Bangladeshi families with mentally retarded members in New York City: A study of needs and available services.
Item
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Title
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Bangladeshi families with mentally retarded members in New York City: A study of needs and available services.
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Identifier
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AAI9720072
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identifier
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9720072
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Creator
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Ali, Md. Mohsin.
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Contributor
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Adviser: Irwin Epstein
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Date
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1997
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Social Work | Sociology, Public and Social Welfare | Health Sciences, Mental Health
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Abstract
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This study makes an assessment of the needs of the Bangladeshi families living in New York City, with mentally retarded (MR) relatives, and gathers information about the services currently available for them.;Recently there has been a significant increase of Bangladeshi people in this country, especially in the Metropolitan New York area. Although the Bangladeshi population is growing rapidly, little systematic research has been conducted about the needs and available support for this new immigrant group.;Many Bangladeshis are struggling to maintain their ethnic beliefs, cultures and family values in Amenca. They are scared of the decline of American moral and family values. Yet, many are able to put their differences aside and engage in building a new Bangladeshi community combining positive family values of both America and Bangladesh.;Many Bangladeshi families in New York face problems with caring for their MR relatives. Their ignorance, cultural practices, family values and financial paucity prevent them from seeking, accessing and utilizing services available for MR people in New York. Often, service providers also are not aware of their problems. There is a great need to link these Bangladeshi families with the service providers in New York.;This study reports on an investigation into the needs of the Bangladeshi families with MR members and an attempt to acquaint them with the available and relevant services. To gather information, a questionnaire was prepared; a search was conducted to find services; and a resulting list of available services was prepared. In order to identify and contact the families with MR relatives, an advertisement was published in the Bengali weekly newspapers published in New York City and flyers were distributed throughout Bangladeshi grocery stores. Imams (prayer leaders) of the Bangladeshi mosques and other community leaders were also involved in the process. One government agency and one private, non-profit agency engaged in providing services for this population was interviewed.;It is suggested that service providers and the community as a whole educate families about the services available to them. The professionals who provide these services can help families gain wider access to services by helping them meet eligibility requirements.;Since the views about MR people are changing and more community integrated programs are developing, Bangladeshi families with MR relatives are now able to come forward to seek, access and utilize the available services. However, in order for this to occur, the Bangladeshi community leaders must also take initiatives to find families in need and encourage them reach the services designed for their MR relatives.;To facilitate this, an organization dedicated to Bangladeshi people can be established. This organization could find, counsel and train the Bangladeshi families with MR relatives and provide preparatory services to the Bangladeshi MR people for helping them access existing service providing agencies in New York.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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PQT Legacy CUNY.xlsx
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degree
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D.S.W.
