Drug abuse and addiction

Drug abuse and addiction Abstract Drug abuse and addiction is a common problem in the world and is everywhere you look. With this disorder so common, the truth is shed on the misconceptions that people have about drug abuse and addiction. This paper provides a brief overview of drug abuse and addiction, while also looking at the aspects of epidemiology, pathophysiology, social problems, and ethical problems that might present with emergency medical responders. Addiction and abuse; what does it mean; who does it affect? Addiction and abuse are often confused with each other. Abuse occurs whenever a substance is used usually alcohol or illicit drugs while on the other hand addiction can occur in a wide variety activities and substances. Addiction is defined as compulsive need for and use of a habit-forming substance (as heroin, nicotine, or alcohol) characterized by tolerance and by well-defined physiological symptoms upon withdrawal; broadly: persistent use compulsive of a substance known by the user to be harmful. (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/addiction) Addiction is not always a habit-forming substances, it can also include such things as sex, gambling, video games, or even the internet. Even so, the main focus of society is still on drugs, alcohol and tobacco. Some characteristics of the epidemiology and pathophysiology will be discussed along with the social impacts that addiction may cause and any ethical issues that mig ht be found with addiction and emergency medical service providers. The study of addictive behavior is relatively young. According to Dr. Volkhow (2010) science only began to study addictive behavior in the 1930s. Before this, scientists that were studying drug abuse were plagued with shadows of misconceptions and myths of the nature of addiction. But with the discoveries today and with the information of how chemicals work in the brain and the ways it alters it there is a better understanding of drug and alcohol addiction. According to Dr. Dryden-Edwards (n.d.) Drug addiction, also called substance dependence or chemical dependency, is a disease that is characterized by a destructive pattern of drug abuse that leads to significant problems involving tolerance to or withdrawal from the substance, as well as other problems that use of the substance can cause for the sufferer, either socially or in terms of their work or school performance. More than 2.6% of people suffer from drug addiction at some time in their life. (http://www.medicinenet.com/drug_ abuse/article.htm) Common substances that are abused and that become addicting are alcohol, amphetamines, anabolic steroids, caffeine, cannabis, cocaine, ecstasy, hallucinogens, inhalants, nicotine, opiates, phencyclidine, as well as sedative, hypnotic, or anti-anxiety drugs. Though drug and alcohol addiction is considered a mental- health problem, there is no single cause that can be determined. Though some people believe that abuse and addiction is a genetic disease, this is false. There is a predisposition to develop the drug dependency due to ones environment. Epidemiology: The social risk factors for drug abuse and addiction include the male gender, being between that age eighteen and forty four, persons of Native-American heritage, lower socioeconomic status, and unmarried marital status. According to state statistics residents of the western United States are more susceptible to substance abuse and dependency. While men are more prone to developing alcoholism, women seem to be much more vulnerable to alcoholism at much lower amount of alcohol consumption, due to lower average body mass that males. (Dryden-Edwards, n.d.) The combined medical, economic, criminal, and social impact costs Americans upwards of half a trillion dollars a year. Every year abuse of drugs and alcohol contributes to the deaths of 100,000 Americans, with tobacco contributing to an estimated 440,000 deaths per year. People of all ages suffer the harmful consequences of drug and alcohol abuse and addiction. Babies can be affected while still in the mothers womb if she is to use dr ugs or alcohol, which will cause birth defects and slow the intellectual development in their later life. Adolescents often act out, perform poorly in school and often drop out if they are abusing drugs. They are more at risk or unplanned pregnancies, infectious diseases, and violence. Adults and parents are also affected, often clouding their cognitive abilities. With all of the exposure, the stage is set for the next generation to step right in to the addictive lifestyle. Pathophysiology: Addiction mainly affects the brain, but affects cascade throughout a persons organ systems. Drugs and mind altering substances that can be abused target the bodys natural reward system either purposefully or unintentionally causing over all euphoric effects for the user. These effects come from the dopamine, which is a neurotransmitter that regulates movement, cognition, emotion, feelings of pleasure, and motivation. Dopamine is released naturally to reward the body for natural behaviors and initiates a cycle to repeat the behavior. The dopamine neurotransmitter floods the reward system that is usually secreted in limited amounts from routine actions such as eating or even sex. The brain views this as a life-sustaining activity due to the reward system being activated. When the chemical substance is introduced into a persons system and the euphoric effects are achieved, the individuals brain makes a note that some important event is happening and it teaches itself to do this action a gain and again as a force of habit. (Volkhow 2010) The taking of an illicit drug can cause a person to act on impulse when the reasons system of the brain would delay or prevent an action. This system is bypassed, leading to an undesired activity that can potentially have a negative consequence on the users life. Though some of the effects of drugs and chemical substances are euphoric at times, other times the substance can cause paranoia, depression, and suicidal thoughts. (Dryden-Edwards n.d.) If use of the drug continues, the brain becomes acclimated to the influx of dopamine in the reward system. This leads to the reduction of release of dopamine and the number of dopamine receptors in the system itself. This in turn affects the users ability to achieve the desired effects of the used drug. This response by the individuals brain causes them to try to reactivate the receptors by increasing the amount or dosage of the drug to achieve the same dopamine high. This effect is known as a tolerance. With long-term abuse of a drug, changes occur to other systems in the brain. The neurotransmitter glutamate which also is part of the reward systems can be altered which causes an inability to learn. When the optimal level of glutamate is off balance the brain attempts to compensate, which in turn affects the users cognitive function. (NIDA 2011) When the brain has become accustomed to the effect of the drug, dependence is formed and cessation of the drug abuse will cause an event referred to as withdrawal. While most symptoms of withdrawal are at most uncomfortable for an addict, there are also some serious symptoms that can include tonic-clonic seizures, myocardial infarction, stroke, hallucinations, and delirium tremens. (Melemis 2011) Social, Ethical Issues and The Impact on EMS: The consequences of addiction and abuse are evident in a persons social life. The destructive behavior of addiction affects everything from work to their personal life, even from the beginning of the abuse. The signs of addiction from the physical stand point include a changing of sleeping habits and changes in eating habits, which contribute to both weight loss and weight gain. Recurrent drug abuse leads to the lack of meeting important obligations at home, school, or work. (Dryden-Edwards) Other affects of addiction can include family disintegration, domestic violence, child abuse, failure in school, and loss of employment. Subjects with addictions tend to be risk takers and thrill seekers. With the changes in the reward system of the brain, the subject expects a positive reaction before they take a substance which satisfies their need for risk or thrills. Impulse control is hard when their drug of choice is around people with addiction. This feeds the addiction even more. (Nash J ohnson, 2007) The impact on the emergency medical services is immeasurable. The calls caused by addiction can vary from trauma to a medical overdose. The role of the emergency medical provider in calls for an overdose patient requires the paramedic to find out what and how much the patient took, and what the proper medication is to reverse the condition that the patient is currently experiencing. Along with the calls comes the danger. With possible violent outbreaks by addicts, the paramedic has to be aware of his or her surroundings while trying to calm the patient. Patients experiencing withdrawals can hallucinate an entire event and incorporate the paramedic in it, causing the patient to become violent towards their care provider. Addiction is a very dangerous condition and can be considered a psychiatric problem, which needs to be treated with a certain diligence and suspicion. In the realm of EMS the occurrence of calls for addiction are rare since it is not really an emergency situation. The occasion does arise if a patient is experiencing violent symptoms of withdrawal or has overdosed on a substance. The patient could appear to be in an agitated state or even be unconscious. There is no predetermined way to handle a patient experiencing addiction related problems. They main key is to treat the patients symptoms. All patients need to be put on supplemental oxygen via nonrebreather if it can be tolerated. Intravenous access should be obtained with an infusion of normal saline to help flush out the patients system. If the patient is in an agitated state or seizing, a sedative should be administered, such as valium or versed. Beware, with the administration of benzodiazepines the risk of respiratory depression or failure is present. If the patient is experiencing an overdose of an opiate and their breathing is shallow or nonexistent the administration of Na rcan 0.4 to 2 milligrams, but beware to administer this drug slowly and titrate it to where the patient can breathe just enough to sustain life. If airway and breathing problems persist then intubation should be considered to secure the patients airway. Rapid transport with due regard is suggested so that the patient can be evaluated and the hospital staff can begin their detoxification. The world of addiction is harsh and unforgiving if one is not willing to leave it behind. Some people say that addiction is all in the head, and my research verifies this. The affects on the brain from forming a learned habit is rewarded in much the same way such as eating or drinking. The reward system practically gets destroyed by the drugs or substances being used by the influx of neurotransmitters released. With the receptors becoming desensitized, the subject will need to increase the intake of the substance to achieve their high. The repercussions of the abuse and addiction become apparent after time when the violence and compulsiveness takes over. The physical tolls, including depression and illness can be debilitating at times. The only way to decrease drug abuse and addiction is to educate the public. The best prevention is avoidance.

The Life and Literary Work of Kate Chopin Essay example -- Biography B

The Life and Literary Work of Kate Chopin Courageous . . . daring . . . innovative . . . all aptly describe Kate Chopin, American short story writer, novelist, poet, and essayist. Timeless classics, Kate Chopin’s works of the late nineteenth century remain rare jewels and priceless gifts to the literary world today. Born Katherine O’Flaherty on February 8, 1851, in St. Louis, Chopin was the daughter of a prominent Irish merchant and an aristocratic French-Creole mother. Chopin’s roots in, and familiarity with, two distinctly different cultures were important on both a personal and creative level throughout her life. As a member of a slave-owning family and an elite social circle, Chopin was exposed to people of diverse color and background, many of whom provided the basis for her later writings. Kate Chopin was one of five children; and the only one to survive past the age of twenty-five. Chopin’s father was killed in a train accident when Chopin was only four years old, leaving her to be reared under the strong maternal influences of her mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. These determined women and life’s harsh losses taught Chopin valuable lessons of strength and independence. Kate Chopin’s formal education began when she was five years old at Sacred Heart Academy, a catholic school, and she graduated at seventeen. She had been an honor student, was widely read, and spoke two languages fluently. Upon graduation, Chopin entered the social life of St. Louis, and was noted to be "one of the acknowledged belles of St. Louis, a favorite not only for her beauty, but also for her amiability of character and her cleverness" (Seyersted 23). By this time, she loved (and was accomplished at) reading, music, and wr... ...sity Press, 1971. Kunitz, Stanley J. & Howard Haycroft, eds. American Authors 1600-1900, A Biographical Dictionary of American Literature. New York: H.W. Wilson, 1938. Magill, Frank M. Great Lives From History, American Women Series II. Pasadena: Salena Press, 1995. Reuben, Paul P. "Chapter 6: American Naturalism: Kate Chopin (1851-1904)." PAL: Perspectives in American Literature A Research and Reference Guide. WWW URL: http://www.csustan.edu/english/reuben/pal/chap6/chopin.html (May 28, 1998). Seyersted, Per. Kate Chopin, A Critical Biography. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1980. Toth, Emily. "A New Biographical Approach." Approaches to Teaching Chopin’s The Awakening. New York: Modern Language Association of America, 1988. Voetteler, Thomas, ed. Short Story Criticism. Volume 8. Detroit: Gale Research Inc., 1991, 63-65.

Global Warming :: Greenhouse Gases Climate Change

For decades and decades, human factories and cars have discharged billions of tons of artificial greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, and the climate has begun to show many signs of global warming. On the other hand, some people want you to believe that global warming does not exist. There are many people who are only out for personal gain and are outright liars. According to a scientist at NASA "Global warming is the single largest threat to our planet"(Weier 2002). Over the past two hundred years we have seen significant changes in the effects on our environment, primarily due to humans and both their lack of awareness, or their total disregard for the effects that their actions have on the environment. Global warming is one of our toughest environmental challenges. It threatens the health of people, wildlife and economies around the world. The problem is carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping pollution. This pollution mainly comes from cars, power plants and other industrial sources that burn gasoline, coal and other fossil fuels. This matter collects like a blanket in our atmosphere. As a result, the planet gets warmer. We can say that the amount of radiation from the sun that reaches the earth each year has been fairly consistent from year to year and century to century until recently. Thirty percent of the total solar energy that strikes the earth is reflected back into space by clouds, atmospheric aerosols, reflective ground surfaces, and even ocean surf. Seventy percent of the solar energy is absorbed by the land, air and oceans.  ¡Ã‚ °The absorbed light is mostly in the form ultraviolet and near infrared solar radiation ¡Ã‚ ±(Weier 2002). Absorption of this solar energy makes life on this planet possible. The energy does not stay bound up forever. If it did our planet would wind up being hotter than the sun. Instead, when the rocks, air, and sea heat up, they give off thermal radiation, which escapes into space and allows it to cool down. This radiation is invisible to our eyes, but our hands can feel it radiating from a fire or a car engine. What we should be worried about now is that over the past 250 years, we have been artificially raising the concentration of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere. Factories, power plants, and cars, burn coal and gasoline and spit out a seemingly endless stream of carbon dioxide. Power plants are the largest contributors to global warming.

Competition Techniques :: essays research papers

Competition Techniques   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A complete pole vault jump is best explained by breaking it down into 9 basic steps. The steps are pre-run preparation, beginning the run, the acceleration and pole drop, the speed plant, the take off, the Tap Swing, the rockback, the clean to turn to push, and the Bar clearance.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  First thing to do after warming up properly is to step to the back of the runway and place the left foot on the starting mark. The right foot will be slightly behind and to the right of the left foot for good balance. Hold the right hand along side of the body at or above the waist. The left hand holds the pole a few inches in front of the chest. The pole is balanced in an almost vertical position. The vaulter should be in a position ready to drive off the starting mark.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Next, to begin the run, the right hand remains constant at the waist. The top hand holds the pole a few inches away from the chest as the initial body lean and push-off of the left foot tilts the pole toward the pit. Drive hard off the left foot to get the pole moving. Transfer the weight of the pole into the right hand. The legs are driving the hips. The hips are driving the top hand and the top hand is driving the tip of the pole. Relax the drive and work into a smooth accelerating run.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Then, the pole vault acceleration and pole drop begins at the starting mark and ends when the tip of the pole hits the back of the box. The pole tip has a smooth and constant drop to a horizontal position during the acceleration and pole drop. The height of the pole tip dictates the speed and form of the run. The run gets faster and the turnover of the feet moves forward under the hips as the pole tip drops. If the right hand gets behind the hips during the acceleration and pole drop push it forward going into the left foot as the pole reaches its level position. The vaulter may have to raise his or her elbows slightly to get the pole to a perfectly level position. For the high school pole-vaulter this position is about hip level.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Next, the pole vault speed plant starts on the left foot two strides before the take-off.

Leading Group Challenges

The police officers arrest the offenders and charge the offender with the crime, and the court yester determines what sentence the offender should face, If the charges warrant a sentence. If the offender receives a sentence of Call or prison, the correctional faculties must guarantee the sentence occurs In a secure manner. Unfortunately, these criminal Justice agencies are not always working toward the same goals, which results in conflict. The leaders of the agencies must take care of the conflict before the conflict is out of hand.An example of the type of conflict that may arise is police officers wanting to remove the offenders off the streets. The court system may want o give the offenders a chance at rehabilitation instead of prison time, even if the offender is a repeat offender. Situations like this cause conflict for the leaders of the criminal Justice agencies to handle. The court system, correctional facilities, and police give up a considerable amount of control with the responsibilities. Leadership among criminal Justice agencies must consider the control with Justice (Collaborative Justice, 2012).Criminal Justice agencies must work together Instead of against each other to handle the challenges with conflict and control. The agencies must be on the name page and working toward the same goals. The ultimate goal Is to rehabilitate offenders but at times there will be an offender who is not a candidate for rehabilitation. The agencies must work together to find the best solution for the offender, society, and for the different agencies involved (Collaborative Justice, 2012).Political Challenges Criminal Justice agencies handle political and legal challenges that take place inside as well as outside the criminal justice system. Criminal justice decision makers are chosen through appointment or election. Depending on the state, the Judges are either voted in by the people or the governor appoints who he or she wants as a judge. No matter how a person l ooks at it, either way Is political. The president of the united States appoints the federal Judges, and he or she Is verified by the Senate. The political process strongly persuades the Supreme Court of the united States (Dulled, 2012).Keeping politics out of the various criminal Justice agencies Is a must. These agencies have a job to do, which cannot happen if the politics are in the way of people, with that, the politics must stop. The United States has too many corrupt officials because he or she allowed politics to get in the way of doing the Job. There are politics in the police, prosecution, and corrections. For good things to happen with these agencies in the future, these agencies need to separate the politics from the Job and purpose of the Job (Dueling, 2012).The Police and Politics Politics does not have a direct effect on the daily routines and decisions of police officers but politics does determine how the police officers act and react during patrol. Police departmen ts are run by some form of government, whether it is the city council, the mayor, the city manager, or the commissioner. These leaders make a change in the degree to which politics shape the police departments. Politics floods police departments in cities and towns that have a government that consists of a city council or a mayor making the decisions.Professional city managers make political involvement with the police departments less possible (Dueling, 2012). The Prosecution and Politics Political deliberations sway prosecutors in an exact way. Most states elect the prosecutors, and the prosecutors are caught up in the local politics. In the federal courts, the attorneys for the United States are appointed politically and are likely to outwork his or her career goals to the wants of his or her own political affiliation. The federal and state prosecutors frequently use his or her headquarters as a launch pad for a higher political office.Infrequently, a dishonest prosecutor will ta ke advantage of his or her power by way of engaging in political actions of pressing outrageous charges against his or her enemies (Law. ]rank. Org, 2012). Corrections and Politics Officials in the corrections facilities take political concerns into consideration. Politics can push release decisions from the parole board. The members of the parole board re vulnerable to pressure from the authority that chooses him or her. The members of the parole board almost unavoidably make the decisions to release an offender carefully.If a parolee commits a crime after he or she was paroled, the media will put the blame on the governor, and the rivals of the governor will use that against the governor in the next election (Dueling, 2012). Communication Challenges Communication is one of the biggest challenges facing leaders in criminal Just agencies. There are two communication barriers that affect communication within these agencies. The first barrier is the individual barriers. The individual barriers deal with how a person interprets what someone else says and the organizational barriers come from the culture of an organization.Each criminal Justice agency has one goal in mind, to protect the people. However, each agency has its own language of sorts when handling the tasks within the agency. The police departments, the court system, and corrections have different languages and not all agencies are familiar with each language. This is a challenge when the agencies must work together. This communication challenge also can be a problem for the public if the public does not know or understand what the agencies are discussing (Sinclair, 2012).Communication is vital to any agency, especially criminal Justice agencies. Every criminal Justice agency has a purpose to protect the people of the United States. Various agencies should hold a training session together to discuss the communication issues between the various agencies and train each agency on the different languages o f each agency. These agencies need to work together, which cannot happen if there is a lack in communication (Sinclair, 2012). Budget Challenges Budget cuts occur across the nation and criminal Justice agencies are not exempt room budget cuts.Most criminal Justice agencies rely on local and state funding to operate and sometimes the state or local officials have to make drastic cuts to the budget because of the economy. Unfortunately, this causes a reduction in staff because the money Just is not there to pay the salaries. Budget cuts are probably the biggest challenges that criminal Justice leaders face because no one wants a reduction in police officers or correctional officers. The United States needs every man power it can get to combat the war on crime.The crime rate rises when departments are forced to scale back because of the budget. Offenders on parole or probation receive less supervision because the money is not there to supervise adequately each offender. Budget cuts aff ect each agency differently, but no agency wants the budget to be cut because managers believe the public cannot be adequately protected (Bryant, 2012). Unfortunately, budget cuts happen to the criminal Justice agencies whether the agencies want it or not.Along with these budget cuts come a reduction in staff. That is a huge blow to law enforcement agencies hired to serve and protect the people of the United States. Criminal Justice agencies discuss and are given a budget after each fiscal year. The budget covers salaries, overtime, and various expenses for the department. The different departments must figure out ways to deal with budget cuts properly to ensure no reduction to the current staff. Sticking to the budget and using the budget for things necessary is important.Having an agency leader make drastic changes to the agency just because he or she wants to, is not a good way to spend the budget (Bryant, 2012). Effective Team Challenges Most criminal Justice agencies work toget her as teams inside the different agencies. Teams are assembled to brainstorm and complete the tasks. For example, law enforcement agencies have specific teams to work certain cases. These team members must be able to work with each other so the team can be effective to solve the cases. Criminal Justice managers do not always have team members who can work together.Sometimes there is conflict within the team and the manager has to come up with a resolution if he or she wants this team to succeed. The team members must be compatible with each other to be effective. The responsibility lies on the criminal Justice managers to assemble the effective and compatible teams for the departments. He or she is faced with a challenge when conflict arises within that am, and he or she must figure out a solution, whether the solution is to remove one member of that team or design new teams (Collaborative Justice, 2012).Affecting Change for the Future The leaders in criminal Justice agencies face many challenges that he or she must deal with daily. The criminal Justice agencies must work together as a team instead of against each other to make the changes and embrace the changes. The future criminal Justice leaders will be confronted with bigger and more complicated before. Even though the challenges will be more complicated and acknowledged at a ore rapidly rate, the abilities these leaders must conquer will not change. Leading Group Challenges The police officers arrest the offenders and charge the offender with the crime, and the court yester determines what sentence the offender should face, If the charges warrant a sentence. If the offender receives a sentence of Call or prison, the correctional faculties must guarantee the sentence occurs In a secure manner. Unfortunately, these criminal Justice agencies are not always working toward the same goals, which results in conflict. The leaders of the agencies must take care of the conflict before the conflict is out of hand.An example of the type of conflict that may arise is police officers wanting to remove the offenders off the streets. The court system may want o give the offenders a chance at rehabilitation instead of prison time, even if the offender is a repeat offender. Situations like this cause conflict for the leaders of the criminal Justice agencies to handle. The court system, correctional facilities, and police give up a considerable amount of control with the responsibilities. Leadership among criminal Justice agencies must consider the control with Justice (Collaborative Justice, 2012).Criminal Justice agencies must work together Instead of against each other to handle the challenges with conflict and control. The agencies must be on the name page and working toward the same goals. The ultimate goal Is to rehabilitate offenders but at times there will be an offender who is not a candidate for rehabilitation. The agencies must work together to find the best solution for the offender, society, and for the different agencies involved (Collaborative Justice, 2012).Political Challenges Criminal Justice agencies handle political and legal challenges that take place inside as well as outside the criminal justice system. Criminal justice decision makers are chosen through appointment or election. Depending on the state, the Judges are either voted in by the people or the governor appoints who he or she wants as a judge. No matter how a person l ooks at it, either way Is political. The president of the united States appoints the federal Judges, and he or she Is verified by the Senate. The political process strongly persuades the Supreme Court of the united States (Dulled, 2012).Keeping politics out of the various criminal Justice agencies Is a must. These agencies have a job to do, which cannot happen if the politics are in the way of people, with that, the politics must stop. The United States has too many corrupt officials because he or she allowed politics to get in the way of doing the Job. There are politics in the police, prosecution, and corrections. For good things to happen with these agencies in the future, these agencies need to separate the politics from the Job and purpose of the Job (Dueling, 2012).The Police and Politics Politics does not have a direct effect on the daily routines and decisions of police officers but politics does determine how the police officers act and react during patrol. Police departmen ts are run by some form of government, whether it is the city council, the mayor, the city manager, or the commissioner. These leaders make a change in the degree to which politics shape the police departments. Politics floods police departments in cities and towns that have a government that consists of a city council or a mayor making the decisions.Professional city managers make political involvement with the police departments less possible (Dueling, 2012). The Prosecution and Politics Political deliberations sway prosecutors in an exact way. Most states elect the prosecutors, and the prosecutors are caught up in the local politics. In the federal courts, the attorneys for the United States are appointed politically and are likely to outwork his or her career goals to the wants of his or her own political affiliation. The federal and state prosecutors frequently use his or her headquarters as a launch pad for a higher political office.Infrequently, a dishonest prosecutor will ta ke advantage of his or her power by way of engaging in political actions of pressing outrageous charges against his or her enemies (Law. ]rank. Org, 2012). Corrections and Politics Officials in the corrections facilities take political concerns into consideration. Politics can push release decisions from the parole board. The members of the parole board re vulnerable to pressure from the authority that chooses him or her. The members of the parole board almost unavoidably make the decisions to release an offender carefully.If a parolee commits a crime after he or she was paroled, the media will put the blame on the governor, and the rivals of the governor will use that against the governor in the next election (Dueling, 2012). Communication Challenges Communication is one of the biggest challenges facing leaders in criminal Just agencies. There are two communication barriers that affect communication within these agencies. The first barrier is the individual barriers. The individual barriers deal with how a person interprets what someone else says and the organizational barriers come from the culture of an organization.Each criminal Justice agency has one goal in mind, to protect the people. However, each agency has its own language of sorts when handling the tasks within the agency. The police departments, the court system, and corrections have different languages and not all agencies are familiar with each language. This is a challenge when the agencies must work together. This communication challenge also can be a problem for the public if the public does not know or understand what the agencies are discussing (Sinclair, 2012).Communication is vital to any agency, especially criminal Justice agencies. Every criminal Justice agency has a purpose to protect the people of the United States. Various agencies should hold a training session together to discuss the communication issues between the various agencies and train each agency on the different languages o f each agency. These agencies need to work together, which cannot happen if there is a lack in communication (Sinclair, 2012). Budget Challenges Budget cuts occur across the nation and criminal Justice agencies are not exempt room budget cuts.Most criminal Justice agencies rely on local and state funding to operate and sometimes the state or local officials have to make drastic cuts to the budget because of the economy. Unfortunately, this causes a reduction in staff because the money Just is not there to pay the salaries. Budget cuts are probably the biggest challenges that criminal Justice leaders face because no one wants a reduction in police officers or correctional officers. The United States needs every man power it can get to combat the war on crime.The crime rate rises when departments are forced to scale back because of the budget. Offenders on parole or probation receive less supervision because the money is not there to supervise adequately each offender. Budget cuts aff ect each agency differently, but no agency wants the budget to be cut because managers believe the public cannot be adequately protected (Bryant, 2012). Unfortunately, budget cuts happen to the criminal Justice agencies whether the agencies want it or not.Along with these budget cuts come a reduction in staff. That is a huge blow to law enforcement agencies hired to serve and protect the people of the United States. Criminal Justice agencies discuss and are given a budget after each fiscal year. The budget covers salaries, overtime, and various expenses for the department. The different departments must figure out ways to deal with budget cuts properly to ensure no reduction to the current staff. Sticking to the budget and using the budget for things necessary is important.Having an agency leader make drastic changes to the agency just because he or she wants to, is not a good way to spend the budget (Bryant, 2012). Effective Team Challenges Most criminal Justice agencies work toget her as teams inside the different agencies. Teams are assembled to brainstorm and complete the tasks. For example, law enforcement agencies have specific teams to work certain cases. These team members must be able to work with each other so the team can be effective to solve the cases. Criminal Justice managers do not always have team members who can work together.Sometimes there is conflict within the team and the manager has to come up with a resolution if he or she wants this team to succeed. The team members must be compatible with each other to be effective. The responsibility lies on the criminal Justice managers to assemble the effective and compatible teams for the departments. He or she is faced with a challenge when conflict arises within that am, and he or she must figure out a solution, whether the solution is to remove one member of that team or design new teams (Collaborative Justice, 2012).Affecting Change for the Future The leaders in criminal Justice agencies face many challenges that he or she must deal with daily. The criminal Justice agencies must work together as a team instead of against each other to make the changes and embrace the changes. The future criminal Justice leaders will be confronted with bigger and more complicated before. Even though the challenges will be more complicated and acknowledged at a ore rapidly rate, the abilities these leaders must conquer will not change.

The Aravind Eye Hospital, Madurai, India: in Service for Sight

Economics of Organization PATAGONIA Case * Introduction Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a broad-based movement in business that encourages companies to take responsibility for the impact of their activities on customers, employees, communities and the environment. Patagonia is a manufacturer of high quality outdoor and adventure sport clothing. Patagonia have found unambiguous ways to couple their products’ function and the brands environmental values.Their business model raises major sums for environmental causes and their technological innovation reduces the environmental impact of their products. * How Patagonia turned CSR into a competitive advantage  ? One important issue for a balanced management has been the willingness of the company to create a profit business but with the desire to respect the environment. We might think that this commitment to the environment is not an internally competitive advantage because it can raise costs and hurt margins. Indeed en vironmentally-friendly policies are not the most financially savy.This issue is important because Patagonia’s entire brand and business is associated with preserving the environment. However, externally, this gave Patagonia a competitive advantage because of the brand loyalty it developed. For example, Patagonia’s existing customer base rose in median age to approximately 44 years old in 2002. Externally, this proved to be a significant strategic issue because competition brands like Columbia and North Face were able to attract younger demographics, which represented a significant source of future income.The company had a particularly strong commitment to the environment – so much so that the management was placed inside implement a policy of slow growth to promote a business model that is more respectful of the environment. Beyond simply slowing growth, the company has undertaken several initiatives for energy efficiency and recycling center for its customer se rvice and retail. This is show how the company controls its growth and reduces waste. Patagonia's methods also show that a slew of counterintuitive business tips can lead to do good while increasing the bottom line and that this is why they got to where they are today. Is this competitive advantage sustainable? In my mind, CSR is a competitive advantage. Firstly corporate social responsibility helps rise the companies prestige and fame, which implicitly leads to an increase in the sales, protection in times of crisis and therefore a greater competitive advantage. Even if certain actions may affect economic performance on the short term, they will eventually lead to an increase in the corporations’ long-term competitive capacity due to their beneficial effects at society level and to the creation of a favorable external environment.Secondly, we may state that social responsibility is the corporations response to the requirements of the environment, in the sense that the compan ies’ own actions and goals should be linked to the common interests and major tendencies of the reference environment. It also gives a competitive advantage to the corporations themselves, helping them ensure a sustainable development.

Infant Observation Essay

For my assignment, I observed at the daycare program housed inside my church called Gateway To Learning (2930 Rayford Rd., Spring, TX 77386), a Christian childcare provider for ages 6-weeks to fourth grade (after school). There are currently 185 children enrolled in the GTL program, including after-schoolers. GTL employs approximately 50 people, not including substitute teachers. The teacher:student ratios are as follows: ages 6 weeks to 12 months – 4:1, 12 to 18 months – 5:1, 18 to 24 months – 9:1, 2 year olds – 11:1, 3 year olds – 15:1, and four year olds – 18:1. All of the teachers must be CPR certified, First Aid certified, and trained in SIDS, shaken baby syndrome, infant brain development, and child abuse. I was placed in the infant room with babies 6-weeks to one year. The room was set up well. There were eight cribs and/or pack-and-plays aligned around the walls of the room with allowed for easy movement of teachers and crawlers. In t he center of the room was a bright, primary color plat mat that the little ones loved rolling around on. There were also bouncers and jumper play toys for the kids to hop inside and have fun with. In one corner of the room was the changing table, kitchenette for warming milk and mixing baby cereal, and refrigerator for storage. There was ample storage space in the kitchenette and the entrances were blocked with childproof gates. Each child has a cubby to put their diaper bags in as well as extra toys, blankets, etc. I think that the room was just the right size for the amount of children in the class, and I think that it was set up in a user-friendly way so getting around was simple. The infant room was on a schedule, but the babies are tiny and all on their own schedules at home, so it was difficult for the teachers to get all of the children doing the same thing at the same time. For instance, when it was time for lunch, some babies had just fallen asleep. The schedule was fairly straightforward: arrive, breakfast, nap, play, lesson, lunch, nap, play, leave. But like I mentioned, some babies were doing their own thing, napping when they could have been playing or playing when they were supposed to be eating. Upon asking the teachers about the schedule, they all agreed that if everyone is happy, then the schedule comes second. I think I would agree with their opinions. Although the infant room wasn’t strict on scheduling, all of the babies were happy during my observation. None of the children in the infant room were talking much. There was only one baby (11 months) that could make actual words. He could say â€Å"Mama† and â€Å"Dada.† Pretty basic. The other babies were verbal, definitely able to let you know if they were hungry, wet or tired, just not producing identifiable words. At one point during my time, one baby was in a jumper talking with another baby across the room. They were chatting back and forth and laughing with each other. I wish I could have understood what they were saying, because it was so cute. My favorite age in the infant room were 6-9 months because they were so bright-eyed and ready for anything. All of the teachers spoke with cheerful voices and kept their tones light. When they would talk directly to a baby, they wouldn’t use baby-talk and instead focused on using the same words over and over again to teach the baby to remember select words or phrases. For example, when one baby was hungry and started crying, the teacher that fed him kept saying, â€Å"Letâ⠂¬â„¢s get your milk.† I asked if the babies tended to remember the short words or phrases and she responded that half of the time there was success. When it came to diapering, the changing table was sanitized after each diaper change and new wax paper is laid on the cushion before the next baby is changed. Employees must wear gloves when changing diapers and wash their hands after finishing. Every few hours, the toys in the infant room are sanitized. The floor mat is sanitized three times a day, once in the morning, once at lunch, and once in the afternoon. To prevent bad health/hygiene, employees are required to wash their hands before handling personal baby items such as food, clothes, pacifiers, etc. If one child has a runny nose and the teacher uses a tissue, she will then have to wash her hands even though her skin never touched the baby’s runny nose. The teachers in the infant room were constantly washing their hands, just to be safe. When the babies were ready to be fed, the teacher would wash her hands, warm the milk/mix the baby cereal, and either sit in a rocking chair or place the baby in a freshly sanitized high chair to feed them. After the baby was finished, the teacher would wash out the bottles/bowls and sanitize the high chair. Then she would wash her hands again. Each baby was on their own feeding schedule, so running water was a noise I heard constantly throughout the day. When the babies were ready to go to bed, they were placed in a crib designated for them. Each baby was given a blanket provided by the parents during nap time and a pacifier if provided by the parent as well. Some babies slept in 20 minute intervals while others slept for an hour depending on their age. Like I mentioned, it is hard to get all of the babies to sleep at the same time, but I was surprised that the ones who would fall asleep stayed asleep while their classmates fussed when hungry or wet. There were a variety of toys for the babies to play with. From dogs that sang songs to maracas for them to shake, each baby had plenty of options. The favorite toys in the room were the ones where the baby could lay down while playing with them, so mobiles and jumpers were the most popular. There were also electric swings to lay the babies in if they weren’t happy sleeping in their cribs as well as pack-and-plays. When it came to communication between teachers and parents, there were quite a few ways of transferring information. Each baby had a clipboard with their name on it with papers that were sent home with the parents at the end of each day. The slips had time slots when diapers were changed, bottles were drunk, and naps were taken. I liked how easy it was to organize the information and still keep the parents happy. Notes were often sent in diaper bags for specific inquiries like â€Å"Can you please send an extra onesie tomorrow?† and of the sort. Overall I think the communication process is very organized and is easy for everyone. My overall opinion of GTL is very high. I had a great time observing and learning about how my church provides care for kids that don’t always come on Sundays. The atmosphere of GTL was very positive and everyone seemed genuinely happy to be working there. All of the teachers were friendly with the kids, even when they had to punish them or take something away, and did everything with a kind heart. The room was very clean and the babies were all happy (most of the time). I liked how each baby had their own crib and cubby, and how everyone was so personable. There were a lot of people stopping by the door just to say â€Å"hi† to another teacher, and I liked knowing that all of the employees seemed to get along with each other without too many issues. The director was pleasant and inviting, as well as knowledgeable when it came to procedures, trainings, and employing new team members. I really enjoyed my time at GTL and will definitely go back when I need to gather more information for my Pre-School observatio n.