Working with an Ombudsman and Building Community Networks
Part 1
What does an ombudsman do?
The role of an ombudsman entails advocating for the quality of life and care for patients living in assisted facilities and nursing homes. The ombudsman supports quality by listening, visiting residents, offering options, sharing ideas, helping residents with addressing and resolution of concerns, protecting the rights of the residents, promoting care in the residents’ environment, and ensuring that the government is aware of the needs and interests of the residents. As regards addressing concerns that residents have, anyone may inform the ombudsman. However, the ombudsperson can only act once the involved resident or their representative consents. The underlying objective is to ensure that the residents receive care and that dignity and respect are maintained (Texas Health & Human Services Commission, 2022).
Regarding behavioral health services, an ombudsman provides information by answering questions, facilitating the filing of complaints, and informing one of their rights. In foster care, the ombudsman helps individuals below 17 years to understand their rights, answer questions, seek solutions, and provide resources for successful living after leaving foster care. In addition, ombudspersons also manage complaints related to child/adult abuse and actions related to case processes (Texas Health & Human Services Commission, 2022). Ombudspersons’ roles include individuals and addressing many services and well-being.
How do you interact with them?
To interact with an ombudsperson, one can call them at 800-720-7777. One can also write to the ombudsperson office using a specific address. Completing an online form also provides an avenue for interacting with the ombudsman. The state is available on the Texas Health and Human Services website (Texas Health & Human Services Commission, 2022).
Part 2
Why is it essential to have strategies for building community networks and relationships?
Engaging community members creates networks critical to finding solutions to current problems. The public health issues affect community members directly or indirectly. Significant effectiveness has been found when those experiencing these issues participate in finding solutions. This is unachievable in the absence of relationships that are created through engagement. Engaging community members in various activities requires their active participation in myriad aspects ranging from decision-making, evaluations, and sharing of results obtained after implementation. The public’s right to participate in issues related to their health is a grounding belief for the creation of these engagements. The approach creates unique and collective intelligence, which increases the accuracy of finding solutions. In addition, such an arrangement reduces the conflict that could arise as community members buy into the decisions.
The community networks and relationships enable the pooling of resources and improve the effectiveness of various programs while eliminating any duplication of effort. The community members provide human resources helpful in completing, participating, or implementing specific programs. The presence of community members enables the various stakeholders to avoid duplicating roles and resources. This approach provides a more effective process of implementation that benefits all stakeholders.
Furthermore, these partnerships create a foundation of trust. The community members let the organizations into their spaces and promote communication while they retain a positive attitude towards forthcoming programs. The process also develops new leaders within the community. These leaders take part in the programs and planning processes. The participants can reflect critically on the community engagement processes, co-learning experiences, and cooperative activities and benefit from wisdom obtained through community engagement.
What are some strategies you can use in your community?
Various strategies can be used to build networks and relationships in a community. These strategies include networking and outreach opportunities, building rapport with community residents and leaders, and incoming and outgoing referrals. Networking and outreach opportunities offer community members a chance for active participation. Their physical presence facilitates the creation or establishment of these critical partnerships. The various stakeholders get to know each other, share information regarding their capabilities, and provide opinions regarding essential health issues (Building Community Relationships, n.d). This information includes momentum for the rolling stone. The sponsors of various programs begin to obtain insight into the community members’ opinions regarding various public health issues.
To effectively use the outreach programs, it is necessary to understand the community’s needs. These needs should shape the content of the various outreach programs and services the community members access. This information can be obtained by studying the population, trends related to substance abuse, teen pregnancies, general history of the specific community, involvement levels, and morale (John Snow Inc., 2012). Thus, assessing the community’s characteristics is essential before implementing outreach programs.
Community leaders and residents are essential to the process of relationship building. The leaders have unlimited access to the residents. They also understand their cultures and issues. Through leaders, it is possible to understand the community. The residents are also important because they are the direct beneficiaries of programs and victims of public health issues. Thus, interacting with the residents directly is critical for any organization because it creates a human connection. This connection facilitates the existence of various understandings and advanced communication. The interaction shapes future contact between the stakeholders. Multiple factors that shape future interactions include culture, language, beliefs, and past interactions. The process also establishes relationships, which are essential for these engagements. In addition, this creates a foundation for long-term commitment through building trust. Leaders are an asset to any organization because they provide critical information. The residents are also essential to the engagement process.
Incoming and outgoing referrals are also necessary in the process of creating and maintaining engagement with the community. These referrals can come from different quarters, including the community members and other organizations collaborating with the district, leaders, and local governments. These referrals provide information regarding unaddressed aspects within the community, propose able leaders among community members, and highlight community members’ preferences. They can be supplied through direct suggestions or discussions that fault other players. Whatever form they come in, paying attention and acting accordingly is necessary. This provides a great head start as community members feel cared for. In addition, it is essential to check with community members and leaders regarding the various referrals to ensure that the various programs are aligned with the needs and wants of the community. The multiple strategies for creating and maintaining engagement with the community highlight an inherent aspect of interacting with community members and leaders. These interactions create a firm foundation for future activities in collaboration with each other in various programs.
References
(n.d). Building community relationships
John Snow Inc. (2012). Engaging Your Community: A Toolkit for Partnership, Collaboration, and Action.
Texas Health & Human Services Commission. (2022). HHS Office of the Ombudsman. Retrieved from Texas Health and Human Services: https://www.hhs.texas.gov/about/your-rights/hhs-office-ombudsman
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Question 
As a manager, you are tasked with training your team at the next meeting. Leadership gave you two topics they would like you to cover: working with an ombudsperson and building community networks.
Working with an Ombudsman and Building Community Networks
Write a 750- to 1,500-word paper that covers the following:
Depending on your state, there is an Ombudsman for each one. Research for the state of Texas https://www.hhs.texas.gov/about/your-rights/hhs-office-ombudsman
Part 1
What does an ombudsman do?
How do you interact with them?
Part 2
Why is it essential to have strategies for building community networks and relationships?
What are some strategies you can use in your community? Consider the following:
Networking and outreach opportunities
Building rapport with community residents and leaders
Incoming and outgoing referrals