Responsive Community Building in High Need Contexts

This book provides a description of what a good human service organization is, and what it does. The author relies on a broad framework to define “good” and offers a fictional account as a methodology, using his considerable consulting and research experience in human service organizations as a content enriching approach to the case examples he presents in this volume. The book details the fictional story of Fifth Street, a non-governmental organization nested in a high-need community, which itself is hypothetical but reflects what is occurring within communities whose residents are struggling with poverty. The content of this fictional account leans on a synthesis of multiple case examples. This approach will appeal to faculty and students as well as practitioners who are seeking a grand example of how human service organizations can work effectively in high need contexts. Students will also gain from the ethical perspective the author presents in this monograph. This is a project of hope: one that can inspire us all practicing in human services to strive for the best in novel and innovative ways.