Community Resources – The Arc

Community Resources – The Arc

The Arc is a nationally recognizable, reputable, nonprofit organization that provides services to and advocates on behalf of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and their families. This paper looks into the involvement of The Arc in developing public health and safety proposals, equal opportunities, and promoting an increase in the quality of life for individuals with IDD.

Mission and Vision’s Contribution to Public Health and Safety

The mission of The Arc is to promote and protect the human rights of people with IDD and actively support their full inclusion and participation in the community across their lifetimes. The vision envisions that people with IDD are valued members of their communities, living lives of their choice and having opportunities to develop their full potential as part of their community (The Arc, n.d.). With this mission and vision, The Arc can contribute greatly towards the improvement of public health and safety. The organization supports policies and legislation protecting the rights and well-being of persons with IDD, provides direct support in ways promoting health outcomes and safety, public education increasing awareness and acceptance, and promotes research into the causes, prevention, and treatment of intellectual and developmental disabilities.

One excellent example of the work The Arc does is its national initiative around sexual violence against people with IDD. The program furthers its mission through the provision of education for caregivers and law enforcement, through stronger protective advocacy, and empowering individuals with IDD to recognize and report abuse (The Arc, 2022). These kinds of efforts directly lead to the health and safety promotion of this vulnerable group.

Ability to Promote Equal Opportunity and Improve Quality of Life

The Arc is deeply committed to creating equal opportunities that improve the quality of life for people with IDD. Of prime importance among these are the supports dealing with inclusive education, meaningful employment, livable wages, accessible housing, health care that does not discriminate, and an end to discrimination in voting and other areas. Social, cultural, economic, and physical barriers, however, impede the full implementation of such goals. Socio-cultural barriers fuel stigma and negative attitudes toward persons with IDD and prejudices that are evident in society. In addition, economic barriers hinder support services financially, while physical barriers in terms of architecture and technology affect accessibility and integration. Nonetheless, much has been achieved in enhancing the quality of lives of persons with IDD by The Arc through advocacy and support. The organization has thus ensued in enhanced community participation as well as provision of education and employment chances plus self-governance for those with IDD.

Impact of Funding Sources, Policy, and Legislation

The Arc receives major parts of its funding from federal and state government grants, and thus, its service deliveries are influenced by federal and state policies and legislation. Thus, The Arc, as a nonprofit organization, earns most of its income through funding from the government, grants, and donations from well-wishers. Government actions such as changes in and enactments of policies can influence the primary rights and services of individuals with IDD. For instance, the enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990 led to many more samplers and prospects (Federal Register, 2023). In the more recent past, issues concerning the funding and structure of Medicaid directly impacted support services used by many persons with IDD.

Funding decisions can be made to either increase or further limit The Arc’s ability to provide direct service delivery and conduct advocacy work. Cuts to social service budgets would mean a reduction in programs; however, increases would mean that The Arc can grow the vital support needed for thousands. These variables directly impact the probable implications for individuals and families in the IDD community. Diminished funding or less positive policy adjustments may imply a loss of needed services; on the other hand, positive developments enhance the quality of life and community inclusion.

Impact on Local Community Health and Safety Needs

The work conducted by The Arc has a strong impact on health and safety needs in local communities. Via its state and local chapters, it provides an array of direct support services, like early intervention programs with children from birth to three years who are at risk of, or who currently have some developmental delay; family support services like respite and life skills training; residential services that support independent living; employment; and recreational and social programs that help ensure that people do not experience isolation (The Arc of Central Alabama, 2021). These services directly and positively affect certain health outcomes and increase safety for those with IDD in the community. Further, at the grassroots level, The Arc carries out policy and practice reform for policies and practices that determine communities’ integration and service utilization.

Some of the ways that nurses may become engaged with The Arc include volunteering to conduct health promotion or screening at Arc events, membership in boards/committees or joining participation of health professionals for contributing health advocacy support to The Arc, advocacy for policy change to facilitate effective access to healthcare information and service support for individuals with IDD and collaboration with the local chapters of The Arc to improve health support in the IDD service array (Strkljevic et al., 2024).

Conclusion

The Arc serves a critical function in advocating for the health, safety, and inclusion of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The Arc generalizes an immense contribution of enhancement toward a better quality of life and opportunities for a historically marginalized population through mission-driven work in the areas of advocacy, support, and public education. While challenges remain, The Arc’s work advances the full participation of people with IDD in their communities. That is, the contribution of this organization to public health, equal opportunity, and quality of life for individuals and families with IDD underpins its importance as a community resource.

References

Federal Register. (2023). Discrimination on the basis of disability in health and human service programs or activities. Unblock.federalregister.gov. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/09/14/2023-19149/discrimination-on-the-basis-of-disability-in-health-and-human-service-programs-or-activities

Strkljevic, I., Tiedemann, A., Souza, J., Haynes, A., & Sherrington, C. (2024). Health professionals’ involvement in volunteering their professional skills: A scoping review. Frontiers in Medicine, 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmed.2024.1368661

The Arc of Central Alabama. (2021). Community impact report 2021. https://www.arcofcentralalabama.org/wp-content/uploads/2021-Community-Impact-Report.pdf

The Arc. (2022). Talk about sexual violence. The Arc. https://thearc.org/our-initiatives/criminal-justice/talk-about-sexual-violence/

The Arc. (n.d.). About us. https://thearc.org/about-us/

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Research a selected local, national, or global nonprofit organization or government agency to determine how it contributes to public health and safety improvements, promotes equal opportunity, and improves the quality of life within the community. Submit your findings in a 3-5 page report.

Community Resources – The Arc

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Introduction
Many organizations work to better local and global communities’ quality of life and promote health and safety in times of crisis. As public health and safety advocates, nurses must be cognizant of how such organizations help certain populations. As change agents, nurses must be aware of factors that impact the organization and the services that it offers. Familiarity with these organizations enables the nurse to offer assistance as a volunteer and source of referral.

This assessment provides an opportunity for you gain insight into the mission, vision, and operations of a community services organization.

Preparation
You are interested in expanding your role as a nurse and are considering working in an area where you can help to promote equal opportunity and improve the quality of life within the local or global community. You are aware of several nonprofit organizations and government agencies whose work contributes to this effort in some way. You have particular interest in one of these organizations but would like to know more about its contributions to public health and safety improvements. You would like to report the results of your research in a scholarly paper that you could submit for publication.

Research a local, national, or global nonprofit organization or government agency selected from the Assessment 02 Supplement: Community Resources [PDF] Download Assessment 02 Supplement: Community Resources [PDF]resource. Determine how the selected organization or agency contributes to public health and safety improvements, promotes equal opportunity, and improves the quality of life within the community. Submit your findings in a 3–5 page report.

As you begin to prepare this assessment, it would be an excellent choice to complete the Nonprofit Organizations and Community Health activity. Complete this activity to gain insight into promoting equal opportunity and improving the quality of life in a community. The information gained from completing this activity will help you succeed with the assessment.

Note: As you revise your writing, check out the resources listed on the Writing Center’s Writing Support page.

Instructions
First, select one of the local, national, or global nonprofit organizations or government agencies presented in the Assessment 02 Supplement: Community Resources [PDF] Download Assessment 02 Supplement: Community Resources [PDF]resource.

Then research the nonprofit organization or government agency that you selected. Determine how the organization or agency contributes to public health and safety improvements, promotes equal opportunity, and improves the quality of life within the community. Submit your findings in a 3–5 page report structured according to the following specifications:

Document Format and Length
Format your paper using APA style.

Refer to the APA Style Paper Tutorial [DOCX] to help you in writing and formatting your paper. Be sure to include:
A title page and references page. An abstract is not required.
Appropriate section headings.
Your paper should comprise 3–5 pages of content plus title and references pages.
Supporting Evidence
Cite at least three credible sources from peer-reviewed journals or professional industry publications published within the past 5 years that support your research findings.

Graded Requirements
The research requirements, outlined below, correspond to the grading criteria in the assessment scoring guide, so be sure to address each point.

Explain how the organization’s mission and vision enable it to contribute to public health and safety improvements.
Include examples of ways a local and/or global initiative supports organizational mission and vision and promotes public health and safety.
Evaluate an organization’s ability to promote equal opportunity and improve the quality of life in the community.
Consider the effects of social, cultural, economic, and physical barriers.
Assess the impact of funding sources, policy, and legislation on the organization’s provision of services.
Consider the potential implications of funding decisions, policy, and legislation for individuals, families, and aggregates within the community.
Explain how an organization’s work impacts the health and/or safety needs of a local community.
Consider how nurses might become involved with the organization.
Organize content so ideas flow logically with smooth transitions; contains few errors in grammar/punctuation, word choice, and spelling.
Apply APA formatting to in-text citations and references exhibiting nearly flawless adherence to APA format.
Write with a specific purpose and audience in mind.
Adhere to scholarly and disciplinary writing standards and APA formatting requirements.
Additional Requirements
Before submitting your paper, proofread it to minimize errors that could distract readers and make it difficult for them to focus on your research findings.

Competencies Measured
By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and scoring guide criteria:

Competency 1: Analyze health risks and health care needs among distinct populations.

Explain how an organization’s work impacts the health and/or safety needs of a local community.
Competency 2: Propose health promotion strategies to improve the health of populations.

Explain how an organization’s mission and vision enable it to contribute to public health and safety improvements.
Competency 3: valuate health policies, based on their ability to achieve desired outcomes.

Assess the impact of funding sources, policy, and legislation on an organization’s service delivery.
Competency 4: Integrate principles of social justice in community health interventions.

Evaluate an organization’s ability to promote equal opportunity and improve the quality of life in a community.
Competency 5: Apply professional, scholarly communication strategies to lead health promotion and improve population health.

Organize content so ideas flow logically with smooth transitions; contains few errors in grammar/punctuation, word choice, and spelling.
Apply APA formatting to in-text citations and references exhibiting nearly flawless adherence to APA format.