SOCW 6520 WK 5 responses  Respond to the blog post of three colleagues Has to be responded to separately and different responses in one or more of the following ways: Name first and references after every person Respond to the blog post of three colleagues in one or more of the following ways: Make a      suggestion to your colleague’s post. Expand on your      colleague’s posting. Peer 1: Sasha Ritchie -  Infinity Hospice follows the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO). The NHPCO offers professionals in hospice care a ‘Guide to Organizational Ethics in Hospice Care as a resource to hospice programs and professionals” (NHPCO, 2016). The organization’s core policies are driven by their values and mission statement. Infinity Hospice priority is to enhance their patient’s quality of life and help them live in dignity and comfort.  They offer ‘dependability’ to the patient and to their loved one during their time of need for 24/7 care. Infinity Hospice Care’s mission is to bring comfort and value to our community. Our core values guide our team in providing the best family hospice and palliative care possible. If you and your family find balance with our mission and core values, we encourage you to speak to us. The organizations second core policy is having a trusting team of experts. They have an interdisciplinary team of physicians, nurses, counselors, and volunteers who work together to support each patient and their family. To accomplish this, Infinity Hospice provides the following hospice home services: Medical care Pain management needs Spiritual counseling Bereavement and grief counseling Medical supplies and durable equipment Every two weeks, all professionals from each discipline meet to discuss cases to find solutions for the challenges to the patients care. The third policy is ‘a strong desire to make a difference in the lives of others.’ This organization understands that at times caring for an individual and providing a supportive system to their family will mean going above and beyond care standards to deliver excellence. Infinity Hospice policy is committed to making the patient’s life better through the following actions: Assess each patient’s pain and comfort during each in house      hospice visit Attentively listen and take action on family needs Continually search for creative ways to enhance your loved      one’s quality of life Nurture the desire to make a difference in our team’s lives      by supporting a healthy work/life balance Unavoidably in healthcare there are policy implication and barriers that arise in care. Infinity is driven to enrich the lives of those who are at the end-of-life. However, barriers to Medicaid, Medicare and in the state of Nevada, Culinary Health insurance all have their own policies in which patient eligibility often factors into their quality of life. Social workers could greatly improve the effectiveness of policy and service efforts designed.

1. SOCW 6520 WK 5 responses
Respond
to the blog post of three colleagues Has to be responded to
separately and different responses in one or more of the
following ways:
Name first and references after every person
Respond
to the blog post of three colleagues in one or more of the
following ways:
Make a suggestion to your colleague’s post.
Expand on your colleague’s posting.
Peer 1:
Sasha Ritchie -
Infinity Hospice follows the National Hospice and Palliative
Care Organization (NHPCO). The NHPCO offers professionals
in hospice care a ‘Guide to Organizational Ethics in Hospice
Care as a resource to hospice programs and professionals”
(NHPCO, 2016). The organization’s core policies are driven by
their values and mission statement. Infinity Hospice priority is
to enhance their patient’s quality of life and help them live in
dignity and comfort. They offer ‘dependability’ to the patient
and to their loved one during their time of need for 24/7 care.
Infinity Hospice Care’s mission is to bring comfort and value to
our community. Our core values guide our team in providing the

2. best family hospice and palliative care possible. If you and your
family find balance with our mission and core values, we
encourage you to speak to us.
The organizations second core policy is having a trusting team
of experts. They have an interdisciplinary team of physicians,
nurses, counselors, and volunteers who work together to support
each patient and their family. To accomplish this, Infinity
Hospice provides the following hospice home services:
Medical care
Pain management needs
Spiritual counseling
Bereavement and grief counseling
Medical supplies and durable equipment
Every two weeks, all professionals from each discipline meet to
discuss cases to find solutions for the challenges to the patients
care. The third policy is ‘a strong desire to make a difference in
the lives of others.’ This organization understands that at times
caring for an individual and providing a supportive system to
their family will mean going above and beyond care standards
to deliver excellence. Infinity Hospice policy is committed to
making the patient’s life better through the following actions:
Assess each patient’s pain and comfort during each in house
hospice visit
Attentively listen and take action on family needs

3. Continually search for creative ways to enhance your loved
one’s quality of life
Nurture the desire to make a difference in our team’s lives
by supporting a healthy work/life balance
Unavoidably in healthcare there are policy implication and
barriers that arise in care. Infinity is driven to enrich the lives
of those who are at the end-of-life. However, barriers to
Medicaid, Medicare and in the state of Nevada, Culinary Health
insurance all have their own policies in which patient eligibility
often factors into their quality of life. Social workers could
greatly improve the effectiveness of policy and service efforts
designed to ameliorate persistent poverty and growing
inequality if all social workers, regardless of specialization,
were better prepared to understand and act on the policy
implications of their work. The Policy Practice in Field
Education Initiative provided schools of social work with grants
to seed innovation and develop new models for an integrated
approach to heighten the policy skill set of all undergraduate
and graduate level social work students, regardless of
specialization (The Council on Social Work Education (CSWE),
2020). When working as a medical social worker and presented
with higher level policies that often-presented challenges to the
patients care, the social worker has to obtain the knowledge of
what other supportive services and resources may be available
in their community. Working with like-mind organization that
service the same population and can wrap the patient in the
needed services, helps to alleviate the red tape often seen in
health and wellness setting in social services.
Reference
The Council on Social Work Education. (2020). Policy Practice

4. in Field Education Initiative.
https://www.cswe.org/Centers-Initiatives/Initiatives/Policy-
Practice-in-Field-Education-Initiative/CSWE-Policy-Practice-
in-Field-Education-Summary-Re.aspx
National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization. (2016).
Guide to Organizational Ethics in Hospice Care.
https://www.nhpco.org/wp-
content/uploads/2019/04/Ethics_Guidelines.pdf
Peer 2:
Joyce Humerickhouse
An explanation of organizational policy in your field education
experience
The Sterling Area Health Clinic is a Federal Qualified Health
Center that is governed by a Board of Directors. Policies and
procedures are approved by the board of directors. Any
evidence-based assessment tools used, must be approved by the
board of directors. An example is, a doctor in the clinic who
chooses to use the Vanderbilt Assessment Scales; however, has
expanded upon the questionnaire, needed to have the expanded
questionnaire approved, prior to using it.
The Health Center receives federal grant monies to help serve
the under served. In addition to the annually renewable grants,
the Center has an option to bid for other grants. As a result, the
SAHC must comply with the stipulations of the grant monies
and use them exactly as it was indicated, when they applied for
each specified grant.
There are many organizational policies with the Sterling Area
Health Clinic. The clinic has integrated collaborative health
care between the medical professionals and behavior health

5. professionals. When a client calls in to schedule an
appointment, an organizational policy is that they are sent a
packet to complete and return that consists of a comprehensive
medical and behavioral health history as well as a releases for
collaborative care. If the packet is not completed and returned
in advance of their appointment, their appointment will be
rescheduled. If the patient is not willing to sign the 2 releases,
they are not seen at the clinic.
Other organizational rules include adhering to NASW Code of
Ethics (NASW, 2017), using the DSM-5 (APA, 2013) for
assessments and billing codes when working with the patients,
other collaborative organizations that coordinate services within
our area. HIPPA laws must be adhered to. Clients must fulfill
their obligation to participate in their appointments or cancel in
advance. If they have 3 no-call no-show appointments, their
case can be closed. In addition, there are organizational rules
regarding providing protected mental health information for a
court hearing (Birkenmaier & Berg-Weger, 2018); the subpoena
must be signed by a Judge. The information released must be
approved by the Director.
References:
American Psychiatric Association. (2013).
Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders
(5th ed.).
Arlington, VA: Author.
Birkenmaier, J., & Berg-Weger, M. (2018). The practicum
companion for social work: Integrating class and fieldwork (4th
ed.).
New York, NY: Pearson (pp. 186-206)

6. Laureate Education. (Producer). (2013d).
Social Work Values and Ethics
[Audio file]. Retrieved
From https://class.waldenu.edu
NASW. (2017).
National Association of Social Workers (NASW)
. NASW - National Association of Social Workers.
https://www.socialworkers.org/About/Ethics/Code-of-
Ethics/Code-of-Ethics-English.
Peer 3:
Alicia Simpkins
As previously mentioned, the organization that I am with is
Community
Solution
s. The organization has spent the last two decades offering
community based and substance abuse services to the
surrounding area. Though originally founded to help vulnerable
youth overcome barriers preventing them from long-term
success, the organization has expanded to provide mentorship
and substance abuse services for both adults and youth. This
organization serves such a large community which means I am
likely to be exposed to various cultures throughout my time

7. here. The text mentions how “utilizing cultural humility in
community practice involves the same self-awareness and
understanding at the community level, which may mean learning
about several populations within the community” (Birkenmaier
& Berg-Weger, 2018). As I learn more about the population that
this organization serves, I find myself wanting to learn more
about policies in place both within the organization and beyond
in order to adequately serve these individuals.
As far as this organization’s board/staff is concerned, the
leadership team of the organization consists of the president and
vice presidents, as well as a community based services director,
the clinical director for substance abuse services and the
program director for substance abuse services. Weekly
leadership meetings are conducted on Wednesdays, during
which they determine services that are working and what needs
to be modified, funding sources, and so on. Funding comes from
federal grants and other donors.
Other regulations for services are presented during beginning
intakes. For example, parents and students who receive mentor
services often have to have been referred by the court system in
order for services. Also, for substance abuse services, clients
are required to complete the detox period before coming to our
organization for placement within the independent living

8. placement area. During the intake for the independent living,
clients are required to fill out paperwork confirming that they
will adhere to all rules and regulations for the placement. They
also must be willing to fill out a weekly discharge planning
packet so that they and the program director are aware of their
plans following their release from the independent living
facility. Clients are also encouraged to obtain a sponsor/peer
support, and are required to attend weekly intensive outpatient
meetings as well as AA or NA meetings. Failure to adhere to
these rules may result in termination of services.
References
Birkenmaier, J., & Berg-Weger, M. (2018). The practicum
companion for social work: Integrating class and fieldwork.New
York, NY: Pearson.