disc ...

1. HSL 4850 Human Services Programs: Community, Culture and
Intersectionality
Final Professional Development Plan Part III
The goal of the Professional Development Plan is to 1) analyze
aspects of professional ethical
conduct, 2) articulate a specific area & areas of activism, and 3)
Develop a professional plan for
your career in this area. Part III will allow you to focus
specifically on your area of interest and
explore agencies in your geographic area.
You have a choice here. You can either:
➢ Analyze human services available in your geographic location
(i.e., town/city)
OR
➢ Analyze human services available in your geographic region
(i.e., Central Illinois)
that address a particular problem or issue of your choice (e.g.,
food insecurity,
families, child welfare)

2. *Clearly identify which option you are selecting at the
beginning of this assignment.
Develop a resource list of at least 15 programs that meet your
criteria (either in your
geographic area OR address a specific topic and are within a
geographic region). For each
agency, write a brief summary that includes name, population
served/services offered, website or
contact information, & a 1-3 sentence description of each (could
be taken from their website).
After you have completed the resource list, select one agency at
which you might like to work
and discuss it in more detail. For example, you could discuss
the history of the organization, the
clientele, the size of the organization and number of employees,
or what a human services
employee might do at the agency. This should be about a page
and include discussion of at least
2-3 different areas (those listed or other areas of your choice).
Lastly, describe your dream job in 10 sentences or less. Talk
about what it is, why it’s your
dream job, and how your education at EIU is preparing you for

3. this role.
Grading Rubric
Assignment requirements (5 points)
The assignment is no more than 3 pages of content, double-
spaced, uses 12 point Times New
Roman font throughout, has 1” margins, each section is clearly
labeled with an appropriate
heading. No points will be earned if these criteria are not
present.
Clearly identified the focus of the assignment (2 points)
The student clearly stated which option they are completing (all
human services in their town or
human services focused on a particular topic in their region).
Resource List of 15 Agencies (30 points)
At least 15 agencies are identified and described in this section
including name, population
served/services offered, website or contact information, & a 1-3
sentence description of each.

4. Selected Agency (8 points)
This section is included and clearly discusses one agency at
which the student might like to
work. Additional information is provided on the agency (above
and beyond what is provided in
the list of agencies). This section is about one page and
discusses 2-3 different aspects of the
agency (history, clientele, size, employees).
Dream Job (5 points)
This section is included and clearly identifies the area of human
service practice in which the
students is most interested in working. The student’s dream job
is explained and how their EIU
education is preparing them for this role.
LEADERSHIP DEFINED:
Guided Response: Respond to at least two of your classmates'
posts. Have they thoroughly defined leadership? Have they
included all of the important elements relevant to the practice of
leadership today? Do you agree or disagree with their personal

5. definition of leadership?
JANA’S POST:
Good evening,
Present a personal definition of leadership and explain why your
definition is appropriate and relevant to the practice of
leadership today.
Leadership is an active role that includes embracing change,
encouraging others to participate in said changes, and
influencing those affected by changes enforcing acceptance and
adoption of change initiatives. A little wordy, but leadership is
a difficult role that encompasses many different roles. The most
important competencies in today’s world for a leader to possess
are change management and team building skills (SHRM, 2008).
Change is a constant force that needs to be addressed and with
technological advancements occurring almost hourly it is
important to assess and manage how these changes affect
individuals, the organization and the market. A successful
leader makes hard decisions. A successful leader communicates
how new ideas and innovations are relevant as well as being
open to listening to obstacles and challenges that subordinates
face in the implementation of new ideas or initiatives. There are
numerous leadership theories but I feel service leadership is the
most prevalent and all-encompassing of what a leader truly. A
leader leads others to achieving their fullest potential.
Provide an example of a current leader who embodies this
definition. Explain how this individual is a relevant example of
your personal definition of leadership.
Reed Hastings CEO of Netflix is a great example of an
individual that displays and embodies service leadership.
Netflix is a highly successful company that has answered many
consumers wants and needs and revolutionized the way the
world watches movies and shows. Even the misstep taken when
Reed increased rental prices in 2011 marks a vital point that
mistakes do not have end in complete disaster as long as the
lesson is learned. Hastings is also a philanthropist. He served as
the president of the California State Board of Education for four

6. years. Hastings is an impactful leader that has made a notable
difference.
God bless and have a great night.
-Jana H.
Hibler, J. (2021, October 4). Reed Hastings. Encyclopedia
Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Reed-
Hastings
SHRM. (2008). Leadership competencies.
https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/behavioral-
competencies/leadership-and-
navigation/pages/leadershipcompetencies.aspx
BLAINE’S POST:
Present a personal definition of leadership and explain why your
definition is appropriate and relevant to the practice of
leadership today.
Leadership is pulling people together from different
backgrounds, differing personalities, strengths, and weaknesses
to achieve a common goal. The leader creates a vision that
everyone works together to accomplish. The best leaders exhibit
emotional intelligence, but more importantly, they listen to
team members. Listening is vital in creating a positive culture
because there is no such thing as a complaint that does not
matter.
Many theories around leadership involve similar facets; shared
visions, communication, relationships, and change. Leaders
incorporate a variety of aspects to fit their style (Warrick,
2016). Listening helps create relationships, bring together ideas,
and ultimately aid in accomplishing the shared goal. People
come from unique backgrounds in the business environment,
which requires leaders to shape their leadership style to
different scenarios.
Provide an example of a current leader who embodies this
definition.
A leader that I had the pleasure of following was my last DO
(Director of Operations). The DO controls the processes of the
entire building by gathering information and making informed

7. decisions. The DO had positive relationships with every
employee in the building. In the moment, it was hard to realize
the impact he had on the culture of the building, but as he
transitioned to a new position, his absence was felt. He always
spoke about a unified vision and the importance of what
everyone did daily. He took all complaints seriously and would
always make time for people, no matter what he did. He would
stop and focus entirely on the conversation, which made people
feel like he genuinely cared.
Explain how this individual is a relevant example of your
personal definition of leadership.
The most relevant aspects of my former DO were listening and
creating a shared vision. He believed or gave the impression of
believing in what the company did for the customers and the
lives it ultimately saved. He made a unified front to tackle
metrics by creating the reason why improving metrics improved
the customer experience.
Warrick, D. D. (2016). Leadership: A high impact
approach. Bridgepoint Education. Retrieved
from https://content.ashford.edu/
THEORIES OF LEADERSHIP
Guided Response: Respond to at least two of your classmates'
posts.
TARA’S POST:
“Transactional leadership focuses on the transactions, or
exchanges, that occur between leaders and leaders and followers
in getting the job done and achieving goals” (Warrick, 2016,
sect 4.3). Transformational exhibit zeal and passion for building
or accomplishing something great” (Warrick, 2016, sect 4.3).
Transactional leadership involves the use of rewards for
positive results, good behavior, or positive feedback (Nielsen et
al.,2019). Transactional leadership believes rewards and

8. punishments are dependent on the performance of the followers.
The relationship between the manager and employee is an
exchange- gives something to get something in return. Meaning
if the employee performs well, they receive a reward. When the
performance is poor, there is some type of punishment to be
gotten. It’s important for transactional leadership to have rules,
procedures, and standards. They do not encourage employees to
be creative nor identify solutions to problems. Transactional
leadership is more effective when problems are simple and
clear.
Transformational leaders on the other hand inspire followers
with a vision of the future, appeal to higher ideals and motives
of the followers, moving and change existing structures towards
new possibilities. Transformational leaders command the
admiration and trust of followers who are willing to expend
exceptional effort in translating the vision into reality.
Transformational leadership is a very influential paradigm when
it comes to leadership literature referring to the behavioral
actions of employees as a result of the influential leader’s
guidance can have (Nielsen et al., 2019). Transformational
leaders are also individuals who possess qualities that can
transform others.
References:
Nielsen, P. A., Boye, S., Holten, A., Jacobsen, C. B., &
Andersen, L. B. (2019). Are transformational and transactional
types of leadership compatible? A two‐ wave study of employee
motivation. Public Administration, 97(2), 413–428. https://doi-
org.proxy-library.ashford.edu/10.1111/padm.12574
Warrick, D. D. (2016). Leadership: A high impact approach.
Bridgepoint Education.
BRUCE’S POST:
Situational Theory
This theory is based on the leader making best Choices from the
situation the leader is placed in. " Leaders here work on such
factors as external relationships, acquisition of resources,

9. managing demands on the group and managing the structures
and culture of the group" ( Changing Minds, 2013 ). The
relationship between leaders and the followers. This creates a
common performance, uses task specific performance measures,
and promotes leaders to accurately understand and read their
environment to make leadership decisions from the
environments situation.
Authentic Theory
Leaders that are seen by followers and peers as real, authentic.
Authentic leaders seem real and approachable by followers.
Authentic leaders passion can also be seen as their purpose.
They are seen with real true values. Those values provide the
followers the perception of the leader being authentic.
"Values have an impact on the types of behaviors that a leader p
ermits and/or emphasizes; the type of climate or work environm
ent a leader creates; and the emphasis a leader places on people
and performance, how things get done, and even use of languag
e" ( Warrick, 2016 ). The leaders that are authentic will have
distinct strong values that followers will bring respect for the
authentic leader.
Common characteristics on the leadership styles of situational
and authentic is that the skills are commonly sought after in
current trends. Both styles must apply the skills to what
presents in the current situational. Example would be the
COVID pandemic. Leadership for both styles would have to
adopt, adapt, and structure in the current situation. Another
common link between the two leadership are that in a crisis,
both leaders are looked to. Situational Leadership in a crisis
will use the environment of the crisis and navigate through the
crisis. Authentic leadership will use the situation and the
support of the followers to navigate through the crisis.
Differences are known between the two leadership styles.
Situation leadership is where the leaders is going to adapt to the
issue the leaders is handling and the employees or followers
being able to handle that current situation. Authentic leadership
will have a approach using traits, values to handle the current

10. situation.
References:
Changing Minds. (2013). Leadership theories (Links to an
external site.). Retrieved
from http://changingminds.org/disciplines/leadership/theories/le
adership_theories.htm (Links to an external site.)
Warrick, D. D. (2016). Leadership: A high impact approach.
Bridgepoint Education.