Should Global Poverty be a U.S National Security Issue Essay

Should Global Poverty be a U.S National Security Issue - Essay Example This paper illustrates that global poverty is a phenomenon that has been in existence for quite a long time now. However, it is noteworthy that it is an aspect of global in equality. By this, I mean that, in most of the countries, there exists an exceptionally wide gap between the upper and the lower class. Some have no middle class at all. This is reflected in the wider picture with the developed countries having massive wealth, as opposed to the peanuts in the developing world. What does this imply? This is so dangerous to the mutual coexistence of these people. Mostly, global poverty has been continually ignored under the pretence that it is not a problematic issue but a social issue of specific countries. Realistically, this is an environmental problem. This is because, for such people in such circumstances, they have an effect to the environment. By this, I mean that, these difficult economic situations do force them to indulge in behaviors that are environmentally unsustainable . For instance, a country in Sub Saharan Africa will be more likely to engage in charcoal burning due to the financial constraints. This may be in an effort to look for money through its sale to sustain their troublesome life or to use it as firewood instead of the cleaner biogas. This in turn, has an effect on global climate by contributing to augmented discharge of green house gases into the atmosphere leading to global warming. Global warming, consequently results into so many disastrous effects. This includes drought, excessive rainfall and respiratory ailments. (Galore and Weil, p 810). This charcoal burning is also capable of directly affecting the environment because it results into soil degradation. Global poverty also turns out to be an environmental problem because, many people do not get to meet their basic needs (Galore and Weil, p 815). This in itself is an environmental crisis because it is the failure to construct a sustainable environment t for human life. The United States national security strategy demands of them to build a balance of power bearing in mind that each country, whether small or large, has its fundamental responsibilities. Moreover, to affect this, it resolves to pioneer aspirations of human self-respect (Galore and Weil, p 820). With the implications that global poverty has on the environment, it is high time that the United States recognize it as an environmental problem. Its effects on the security are also wanting. This is because; due to poverty such people do not get access to adequate education hence termed as the illiterate. With no employment that comes with no skills and little employment activities, it leaves a large room for indulgence in destructive activities. An excellent example is the poverty in the African American community of the United States (Galore and Weil, p 25). With no education that guarantees no education, it is no wonder that they participate in violent crimes. All these considered it will be of the essence if the United States considers entrenching global poverty into the national security Policy. It should thus be considered as United States National security issue. Population, Technology, and Growth This article explores the model through which population, technology and growth can be fitted to come up with a functional and economic legacy. With three regimes that have lived to characterize the economic development, it is essential that these steps be fairly understood. This will be beneficial to map out the possible transitions’ and have a clear understanding of what the future presents to the world in the economic sector. In a situation where the progress in technology is slow with a growing population, there is a likelihood of reduced rise in output growth (Sachs and Sewell, p 34). This means s that the high numbers of people consume more than what technology can provide them. This is because technology is meant to make man, s work easier. However, if this

The Law of Healthcare Administration Essay Example for Free

The Law of Healthcare Administration Essay 1) Compare and contrast the Stark Self-Referral Laws and the Anti-Kickback Statute.   Both the Stark Self-Referral Laws and the Anti-Kickback Statute were enacted to prevent healthcare providers from improperly benefiting from their referrals.   The Stark Self-Referral Laws are three separate provisions which govern physician self-referral for Medicaid and Medicare patients. The Stark Law states in essence that a physician wouldn’t be allowed to refer a patient to a place where the physician has either a compensation arrangement or ownership interest if payments for services will be made by the Medicaid or the Medicare programs.   The Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits anyone from willfully and knowingly from soliciting or offering any type of payment or gift to give referrals of services or items Medicaid, Medicare or most any federally funded program (excludes Federal employees Health Benefits Program). A defendant would have to be proven by the government to have specific intent to be disobedient to this law.   Unlike the Anti-Kickback Statute which gives the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services the ability to make exceptions, the Stark Law came with the exceptions already in place. Also, unlike the Anti-Kickback Statute, the Stark Law doesn’t allow referrals for specific health services.   The Anti-Kickback Statute is a criminal statute whereas the Stark Self-Referral Laws are civil statutes. Therefore, violations of the Anti-Kickback Statute would be considered felonies with penalties up to $25,000 and five years in prison. Also, civil penalties could be up to $50,000 and dismissal from the Federal Program. Whereas, violations of the Stark Law could result in penalties and non-payment, however, violators of the Stark Law wouldn’t be threatened with imprisonment.   Although they both can be confusing, the Stark Self-Referral Laws are more confusing because of how they came with numerous exceptions in place. 2) In examining the relationship between hospitals and physicians, under what conditions can the hospital be held liable for the physicians negligence? Under what conditions will the hospital not be liable for the physicians` negligence? If the hospital has prior knowledge of or should reasonably be expected to have knowledge of the incompetency of said physician and the hospital failed to protect the patient(s), the hospital could reasonably be held liable for that physician’s negligence. I would turn that around then and state that if it is reasonable that the hospital had no prior knowledge of incompetency on the physician’s part, and it could not be proven that the hospital was aware of any past incompetent actions of said physician, they would not be held liable. However, there is another complication to this which I will just include as a quote because I could make it more complicated in my own words, â€Å"The entity employing independent contractors is generally not liable for the negligence of such independent contractors, since the employing entity does not control the means and methods of the work to be accomplished by the independent contractors. However, hospitals may remain liable for actions performed by independent contractors on a variety of grounds† (Scott, 1998). 3) Discuss your perspective on whether a hospital should revoke a physician`s privileges. provide examples in your discussion. Are your examples â€Å"ethical and/or Legal in nature†?   I feel that a hospital should revoke a physician’s privileges if his license to practice is suspended, revoked or restricted. Also, if the physician loses Medicaid or Medicare privileges, their board certification or loses their Drug Enforcement Administration. In addition, I feel a hospital has the right to revoke a physician’s privileges if the physician is found to use illegal drugs or alcohol and if the physician is convicted of a criminal act. Having said that, I also support the physician’s request for a cure period which could be negotiated between the hospital and the physician. However, the hospital should have this in writing so that staff are aware of it prior to any revocations. Most of the examples I list can be considered as both ethical and legal in nature. 4) As the chief executive officer of a hospital and a member of its executive board, what are some of the key attributes you and your board should consider when hiring physicians and other clinical personnel? Could one actually deny a physician to a hospital without receiving backlash?   I would look for leadership qualities and if there is any experience or volunteer work in their past to indicate they have been in a leadership position in some respect. I would also look for good to excellent communication skills. This can be beneficial for a physician and clinical personnel in many ways. If there is something to indicate they are a strategic thinker, I would value this in regards to those positions. Of course, being a team player would be a valued attribute I would look for also. In addition to those attributes, physicians and clinical personnel considered for these areas need to demonstrate that they handle stressful situations well.   I feel one could absolutely deny a physician to the hospital and whether or not they receive backlash will depend on the staff involved in the interview process and how their morale is and trust in the final judgment of whoever it is that makes that judgment. 5) Please discuss your perspective on U.S. hospitals admitting illegal immigrants as patients? I am not opposed to U.S. hospitals admitting illegal immigrants as patients, however, just like U.S. residents, they need to be contractually and financially obligated to pay for their medical expenses or pay repercussions, which could and possibly should include deportation. Although I believe in humane treatment for all, we cannot allow the financial obligations created by illegal immigrants to fall on U.S. citizens or be absorbed by the U.S. health care system which in turn makes it more difficult and more expensive for U.S. citizens to receive affordable health care. 6) Healthcare organizations in the USA have been impacted with personnel turnover leading to such issues as closures of clinical units or diversion of patients to other hospital emergency departments. Based on your reading of hospital admission, please discuss your perspective of hospitals diverting patients to other facilities. Is this a Legal act? What can we do to effectively address the diversion issue in the US?   It is not illegal to divert patients to other facilities. This is often a necessary move especially if a hospital is full, too busy, if the patient is more critical than the hospital is rated for and a â€Å"for profit† hospital may divert non-paying patients. The hospital should make sure the patient is stable prior to doing any transfer or diversion. However, there are methods of effectively addressing the diversion issue in the U.S. For example, one cause of this diversion is patient-flow problems. Some hospitals have begun installing bed-tracking and patient-tracking systems that are aimed at reducing this patient-flow problem. United Hospital’s emergency department in Minneapolis used to have one of the highest divert rates in that area. However, a year after implementing a bed-tracking system, United Hospital had the lowest patient diversion rate in the Twin Cities metro area (Going, 2003). 7) Discuss a hospital’s process for ensuring it is in compliance with â€Å"HIPAA† of 1996. The hospital needs to have meetings to address the HIPAA and any modifications, and revisions to all of its affected staff. The staff then is given the information and must sign off on having read and understood it. The personnel needs to be able to direct staff to the site or person(s) that can answer additional questions pertaining to HIPAA. â€Å"HIPAA consultants who were intimately familiar with the details of the legislation and offered their services to ensure that physicians and medical centers were fully in compliance† (Health, 2007). 8) Identify a negative aspect of HIPAA, then develop a 200-300 word memo to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services that addresses the identified concern and your suggestion for improving it. July 03, 2007 Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In all due respect, many other physicians including myself are finding lack of clarity in what needs to be basic issues the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Because we must attempt to understand laws and new health care data on an ongoing basis, it is important that it be written as clearly as possible for we very much want to be compliant in this.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Having said this, in speaking with many of my colleagues, we are unclear of who all can have access to the privacy medical records in regards to how this is written up in HIPAA. At first I felt I possibly was the only one having this difficulty, however, after speaking with my colleagues it appears to be an item that is unclear for all of us.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When you update or revise this, please address this issue and let it be known that I represent many others in this field who are having difficulty with this. If it were just myself, I wouldn’t take the time to compose this letter. I do sincerely appreciate your time and effort in this matter. I will be looking forward to reading and understanding your revised copy of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. Sincerely, Your Name 9) Can a physician who is receiving a large increase in Medicaid patients legally dissolve the physician-patient relationship with these patients because of the poor reimbursement rate? Explain your position. No.   By federal law a physician cannot dissolve a patient due to poor reimbursement of their Medicaid payment. One cannot pick and choose patients dependent upon the time it takes for the Medicaid reimbursement to arrive. 10) Discuss your perspective of physician-patient relationship and physician assisted suicide in your discussion, include whether a physician has the legal and ethical right to dissolve the relationship because of the patient wishes to end his/her life. Also, discuss your perspective if the physician honors this patient`s request. A physician has the right to tell the patient that he could not perform that particular procedure dependent upon the procedures they are expected to perform and recommend alternatives to the patient. If the patient is serious about what they want, the patient could then initiate the dissolution of the relationship and go elsewhere. However, I don’t believe the physician should dissolve the relationship because that puts the patient in too vulnerable a position. As a physician, I would follow the guidelines of where I work. I would also inquire as to those guidelines in such an area as this and make my decision as to whether that would be a place I would want to be employed by dependent upon matters and required procedures such as these. 11) How can the US contain the high cost of professional liability insurance? One way would be in changing the laws the way they currently address liability issues in the area of medicine. Other countries don’t even allow for this, however, even modifications in the current laws could help. As mentioned in one of the previous answers, going towards independent contractor physicians takes some of the cost away in that the hospital is not made responsible in most of these cases. References (2003, December). Going with the flow: tracking system helps Midwest hospital   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   streamline patient flow and lower emergency room divert rate. Retrieved July 2, 2007,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   from findarticles.com Web site:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0DUD/is_12_24/ai_111646161 Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. (2007, June 27). In Wikipedia, The   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 02:37, July 2, 2007, from  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Health_Insurance_Portability_and_Accountability_Actoldid=141030639 Scott, R (1998, June 4). Hospital liability for negligence of independent contractor   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   physicians. Retrieved July 2, 2007, from Healthlaw Web site:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.law.uh.edu/healthlaw/perspectives/Tort/980604Hospital.html Showalter, J (2003). The law of healthcare administration. Chicago, IL: Health   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Administration Press. Watnik, R (2000, March 1). Antikickback versus Stark: Whats the difference?. Retrieved   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   July 2, 2007, from AllBusiness.com Web site: http://www.allbusiness.com/health-   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   care-social-assistance/468779-1.html

The Satirical Writing of Kurt Vonnegut Jr. Essay -- Biography Biograph

The Satirical Writing of Kurt Vonnegut Jr. Considered to be one of America's imaginative, original, and talented contemporary writers, Kurt Vonnegut has treated readers to such wonderful works of literature as Slaughterhouse-five and Breakfast of Champions. Most of his many novels, short stories, and plays criticize various wrongs of society. Vonnegut's work is often humorous and light-hearted, mixing settings of fantasy with everyday situations of life. Deeper themes concerning the welfare of society are clearly evident in his satire. Throughout this long career Vonnegut has used his unique style to effectively portray his outlook of the world. Edith Vonnegut gave girth to her second son, Kurt, Jr.., on November 11, 1922 in Indianapolis, Indiana. She and her husband Kurt had been married nine years at the time os junior's birth. The couple's eldest child Bernard was born in 1914, and a daughter Alice followed three years later. Kurt, Sr. had built a reputation as a qualified architect and was able to support his family fairly well. Kurt, Jr.'s early education came at Orchard Public School NO. 43 in Indianapolis from 1928 to 1936. After grade school he moved on Shortridge High, where he served as a staff member for the Shortridge daily Echo, the school's newspaper. Here we see his early like for writing. Finding himself interested in biochemistry, Vonnegut, Jr. attended Cornell Daily Sun. A year later in 1943 the young Hoosier transferred to the Carnegie Institute of Technology. Studies there were cut short by his enlistment into the army to fight in World War II. Vonnegut fought in the battle of the Bulge as a scout for the 106th US Infantry Division, after which he was taken prisoner by the Germans. H... ...gan reading Slaughterhouse-five I knew I was going to enjoy it. I couldn't put the book down. Its unusual structure and organization made it more intriguing for me. Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. is clearly an accomplished writer. After I read the book, I could see that I would most likely enjoy more of his writing. Through my conducted research I understand how he is influenced by the world around him and what he says in his works. Works Cited http://copper.usc.indiana.edu/~briscott/vonnegut.html "Vonnegut, Kurt, Jr." Discovering Authors, Gale Research, 1993. Harris, Charles B. "Time, Uncertainty, and Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.: A reading of Slaughterhouse- five'," in The Centennial review, Vol. XX, No. 3, 1976. "Harrison Bergeron." Literature and Language, MCDOUGALL LITTELL, CO., 1992. "Adam." Responding to Literature (yellow), MCDOUGALL LITTELL, CO., 1992.

Teen Pregnancy and Ways to Prevent It

Teen pregnancy is an important issue all over the country. This is an ongoing problem that must be dealt with. Teenage pregnancy can ruin a teen’s life and also the life of an infant. In this paper I will discuss the many aspects of teenage pregnancy and how it affects the life of a teenager. Each year in the US almost 1 million teens become pregnant. While the facts are clear, the issues of teenage pregnancy are complicated. Talk of sex is everywhere in our society and young girls are portrayed as sex objects. Sex is used to sell everything from clothing to news and yet people are shocked at the rising number of teenagers who are sexually active. The concern about the welfare of infants and adolescents is so much that we must move beyond the denial and distinguish effective solutions that require us to come to a solution. Nowadays it is becoming more familiar to a teenager to be engaged in sexual activities. They have unprotected sex and have multiple partners. Today’s society is more open about the subject of sex than ever before. It is all over the television, the internet, and even on the radio and in music videos. It is all over the media and therefore teens believe it is ok to be promiscuous and do not think about the consequences they could face with an unexpected pregnancy and how much it will change their lives forever. Even though the best way to prevent a pregnancy is to be abstinent, there are many teens under a lot of pressure to have sex and engage in it quite frequently. Many seek the love and affection that they normally do not get at home and they usually find it in the form of sex with whomever they can get the attention from. They usually have a poor home life or low self esteem and may just be looking for love and acceptance in the form of sex to feel loved. Teenagers need encouragement to abstain from sex all together and they need to be given more information on the prevention of pregnancy if they are to become sexually active. Teens need to constantly hear strong messages about being responsible if they decide to engage in sexual activity. Parents should be the primary givers of these messages to guide them in the right direction. If teens are given positive life options then they are given hope for their futures as well as the motivation to avoid early pregnancies. Teen pregnancy has been an issue for many years. Even with all of the education on the subject it is still an issue that continues to be on the rise. There are lots of parents that don’t sit down and talk openly with their kids about sex and all of the consequences of their actions if faced with a pregnancy. Some teens don’t have the parental guidance they need to make the right choices, either because of single parent households that the parent works so much and does not have the time or can pay as much attention to them as the teen may like or parents that just plain don’t care what their kids are doing. Some of these kids go looking for love in all the wrong places and just want to fit in anywhere they can. They don’t think of the consequences if they are making bad choices. The best way to prevent teen pregnancies is to not only teach them about abstinence but also to inform them about the risks they could face if they chose to have unprotected sex or any kind of sex at all. They should be taught all of their options about being safe if they chose to make the decision to have sex. Some of these teachings should include what protected sex is and how it not only prevents them from an unwanted pregnancy but also from STD’s. Teen pregnancy rates in the United States have jumped for the first time in more than a decade and a campaign mandated by the government to reduce the issue is faltering (Stein, 2010). There are lots of political debates on teen pregnancy and the biggest debate is whether or not the federally funded programs on teaching teens abstinence are working or not and several experts blame the increase in teen pregnancies on sex education programs that focus on encouraging abstinence (Stein, 2010), instead of also teaching the use of contraceptives. Critics also argued that the disturbing data of the rise in teen pregnancies were just the latest in a long series of indications that the focus on abstinence programs was a dismal failure (Stein). Abstinence –only programs received more than $100 million in federal funding annually and $50 million in federal funding was given to states that utilized such programs (Medical News Today). James Wagoner, president of Advocates for Youth thinks that abstinence-only programs deny young people life-saving information about condoms and other forms of prevention. They should be taught all of their options about being safe from an unwanted pregnancy and STD’s, because by teaching abstinence only obviously is not working. Teens don’t realize that having a baby is a lot of responsibility financially as well as physically and mentally and they are not fully prepared to take on those responsibilities. So then it either falls in the hands of the teen’s parents or in the taxpayers in the form of welfare. Many teens that get pregnant not only suffer in school or drop out but they also could face other problems such as social or mental problems. Socially teen mothers have very limited social contact or friendships because their friends have moved on in school and with their social lives. The teen mother has little or no time for a social life because all of their time is focused on their child. Another problem they face is because of the lack of social interactions it could lead to depression or some sort of mental anxiety. Teens do have many options if they are faced with an unexpected pregnancy. Many unfortunately have abortions. There is also the option of giving the baby up for adoption; this would be the best option as it gives another family the chance at raising a child that they otherwise could not have of their own. That child may grow up very healthy and happy as opposed to growing up unwanted and possibly in poverty. According to The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists adolescent mothers are significantly less likely to receive a high school diploma than teens that wait to have sex. They are also more likely to live in poverty, receive public assistance, and have long periods of welfare dependency. (The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists). Teen Childbearing in the US costs federal, state, and local taxpayers at least $9. billion annually (Hoffman). Other issues of teen pregnancy is that it can be physically difficult for a teen girl to go through a pregnancy because she is still growing herself and her body may not be able to take the physical demand of being pregnant. They are less likely to seek medical attention such as prenatal care because many are afraid to tell their parents and it could prolong the much needed early prenatal care and if there are problems in the pregnancy, they could have been avoided with early care. Other problems could be that the teen may have been smoking or drinking or doing drugs at the time of conception and those things could be harmful to the baby. In turn if the baby is harmed there will more likely be added medical expenses before during and even after delivery. Some of the most obvious consequences of a teenage pregnancy is that the baby will not receive the adequate support it needs either financially or emotionally because the mother or father has not fully matured and usually has dropped out of school to take a meaningless job that pay minimum wage. Often times the baby will suffer from emotional problems ecause the parent or parents also have emotional problems from not being mature enough to raise a child. Some teenagers feel burdened by the child because they never had the chance to live out their teenage years and many times the child of these parents could feel this resentment. Another negative aspect could be that the children of teenage parents could suffer from neglect because the parent hasn’t matured enough to recognize the need for proper nutrition, or medical care or the child is usually left in the care of others while they go out, regardless of whether that person is trustworthy or not. Children of teenage mothers have significantly higher odds of placement in certain special education classes and significantly higher occurrence of milder education problems, but when maternal education, marital status, poverty level, and race are controlled, the detrimental effects disappear and even some protective effects are observed (Sams). In conclusion a teenager is not fully equipped to care for a child and there could be devastating consequences for that child to be raised by a teenager whether it is because of financial burdens or emotional problems. Teenagers need to be made aware of all of these consequences and what could happen to them if they make the wrong choice of having sex before they are ready. References http://www.articlealley.com/article_479589_17.html

Introduction of the Working Process of Sand Production Line

Thus , according to Henna Machinery Co. , Ltd. To develop much needed gravel industry , saw the opportunity , vigorously develop innovation and mining machinery and equipment upgrades . Henna Machinery Co. , Ltd. Can offer to develop a variety of stone production line according to customer requirements for engineering detailed stone and construction sand , stone crusher , Henna Machinery Co. Ltd. O develop a high degree of automation production lines , large crushing ratio , high production efficiency, capacity large, through the broken product without internal cracks , high compressive strength , in addition to equipment maintenance simplicity , the vulnerability of seniors to improve the current international high- strength wear-resistant materials , low loss and long service life , can bring considerable economic benefits to customers .Construction of buildings need a lot of sand , but the sand Is not the same quality requirements , artificial sand and natural and analogy, rough a ppearance and shape is the main difference between bad . Rough appearance and shape of the less round, pouring concrete for the activity caused adverse effects , such activity will result in poor open areas free of concrete being produced , it can be said sand maker directly affect the quality of the project . Therefore, the quality of the pros and cons of artificial sand should be mainly in rough shape and the appearance of circularity , In addition , artificial sand produced raw materials . S well as other synthetic material limitations are caused by the manufacturing industry will need to take it seriously and construction companies facing problems. Scientific management, advanced processing technology and innovative manufacturing theory make Foote Heavy Machinery become the exporting base of mobile crusher plant, wheel mobile Jaw crusher and famous grinding equipment In China. What Honoring has done is for the clients and we believe that quality Is the best way to develop market .Artificial sand looks rough and circularity poor , mainly determined by the production equipment. Look from the perspective of industry associations , artificial sand production as springing with the herd instinct of the phenomenon , and more practitioners lack of expertise , coupled with the technology behind sand making equipment sector produced only the interests of suppliers , appearing on the market a lot of poor quality and immature equipment , to the healthy development of the cause of the artificial sand brought severe consequences.Lu , president of those known to conquer the world , whether to do anything for a class of companies said the accused , he said, those companies producing equipment production efficiency is low, and capital consumption is amazing , is not mature production equipment. Therefore, any investment has risks , artificial sand is no exception investment , investors need to pay attention to , in addition to market demand and prospects , but also need to be there really enough expert advice.At present , China has some of the artificial sand equipment conduct of investment business prenatal training and after-sales service , to develop Henna Foote Machinery Co. , Ltd. On behalf of China†s artificial sand equipment production enterprise technologies level. Mobile quarry plant: http:// www. Chinatown. Com/pro/pap. HTML

Cash Management Paper

Cash Management Paper Free Online Research Papers Cash Management Paper Cash is the lifeblood of companies. Cash provides the liquidity needed to meet everyday obligations owed to suppliers and creditors and the flexibility to take advantage of new opportunities that may arise. Managing cash is a delicate issue for many firms. For businesses cash is the key to daily operations, but cash is a non-earning asset. Dollars tied up in cash could be earning higher rates of return if invested in other areas. Large corporations spend considerable time and resources in cash management; dollars are transferred back and forth between marketable securities and cash accounts that earn a higher rate of return. Negotiated credit lines serve to supplement depleted cash during periods of shortage. Short-term financing is a portal that allows firms to operate with a low cash balance. The first part of this paper will explain the various cash management techniques. The second half of the paper will address the types of short-term financing a financial manager of a firm has to choose from. Cash Management Techniques While private citizens are often taught conservative cash management practices, most companies do not want to keep any more cash on hand than absolutely necessary. Companies must keep some cash for transactions, bank payments, and potential emergencies; although, the opportunity cost of holding an excess of cash rather than reinvesting it into current assets or growing the firms fixed assets is often significant. Multiple techniques can be used by a firm to manage its cash. These techniques are broken down into three separate categories: collections and disbursements, management of accounts receivable, and inventory management. Collections and Disbursements Float is the difference between the firm’s recorded amount and the amount credited to the firm by the bank. This is the result of a time delays in mailing, processing, and clearing checks through the bank (Block Hirt, 2004). Companies can use this to their advantage. If $500 in checks was written to suppliers and $800 was deposited in checks received by the company, possibly only $300 of the checks written by the company had cleared and $700 of the received checks had cleared. This would give the firm an extra $300 in available short term funds. A company can manage their cash by improving collections by using collection centers or lockbox systems. Collection centers help companies process checks quicker. Lockboxes process checks quickly and at a lower cost. The slowing of disbursements is not uncommon in cash management (Block Hirt, 2004). Banks assist firms in controlling disbursements. This allows the firm to time their payments so that they hold their cash as long as possible. The costs of a comprehensive cash management program can be substantial. The use of disbursement centers and remote collection can be expensive; along with the banks that may charge a fee or require the maintenance of adequate deposit balances. The use of a lockbox system may bring costs down, but overall the costs are significant. The firm needs to run a cost-benefit analysis to compare the expenses of the cash management program to the benefits that will be accrued by having a comprehensive program. Electronic funds transfer is the process of moving funds from one computer terminal to another without the use of a check. The techniques used to delay payments and floats are being reduced due to technology and the technique of electronic funds transfer (Block Hirt, 2004). Automated clearing houses (ACH) transfer information between one financial institution to another, and from account to account via computer. Direct deposit of checks is one of the most popular uses of ACHs. As stated by Block Hirt (2004), â€Å" It is estimated by Elliot C. McEntee, president and CEO of NACHA, that Americans save more that $1 billion in postage costs and late fees in 2003 by using direct payments, while companies and government agencies saved billions of dollars† (p. 182). Corporations that do business in many nations can shift money from country to country. Interest rates are different in all countries; therefore, a company may prefer to take advantage of high interest rates available in a particular country. Financial institutions and businesses can now make multicurrency payments via computer. According to Investopedia (2009), â€Å"Marketable Securities are very liquid securities that can be converted into cash quickly at a reasonable price. Marketable securities are very liquid as they tend to have maturities of less than one year. Furthermore, the rate at which these securities can be bought or sold has little effect on their prices† (Marketable Securities,  ¶ 1). Marketable securities consist of: treasury bills, treasury notes, treasury inflation protection securities, federal agency securities, certificate of deposit, commercial paper, banker’s acceptance, Eurodollar certificate of deposit, passbook savings account, and money market accounts. Firms will maintain levels of marketable securities to ensure that they are able to replenish cash balances quickly and to obtain higher returns than is possible by maintaining cash. Companies will hold securities with very little risk for their immediate cash needs. Highly liquid debt instruments such as commercial paper (short-term marketable promissory notes issued by financial institutions and other corporations), bankers acceptances (drafts issued and accepted by banks often used in international trade) and various government securities such as Treasury Bills and agency notes are frequently maintained in marketable security accounts. Other highly liquid instruments such as money market funds and certificates of deposit, are also maintained as marketable securities Management of Accounts Receivable Firms maintain accounts receivables to stimulate sales. Many clients prefer to make purchases on credit. A liberal accounts receivable policy tends to result in increased sales levels. That is, firms may stimulate their sales levels by relaxing their terms of credit. However, maintenance of accounts receivable represents an opportunity cost to the firm in terms of forgone returns on other assets. Furthermore, accounts receivable represent potential bad debt losses to the firm. The firm must find the appropriate balance of these costs relative to the benefits associated with accounts receivable. This appropriate or optimal balance occurs when the marginal costs of credit policy exactly offset its marginal benefits. Many firms will establish a credit period for their customers but will offer discounts to encourage them to pay early. For example, the terms 2/10, net 30 state that the bill is due in full within 30 days but the customer is offered a 2% discount if it pays within 10 days. Longer credit periods or more liberal credit terms are likely to stimulate sales, but at the same time, the firm forgoes the use of its money for a greater length of time and increases the potential for bad debt losses. Increasing the percentage discount will help speed the collection process, but at the expense of total cash flows from sales. Many firms will ease credit terms for products that take longer to sell. Such low turnover goods are more likely to be tied up longer as inventory; using liberal credit terms to defer cash receipts from their sale is less costly if the alternative is higher inventory levels. Similarly, more competitive markets for the firm’s products may also encourage more liberal cre dit terms since such terms may enhance the firm’s ability to compete. Before extending credit, the firm will probably wish to investigate the credit-worthiness of the customer. This investigation may simply focus on the firm’s customer’s credit history with the firm or may include contacting various credit reporting agencies (such as Dun and Bradstreet), checking with the customers bank and other suppliers of credit and examining the customer’s financial statements and operations. The financial statement analysis will probably require the use of financial ratios, particularly those reflecting the firms liquidity position. Inventory Management Inventory falls into three categories raw material, work in progress, and finished goods. According to Block Hirt (2004), â€Å"All of these forms need to be financed and their efficient management can increase a firm’s profitability† (p.194). The firm needs to decide if they are going to follow a level or seasonal production plan. It also must take into account inflation and deflation. It must hedge by using a futures contract to sell at a certain price in the near future. The firm must develop an inventory model. It can do this by first assessing various costs, including those resulting from ordering inventories and those associated with carrying inventory. Order costs will include all expenses resulting from obtaining inventory such as administrative ordering costs incurred by the firm, fees to agents, and in some cases, shipping costs. Inventory carry costs will include storage expenses such as warehouse heating and lighting costs. With this information the firm c an then determine the economic ordering quantity (EOQ). This is the most advantageous amount for the firm to order each time. The equation is: . S = Total Sales in units, O = Ordering cost for each order, C = Carrying cost per unit in dollars. If an entity runs out stock it could lose sales to a competitor. This may cause a firm to hold what is called safety stock. Even though the company will determine the optimum order quantity, they cannot predict the delivery schedules for suppliers or the fact that there will be stock to purchase when the old inventory reaches zero. This safety stock will help reduce these risks. â€Å"The amount of safety stock that a firm carries is likely to be influenced by the predictability of inventory usage and the time period necessary to fill inventory orders† (Block Hirt, 2004, p. 199). Just-in-time inventory (JIT) is a way to keep inventory costs down. This concept started in Japan with Toyota. Three components must be present: quality production with customer satisfaction; close ties between suppliers, manufacturers, and customers; and, low inventory. The benefits of JIT include cost savings from lower levels of inventory and reduced financing costs. Methods of Short-Term Financing Short-term financing opportunities are available in a variety of ways to companies. Most of short-term transactions covered by financing are for periods of 180 days or less. Short-term financing is required when the need to increase inventory is present. Inventory is then converted to sales. When extended payment terms are given to these sales, accounts receivable are created. Inventory and accounts receivable are short-term and provide a collateral base for a lender to provide financing. A company may need financing when the inventory and accounts receivable grow at a fast pace as a result of continually increasing sales; this creates the need for funds to support the increase in the accounts that are growing at a faster rate than the accounts receivables can be converted to cash. The many different types of short-term financing will be explored throughout the rest of the paper. Trade Credit According to Block Hirt (2004), â€Å"The largest provider of short-term credit is usually at the firm’s doorstep – the manufacturer or seller of goods and services (p. 211). A firm will use its accounts payable to fund future operations, this is called trade credit. The usual payment period for trade credit is 30 to 60 days. Many companies allow a cash discount to encourage early payment. A 2/10, net 30 cash discount means 2% will be deducted from the price if the payment is remitted in 10 days. Failure to do so will result in the full amount being due in 30 days. Bank Credit â€Å"Banks can provide financing for seasonal needs, product line expansion, and long-term growth† (Block Hirt, 2004, p. 212). Because of bank deregulation an entity now has access to many different kinds of banks that can be used for short-term financing; commercial banks, savings and loans, credit unions, brokerage houses, and new companies offering financial services are just a few options that firms can choose from. When using a bank for short term financing prime rates need to be considered. The higher the customer’s credit risk, the higher of an interest rate will be charged by the bank. Since London is the center of the Eurodollar deposits, United States businesses can borrow from London banks quite easily. The London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) is usually lower than the prime rate in the U.S.; therefore, companies can borrow from the London banks at a lower interest rate than they would get in the U.S. Many banks require a compensating balance when money is borrowed. This must be looked at closely by the financial manager. This requires the company to borrow more than is needed because a portion of the loan will be kept in an account with the bank. When a company takes a term loan or secures a loan with interest and a compensating balance a cost-benefit analysis needs to be done by the financial manager. The cost for borrowing money these ways can be high. The amount of money the company might expend on securing short-term financing through a bank might not be a financially smart decision. Commercial Paper A short-term promissory note issued to the public in minimum units of $25,000 is called commercial paper (Block Hirt, 2004). Commercial paper is broken down into two categories: finance paper and dealer paper. Finance paper is sold directly from the finance company to the lender. Dealer paper is sold by small companies such as utility firms, industrial companies, and financial firms. The commercial paper is then distributed by intermediate dealers for the small companies. Financial managers like using commercial paper for their short-term financing needs because they have no compensating balances and the charged interest rates are usually below the prime interest rate. According to Block Hirt (2004), â€Å"Although the funds provides through the issuance of commercial paper are cheaper than bank loans, they are also less predictable† (p. 221). Accounts Receivable Financing If a borrower’s credit rating is too low or its need for funds too large, the lending institution might require that certain assets be used as collateral. Accounts receivable financing is a way for the company to get the funding. A company can either pledge the accounts receivable or factor them. Pledging accounts receivables means the financing company will lend 60% 90% of the value of the acceptable collateral. If the borrower defaults on the loan the lender will have full recourse against borrower. Interest rates are generally well above prime for this type of loan. Factoring the accounts receivables means that the company sold those accounts directly to the lender. The customer’s will now make their payments directly to the lending company. The borrowing firm will pay the factoring firm a commission fee as well a lending rate for assuming the risk of the accounts receivable. Inventory Financing Entities may also borrow against their inventory to gain funds. According to Block Hirt (2004), â€Å"The extent to which inventory financing may be employed is based on the marketability of the pledged goods, their associated price stability, and the perishability of the productâ€Å"(p. 226). Borrowing against inventory can be done three ways: blanket inventory liens, trust receipts, and warehousing. Blanket inventory liens are the simplest way to borrow against the inventory. There is no physical transfer of the merchandise. The lending company has a general claim against the inventory. Trust receipts are instruments acknowledging that the borrower holds the inventory and proceeds from the sales in trust for the lender (Bloch Hirt, 2004). Each piece of inventory is marked with a serial number; when it is sold, the proceeds are given to the lender and the trust receipt is destroyed. This gives more control to the lender than blanket inventory does but the borrower still has physical control of the inventory. Warehousing is when the inventory is physically stored in a warehouse under the direction of a third party warehousing company. The goods can only be moved with the lender’s approval. If the inventory is stored in the third party warehousing company’s warehouse it is called public warehousing. Field warehousing is when the inventory is kept in the borrower’s warehouse but is controlled by a third party warehousing company. Conclusion Cash flow management is absolutely critical to the financial survival of a firm. A shortage of cash may result in a firm that shows a profit on its income statement but is bankrupted by being unable to meet its financial obligations. Cash management is a broad term that refers to the collection, concentration, and disbursement of cash. It encompasses a companys level of liquidity, its management of cash balance, and its short-term investment strategies. In some ways, managing cash flow is the most important job of business managers. If at any time a company fails to pay an obligation when it is due because of the lack of cash, the company is insolvent. According to Answers.com (2009), â€Å"Insolvency is the primary reason firms go bankrupt† (Cash Management,  ¶ 3). Obviously, the possibility of such a consequence should encourage companies to manage their cash with care. Moreover, efficient cash management means more than just preventing bankruptcy; it improves the profita bility and reduces the risk to which the firm is exposed. References Answers.com. (2009). Cash Management. Retrieved July 11, 2009, from answers.com/topic/cash-management Block, S., B., Hirt, G., A. (2004). Foundations of Financial Management, 11/e. Retrieved June 1, 2009, from University of Phoenix eBook Collection on the World Wide Web: apollolibrary.com. Investopedia. (2009). Marketable Securities. Retrieved July 11, 2009, from investopedia.com/terms/m/marketablesecurities.asph-management Research Papers on Cash Management PaperIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalThe Project Managment Office SystemOpen Architechture a white paperNever Been Kicked Out of a Place This NiceTwilight of the UAWBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfDefinition of Export QuotasAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaResearch Process Part OneThe Effects of Illegal Immigration

Love Divorce

Love Divorce Free Online Research Papers What is love? Love is a very special and meaningful word to anyone and everyone who has loved before. For me, love is a priceless diamond, like a diamond, it has thousands of mirror images, and each represents a meaning of love. Having a key to open my heart to look at this world without a mask, to show people who I really am. It also means those signs of the diamond cannot be replaced by any kind of expression, because the untrue reflection will not be a real diamond, and will not be able to spread out its magnificent as well as meaningful reflection of love to people to whom I care for. With this wonderful definition of what love is why do people divorce? There are so many theories on this issue but the usual reasons are communication, compromise, and commitment, and it’s hard to disagree with them. If both spouses were consistently able to communicate with each other, able and willing to compromise with each other, and 100% committed to their marriage, it’s hard to see how it could fail but it does. When it is all said and done the main factors that make a marriage work are a combination of the three Cs communication, compromise, and commitment. Without love, communication, compromise, and commitment one may lose the ability to survive in this world with no hope. Seeing that well as, an individual may lose many opportunities of enjoyment both mentally and physically, when they do not know what love is or haven’t fully experience it. I believe love is a special and meaningful diamond, which can spread out the originality of love to people generously, as well as sending out the invitation to welcome my friends and people who I love to come to my kingdom of love. Therefore people should not hesitate to own this priceless diamond to broaden their life of love and happiness. Research Papers on Love Mr. Obama and IranIntentism The Resurrection of the AuthorProject Management 101Deontological Teleological Theories

Parallel Construction

Parallel Construction Parallel Construction Parallel Construction By Maeve Maddox A common writing fault is faulty parallelism. In writing, parallelism is a similarity of construction of adjacent word groups. Faulty parallelism results when words, phrases, or clauses are mismatched. Here are some examples of faulty parallelism: Hiking is more fun than to swim. Hiking is a verbal noun. To swim is an infinitive. Better: Hiking is more fun than swimming. To hike is more fun than to swim. Sandra Bullock is beautiful and has intelligence. Beautiful is an adjective; has intelligence is a clause. Better: Sandra Bullock is beautiful and intelligent. Sandra Bullock has beauty and intelligence. Even though we have had peaceful protest, there has been protest that was violent, even today. This sentence from a student essay about a tradition of violence in the United States has several problems. The first clause begins with a true subject, we, while the second clause begins with there. The delayed subject of the second clause is protest. Having protest as the object of a verb in the first clause and the subject of the verb in the second clause is awkward. More imbalance results from the mix of past and present verb tenses and the tacked-on phrase even today. Even though seems to call for a stronger contrast than what follows. Better: Even though we have had peaceful protests, violent protests have been common and continue today. The nightly news is full of stories about missing children or stories that someone tried to abduct some children at a bus stop. This example is also from a student essay. The structural imbalance results from the fact that the first storystories about missing children is qualified by an adjective phrase, while the second storystories that someone tried to abduct some children at a bus stop is qualified by an adjective clause. Better: The nightly news is full of stories about missing children and child abductors. The nightly news is full of stories about children who have disappeared from their homes or who have been abducted at bus stops. A recent Apple ad for the iPad contains an example of faulty parallelism in the list of words interspersed with a series of screenshots: delicious current learning playful literary artful friendly productive scientific magical All but one of the words is a descriptive adjective. Learning is a verbal noun. The adjective that would fit with the other adjectives is educational. Perhaps the copywriter felt that the word educational is too stodgy for an Apple ad targeting fun-loving consumers. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Writing Basics category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:What is the Difference Between "These" and "Those"?Peace of Mind and A Piece of One's Mind48 Writing Prompts for Middle School Kids

Explain Mackie's argument Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Explain Mackie's argument - Essay Example He pokes a hole in all the arguments proclaiming the existence of God. The three propositions in the text above are in contradictions: God’s omnipotence, God being wholly good, ye amongst all these evil exists. If the two are true, then the third will be false, the three being part of the arguments that proclaim the existence of God. In a logical and philosophical argument adherence to the three propositions cannot be consistent. Theologians argue that evil is the balance that God uses to bring goodness, however this argument is certainly a limitation on the omniscience of God. Langtry (2008) points out a good person does not always eliminate evil as far as possible, the resulting understanding from Mackie’s argument. Further, he points out that thw world is better with some evil than without evil, as pain and misery are first order evils which are deductively important parts of second order good which include suffering and heroism when confronted with danger. Therefore the problem of evil is stated in form of second order evil compared against present solution which is

Employee Handbook Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Employee Handbook - Assignment Example Though some situation may prohibit punctuality but excessive tardiness is prohibited, and disciplinary actions can be taken against such employee. The company provides, as benefit, paid vacations for its eligible employees. The employee should forward requests for time off in advance to the supervisor in charge who has the authority to approve or deny the request. The company can grant vacations days on either full-day or half -day basis During the employment period of an employee, the employee is should not undertake any activity or have interest with any person or in any organization which may constitute a conflict of interest with this company. The company prohibits dating within the company’s premises. The employees who are caught dating within the company’s premises and while on duty will face disciplinary actions as that will be considered as obstruction to other employees. Disciplinary action is an option that will be used to correct unacceptable behavior or actions. The company uses oral warnings, written warnings probation, suspension, demotion, removal or some other disciplinary action, in no particular order. The course of action will be determined by the company at its sole discretion as it supposes appropriate. The company recognizes that employees and management alike must sometimes initiate and embrace change. In this regard it is expressly understood that your employment is â€Å"at will.† Thus, the employee has the right to terminate his/her employment with the company at any time for any reason and the company retains a corresponding right to end the employment relationship at any time for any reason. This company recognizes that there employment relationship problems may arise and therefore encourages employees to check their facts before blowing thing out of proportion. The employee can also consult the manger regarding the problem. It is important for the employee to bear in mind that his/her appearance and hygiene is a

A business report about the company called friend Essay

A business report about the company called friend - Essay Example I (David) took the responsibility of finding out solutions to their problems. Therefore a business report is compiled, which itemises each department and issue so that every problem can be studied. After discussion with the owners and then studying their marketing approach, it appears that they have no such plan at all. They believe in advertising through their customers; however it is evident that the customer base is not at all increasing. Their customers might be loyal, but are not good at advertising them. Similarly there is no customer base in the two cafà ©-bars too. Most people only come there by chance. The cafà ©-bars again are not advertised. The saloons and bar both sell different products. It can be established that the products need to be suited for the targeted audience. The saloons can sell Aveda products directly to their customers, to get extra income. The bars too can cut their menu to more focused foods. No advertising is used at all. Publicity to increase sales is missing as well. The fact that local music events are organized at the bars makes it easier to introduce new products. This opportunity needs to be utilized in order to publicise the saloons without any additional cost. Understanding the customer better allows designing appropriate products. The Friends have to understand that they can no longer survive with their current customer base. For example, in the cafà ©-bars the food sure has variety, but no focus. This makes customer less likely to come to the bars. After inquiring for some customers it was noticed that the environment at the saloons was not customer friendly. The services given by the staff aren’t satisfactory, thought the haircuts were good. The overall processes of the business are run on ad-hoc basis, with no planning at all. Processes need to be streamlined and a clear guideline has to be established. Friends can utilise their personal relationship to promote themselves, they can easily make promotional

Police Ethical Conduct Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Police Ethical Conduct - Research Paper Example The ethical codes of conduct of the police or the law enforcement officers have a significant role to play in the work of the police. One of the primary reasons requiring such ethical code is that the public, in general, would not accept a police department that is corrupted. The concept of ethics in this regard is associated with corruption, failure to act, gifts, and gratuities. In the recent times, in several countries including the United States, the corruption levels of the police officers have increased to great extents. Such corruption examples include officers not acting on criminal activities, acceptance of bribes, providing information that may put at risk an enquiry to issues or suspects of the investigation, involvement in the mission of a crime, making complaints that are fake and initiating actions by the court, failure to bear witness precisely, and forgery of police reports or official declarations for search or arrest warrants (Stering, 2004, p.37). The need for ethi cal police conduct is essential since if one police officer gets corrupted, it has a significant effect on other officers as well. In general, the public has a belief that the police are involved in corrupt activities and that they try to protect each other in their personal interests. However, police officers have been found to be proud of their profession and they tend to have values for the integrity and respect that are associated with their work. Generally, they try to perform their activities professionally and without being involved in corruption, such involvements meaning exception (Stering, 2004, p.37). The present study thus focuses on the ethical codes of conduct of the police officers also discussing the causes behind officers undertaking unethical decisions. Police Ethical Code of Conduct: The Law Enforcement Code of Ethics was in the beginning considered as an oath of a police officer rather than as an established code of ethics. However, there was an aspiration of hav ing an oath of office that could be used for graduation ceremonies. This desire led to the creation of a separate code of ethics and conduct for the law enforcement officers and the police.

Personal Legend Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Personal Legend - Essay Example Discovering and realizing one’s purpose in life and hence his or her legend results in the development of enthusiasm to achieve it (Coelho 8). Following your dreams brings happiness. Nevertheless, although the path is defined, it is loaded with trails that offer teachings and give important life lessons. As such, one requires a lot of courage, self determination and discipline. I would like to give an illustration of my personal legend whilst I explain the interferences to my path and how I dealt with them. Ever since I was little, I have always been fascinated by the FBI. This made me develop a legend of wanting to become a Special Agent with the bureau. As a child playing cops and robbers, I always wanted to be a cop and always protested when other kids wanted me to play the robber. To me the game meant more than just that. I felt I was really an agent of the law making arrests. I believe there is no better way of being a good citizen of this great country than being the one who enforces the constitution. This, coupled with the inspiration that was my grandfather, who was a federal agent at the time meant it did not take long for me realize my life’s purpose. In the first grade when we were asked what we wanted to do when we grew up, some of my classmates said teachers, doctors, engineers and other professions. The teacher was surprised when I drew a picture of me holding a gun arresting a criminal with the caption, â€Å"when I grow up I want to join the FBI.† Having a legend does not mean that one will automatically attain his or her goals as we have to lead lives through space and not inside it meaning we have to move (Ingold 148). Ever since I realized my legend, I have endeavored to better myself to become an agent in the bureau. Before I reached my teens, I used to think that all I had to do to become an agent is to arrest â€Å"bad guys† and carry a gun. My knowledge of the profession was based on the television series. However, my

Police Ethical Conduct Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Police Ethical Conduct - Research Paper Example The ethical codes of conduct of the police or the law enforcement officers have a significant role to play in the work of the police. One of the primary reasons requiring such ethical code is that the public, in general, would not accept a police department that is corrupted. The concept of ethics in this regard is associated with corruption, failure to act, gifts, and gratuities. In the recent times, in several countries including the United States, the corruption levels of the police officers have increased to great extents. Such corruption examples include officers not acting on criminal activities, acceptance of bribes, providing information that may put at risk an enquiry to issues or suspects of the investigation, involvement in the mission of a crime, making complaints that are fake and initiating actions by the court, failure to bear witness precisely, and forgery of police reports or official declarations for search or arrest warrants (Stering, 2004, p.37). The need for ethi cal police conduct is essential since if one police officer gets corrupted, it has a significant effect on other officers as well. In general, the public has a belief that the police are involved in corrupt activities and that they try to protect each other in their personal interests. However, police officers have been found to be proud of their profession and they tend to have values for the integrity and respect that are associated with their work. Generally, they try to perform their activities professionally and without being involved in corruption, such involvements meaning exception (Stering, 2004, p.37). The present study thus focuses on the ethical codes of conduct of the police officers also discussing the causes behind officers undertaking unethical decisions. Police Ethical Code of Conduct: The Law Enforcement Code of Ethics was in the beginning considered as an oath of a police officer rather than as an established code of ethics. However, there was an aspiration of hav ing an oath of office that could be used for graduation ceremonies. This desire led to the creation of a separate code of ethics and conduct for the law enforcement officers and the police.

Response Paper Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Response Paper - Coursework Example The writer also sheds light on the fact that Eastern Cherokee community is not only self-sufficient but also they are producing surplus goods to be sold in other markets (David M. Wishart, 1995). Answer: The author has used different ways of rezoning and evidence. For example, he has discussed the issue of removal of Eastern Cherokees who are predominantly farmers and producing surplus. The author has provided many tables in this paper that present statistical data that supports the fact that these people are producing surplus. Answer: To some extent, the writer believes that the demand of white people to sideline Eastern Cherokee community is not valid. These people still follow their tribal norms that passed on from hundreds of years. These people are socially and economically lag behind the mainland United States people. Due to these reasons many white nationalist people demanded that Eastern Cherokee people must not be able to participate in market economy system of the United States because they will make the nation’s economic determinants and statistics bad. Removal. The Journal of Economic History, Vol. 55, No. 1 (Mar., 1995), pp. 120-138. Published by: Cambridge University Press on behalf of the Economic History Association Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/2123770 .Accessed: 17/11/2013

Comparing and Contrasting Biblical and Professional Views of Addiction Essay Example for Free

Comparing and Contrasting Biblical and Professional Views of Addiction Essay Running head: COMPARING AND CONTRASTING VIEWS OF ADDICTION Comparing and Contrasting Biblical and Professional Views of Addiction Mike Hill Liberty University Abstract This paper compares and contrasts the biblical view of addiction counseling with the historical and current professional standpoint. This is achieved by carefully inspecting from a biblical perspective the meanings and usages of terms such as counsel, advice, wine, strong drink, abstinence, and others. This paper will also present the definition, etiology, assessment, diagnosis, consequences, and intervention strategies related to addiction. Finally, the last section will provide personal insights and applications. Comparing and Contrasting Biblical and Professional Views of Addiction Introduction As the fabled emperor proudly paraded around in his new clothes, the whole hamlet knew there was a problem except the naked, self-deceived ruler. Similarly, the common threads that bind most substance abusers are denial and destructive behavior. Kanel (2007) summarized substance dependence as â€Å"a maladaptive pattern of substance abuse leading to clinically significant impairment or distress† (p. 169). Clients who present with alcohol dependence or abuse have a vice-grip hold on defenses which include denial, displacement, fantasy, projection, rationalization, minimizing, and repression (Kanel, 2007, pp. 174-175). For example, Kanel (2007) asserts, â€Å"Denial is strong in these types of clients because most of them who come in for counseling are still capable of functioning on the job; therefore, they do not see themselves as addicts† (p. 175). However, denial does not cover the problem nor the devastating consequences. Nationally, researchers have estimated a staggering 40% of all traffic crash fatalities are alcohol related (NIAA, 2010). Research has also demonstrated  that most high school students â€Å"started their drug involvement with beer or wine. The second stage involved hard liquor, cigarettes, or both.† In the third stage, teens moved on to illicit drug use (Ksir, Hart, Oakley, 2009, p. 17). In addition, in 2008, 51.6% of Americans age 12 and older had used alcohol at least once in the 30 days prior to being surveyed (NIDA, 2010). The estimated cost of alcohol abuse and alcoholism to the United States is in the billions—a sobering thought, especially in our current economic distress (NIAA, 2010). The purpose of this paper is to compare and contrast the biblical view of addiction counseling with the historical and current professional standpoint. This goal will be achieved by carefully inspecting from a biblical perspective the meanings and usages of terms such as counsel, advice, wisdom, plan, purpose, instruction, and help as well as words related to addiction which include wine, strong drink, desire, self-control, and abstinence. Secondly, this paper will compare and contrast the professional view of counseling versus biblical counseling as related to addiction. This section will present the definition, etiology, assessment, diagnosis, consequences, and intervention strategies related to addiction. Finally, the last section will provide personal insights and applications. Biblical Words Related to Counseling To grasp the message of a song, it is necessary to dissect the lyrics. Likewise, to comprehend the philosophy and purpose of counseling, the meaning of the words related to it must be defined and understood. According to a biblical worldview, the first word to be defined is â€Å"counsel.† Counsel The word â€Å"counsel† in the Bible is derived from different Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek words. The word definitions were derived from the Blue Letter Bible (2010) website which provides the meanings of the words from Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible. A sample of Old Testament (OT) usages from the New King James Version (NKJV) and the King James Version (KJV) are as follows: a. Ya‘ats (verb)—means â€Å"to advise, to consult, devise, or plan.† David joyfully proclaimed, â€Å"I will bless the LORD who has given me counsel (ya‘ats)† (Psalm 16:7 NKJV). David identified the Lord as being the source of good counsel. b. Dabar (noun)—refers to â€Å"a saying or speech.† The counsel (dabar) of Balaam led the Israelites away from the Lord which resulted in severe judgment (Numbers 31:16). From this Hebrew usage, counseling can be understood as much more than simply listening to clients. Listening plays a large part in establishing a working alliance, but counseling also involves the counselor supplying verbal input, albeit, better counsel than Balaam’s. c. ‘Etsah (noun)—means â€Å"advice or purpose.† This word is akin to the Greek word boule. Clinton and Ohlschlager (2002) discovered that, â€Å"The word occurs more than a hundred times in the Septuagint, where it is used seventy-four times to translate the Hebrew word etzah† (p. 59). Usage of this word in both Psalm 33:10-11 and Psalm 1 demonstrate that there are basically two types of counsel: either ungodly or godly. â€Å"The LORD bringeth the counsel (‘etsah) of the heathen to nought: He maketh the devices of the people of none effect. The counsel (‘etsah) of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of His heart to all generations† (Psalm 33:10-11 KJV). This word is also used in 2Samuel 15:31, 34, 1Kings 12:8, Psalm 1:1, 33:10-11, Proverbs 20:5, and Isaiah 11:2. d. Tachbulah (noun)—conveys the idea of â€Å"direction, guidance, or good advice.† (See Proverbs 11:14.) e. Melak (Aramaic-noun)—means â€Å"advice.† (See Daniel 4:27.) The New Testament (NT) was originally written in Greek. The following Greek words are translated into the English word â€Å"counsel†: a. Sumbouleuo (verb)—means â€Å"to counsel, to advise, or exhort.† The essence of the counsel (sumbouleuo) of Jesus to nominal believers in Laodicea was to turn from their materialistic self-complacency and open their hearts to true intimacy with Him (Rev. 3:18, 20). This word also means â€Å"to consult together or to plot† as used in Matthew 26:4 and Matthew 28:12. b. Boule (noun)—means â€Å"counsel, purpose, design, determination, or decree.† This word is used in Luke 7:30, Acts 2:23, Ephesians 1:11, and Hebrews 6:17. Noted  Greek scholar Ken Wuest (1947) adds that boule means, â€Å"To desire, which desire comes from one’s reason†¦counsel to the effect that the soul might find a sure refuge in the Lord Jesus† (p. 123). c. Bouleuo (verb)—means â€Å"to give counsel, to purpose, or to determine.† The idea of counsel being â€Å"advice or the act of giving advice† is a common thread tying most of these words together. Tachbulah, boule and bouleuo include â€Å"purpose† and â€Å"direction† to further expound the meaning. While good counsel includes advice-giving, Clinton and Ohlschlager (2002) encourage an approach that helps the client discover truth rather than simply telling them what the truth is. Drawing from Proverbs 20:5, they assert, â€Å"Truth drawn out of the client’s own life tends to be more deeply understood and more actively embraced, and it motivates and sustains the change process† (p. 204). Advice The next word â€Å"advice† is translated from two different Hebrew words and a Greek word. a. Dabar (noun) and ‘etsah (noun)—are Hebrew words that are also translated as â€Å"counsel† in the OT as described above. b. Gnome (noun)—this Greek word means â€Å"view, intention, or reason.† c. Webster’s dictionary (1983) defines advice as â€Å"counsel; an opinion offered as worthy to be followed in a particular situation† (p. 29). Plan â€Å"Plan† and â€Å"purpose† are both translated from the Hebrew word machashabah (noun) which is found in Proverbs 16:3, Proverbs 20:18 and Jeremiah 29:11. In the New Testament, the Greek word prothesis (noun) means â€Å"purpose, a predetermination, or a setting forth† and is used in Romans 8:28; and 9:11. Instruction Another word related to counseling is â€Å"instruction.† Examples from the Old Testament and New Testament are as follows: a. Muwcar (noun)—Hebrew meaning â€Å"discipline or correction† as in Proverbs 19:20. b. Paideia (noun)—this Greek word refers to the â€Å"training up† of children into adulthood. As it relates to believers, it is â€Å"instruction with the aim at increasing virtue.† A key passage where this word is used is 2Timothy 3:16. Wisdom Wise counsel is non-negotiable for success in the therapeutic relationship. â€Å"Wisdom† is defined in the Hebrew and Greek below: a. Chokmah (noun)—this Hebrew word also means â€Å"shrewdness or prudence.† There is a prophetic reference to the Messiah in Isaiah 11:2 indicating that He would have the â€Å"Spirit of wisdom (chokmah)† upon Him. b. Sophia (noun)—Mounce (1993) defines this word as â€Å"wisdom, in general, knowledge, learning, science or enlightenment† (p. 419). This word can be found in James 3:16-17 where wisdom from God is contrasted with earthly, demonic wisdom. Help Finally, forming a helping relationship is necessary for client change (Horvath Luborsky, 1993, p. 561). The Hebrew words ‘ezrah and azar as well as the Greek words boetheia, sullambano, and epikouria, all basically mean â€Å"to help.† Psalm 60:11 concludes that help (‘ezrah) from man is useless. True help is only from the Lord. Christian counselors can boldly visit God’s throne of grace to receive grace for the right help (boetheia) to extend to clients (Hebrews 4:16). As connecting dot-to-dots will form an image, combining these words together will provide a picture of counseling from a biblical worldview. In essence, there are two types of counsel: either godly or ungodly. Godly, wise counsel originates from God and accomplishes His purposes. Ungodly, unwise counsel is â€Å"earthly, sensual, demonic† and fulfills the plans of this present age (James 3:15-17). The goal of Christian counseling includes  God’s eternal plan for souls to enter a relationship with Jesus and grow in Him. The priority of the counsel of Jesus is intimacy with Him above attaining material wealth and earthly satisfaction (Revelation 3:18, 20). In contrast, secular counseling has the temporal goal of human satisfaction and self-fulfillment (Clinton Ohlschlager, 2002, p. 77). Bufford (1997) considers the difference in goals as the most important factor distinguishing Christian from secular counseling (p. 120). For example, suppose a client’s unwanted pregnancy was causing distress in her life. A secular counselor would provide abortion as an option (Feldman, 2008, p. 57). A competent Christian counselor would assist the client to view issues through the lens of Scripture and would not suggest abortion as an option (AACC code of ethics, 2004, p. 7). Rather, the Christian counselor would supply other options such as adoption, para-church ministries, and other ideas to support the decision of carrying the baby to term. Fulfillment, satisfaction, and peace are the by-products of godly counsel. When Moses appropriated the counsel of his father-in-law Jethro, he was able to manage his overwhelming responsibilities more efficiently and to have peace of mind (Exodus 18:19). Another illustration of counseling in Scripture is in 2Samuel 15. Ahithophel was once King David’s counselor. Ahithophel’s job was to provide advice to the king in order for him to make wise decisions in war plans and to understand the mind of the Lord in other practical matters. Proverbs 20:18 (NKJV) instructs, â€Å"Plans (machashabah) are established by counsel (‘etsah); by wise counsel (tachbulah) wage war.† However, Ahithophel betrayed David by becoming Absalom’s counselor. Therefore, David prayed that Ahithophel’s counsel would be turned to foolishness. God honored David’s request, and the Lord’s counsel and purpose was accomplished (2Samuel 15-17). Ultimately, God’s counsel will stand forever, whereas the opinions and plans of man will pass away (Psalm 33:10-11). Biblical Words Related to Addiction Wine a. Yayin (noun)—means â€Å"wine.† Sometime after he departed from the ark, Noah became intoxicated by wine. Noah’s inebriated condition elicited a lack of inhibitory control because he â€Å"was uncovered within his tent†Ã‚  (Genesis 9:21 KJV). As a result, his son Ham apparently engaged in some sort of inappropriate behavior (Genesis 9:22-25). Lot’s daughters introduced wine into their plan to perform inappropriate behavior with their father (Genesis 19:32-35). These two examples present the negative side of wine abuse which coincides with sobering warnings in other passages (cf. Proverbs 20:1; 23:31-35). Scripture also displays wine as an illustration of joy. The Lord provides â€Å"wine that makes glad the heart of man† (Psalm 104:15a NKJV). b. Oinos (noun)—In the NT, this Greek word means â€Å"wine.† Vine and Bruce (1981)  expound, â€Å"The drinking of wine could be a stumbling-block and the Apostle enjoins  abstinence in this respect, as in others, so as to avoid giving an occasion of stumbling to a brother (Romans 14:21)† (p. 219). In contrast, Paul encourages Timothy to â€Å"no longer drink only water, but use a little wine for your stomachs sake and your frequent infirmities† (1Timothy 5:23 NKJV). Strong drink a. Shekar (noun)—is an OT Hebrew word meaning, â€Å"strong drink or intoxicating liquor.† While performing priestly duties in the tabernacle, Aaron and his sons were forbidden to drink wine or strong drink under penalty of death (Leviticus 10:19). b. Sikera (noun)—In the NT, this word means, â€Å"intoxicating beverage which is different  from wine.† It was made of a mixture of sweet ingredients. John the Baptist did not drink wine or strong drink, but he was filled with the Holy Spirit from his mother’s womb (Luke 1:15). Desire a. Teshuwqah—This OT word means â€Å"desire, longing, or craving.† God confronted Cain by personifying sin as a crouching lion ready to destroy  him, who’s â€Å"desire [is] for you, but you should rule over it† (Genesis 4:7b NKJV). b. Chamad—In Exodus, this Hebrew word meaning â€Å"desire, to take pleasure in, or to delight in† is translated as â€Å"covet,† being utilized in a negative sense. For example, the tenth commandment indicates that individuals are not to â€Å"covet† anything that belongs to a neighbor (Exodus 20:17). c. Zeloo—This NT Greek word means â€Å"to be heated for or to be zealously sought after.† This word is either used in a good or evil way, depending upon the context. For example, James rebukes believers for desiring things with a sinful motive (James 4:2). In contrast, Paul exhorts believers to desire spiritual gifts (1Corinthians 14:1). d. Epithumeo—This Greek word meaning â€Å"to long for, to lust after, a craving, to have a desire for, or to seek things forbidden† is presented in either a negative or positive light, depending upon the context. For example, Jesus revealed to His disciples that â€Å"many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see† concerning the kingdom of God. However, the usage of this word may also denote a sinful desire as in Romans when Paul disclosed that he became aware of his sinful nature when the commandment declared, â€Å"You shall not covet (epithumeo)† (Romans 7:7). The Bible appears to indicate that lust (epithumeo) and love are mutually exclusive (1John 2:15-17). Self-control a. ‘Aphaq—This OT Hebrew word means â€Å"to hold back, refrain, or to restrain oneself.† Scripture instructs that a wise person will refrain from taking the popular path of the crowd and making sinful choices (Proverbs 1:8). b. Egkrates—means â€Å"to exercise self-government, to conduct one’s self temperately, or to exhibit self-control.† Paul draws upon the competitive edge required to win in athletic events to inspire believers to exercise self-control as he describes, â€Å"Everyone who competes [for the prize] is temperate in all things† (1Corinthians 9:25a NKJV). Paul reveals that the  ability to manifest self-control is the by-product of the work of God’s Spirit within a believer’s life (Galatians 5:23). Abstinence a. Nazar—means â€Å"to separate, consecrate, or to dedicate.† For example, men who had consecrated themselves to God with a Nazarite vow â€Å"must give up (nazar) wine and other alcoholic drinks† (Numbers 6:3a NLT). Though certain individuals may choose to take a vow that requires abstinence, Miller (1995) asserts, â€Å"Nowhere in scripture is abstinence from alcohol prescribed as a general rule† (p. 78). He cautions, â€Å"Alcohol is now known, for example, to damage brain tissue, and measures of brain impairment are correlated with amount even in the ‘moderation’ range† (Miller, 1995, p. 78). b. Apexo—means â€Å"to hold one’s self off, refrain, or abstain.† The Bible teaches that God’s will is for believers to â€Å"abstain (apexo) from sexual immorality† (1Thessalonians 4:3). In fact, believers are commanded to â€Å"abstain from every form of evil† (1Thessalonians 5:22 NKJV). Scholars question whether a particular drug may be deemed as evil, requiring complete abstinence. Miller (1995) offers, â€Å"If a certain drug serves no good and useful purpose, and there is no known ‘safe’ level of use which does not cause harm (or risk of harm) to the person, then the use of that drug might be regarded in itself as sinful† (p. 81). He concludes, â€Å"As in the biblical view of alcohol, the appropriate use of chemicals is generally accepted in society† (p. 81). Comparing and Contrasting Biblical Views with Professional Views Addiction Defined As the rudder steers a ship, a counselor’s theory guides the counseling process. To effectively steer the therapeutic session of clients with addictions, counselors must understand the dynamics of addiction. Addiction is defined as â€Å"self-destructive behaviors that include a pharmacological component. The most stringent application would limit the term addiction and the companion label of addict to individuals with a physiological dependence on one or more illegal drugs.† (DiClemente, 2003, p. 3). Addiction involves â€Å"an escalating pattern involving tolerance (e.g., seeming to be relatively unaffected by ordinary doses) and dependence (e.g., relying  upon the drug to function or feel normal)† (Miller, 1995, p. 82). Still, over the past two decades, the definition of addiction has broadened to include â€Å"any substance use or reinforcing behavior that has an appetitive nature, has a compulsive and repetitive quality, is self-destructive, and is experi enced as difficult to modify or stop† (DiClemente, 2003, p. 4). Gambling, shopping, video games, internet pornography, negative view of body image, and even work may be included under the umbrella this broad definition of addiction (LaBerge, 2009, p. 13). The biblical definition of addiction coincides with the expanded definition, equating addiction with habitual self-absorbed behaviors which produce spiritual slavery. Welch (2001) clarifies, Addiction is bondage to the rule of a substance, activity, or state of mind, which then becomes the center of life, defending itself from the truth so that even bad consequences dont bring repentance, and leading to further estrangement from God. To locate it on the theological map, look under sin (p. 35). Etiology Counselors with clients who present with symptoms of alcohol and drug addiction need to have competencies such as an understanding of addiction, treatment knowledge, how to appropriately integrate treatment modalities, assessment, screening, and diagnostic insight (Treatment Improvement Exchange, 2010). Scholars debate the origin of addiction, as observed by the variety of proposed models of addiction. The models of addiction include: the disease (genetic/physiological) model, coping/social learning model, personality/intrapsychic model, compulsive/excessive behavior model, and the conditioning/reinforcement model (DiClemente, 2003, pp. 9-18). The disease model posits that alcoholism is the direct result of genetic influences. Yet, researchers demonstrate that â€Å"genetic factors account for approximately ‘half the risk for alcoholism.’† (Van Der Walde, Urgenson, Weltz, Hanna, 2002, p. 146). Miller (1993) noted how a pure disease model does not give any role to the psychological factors in treatment (p. 132). Still, there appear to be two types of alcoholism which researchers present as evidence for a genetic influence. Van Der Walde et al. (2002) describe, â€Å"The first is a severe form of early-onset alcoholism, which often presents  before age 21 and is characterized by a high density among first-degree relatives† (p. 146). The second form â€Å"does not appear until middle age and seems to be triggered by negative life events such as loss of a significant other or other environmental influences† (Van Der Walde et al., 2002, p. 146). The social/environment model emphasizes an individual’s lack of coping skills in response to life’s stressors in conjunction with vicarious learning of maladaptive behaviors from others (DiClemente, 2003, p. 13). The coping model theorizes that individuals who are unable to deal with life stressors seek to escape through their addiction, relying upon the addiction for comfort (DiClemente, 2003, p. 13). Pangle (2010) observes, â€Å"There seems to always be an emotional distress associated with addiction. This emotional distress finds relief [or so the addict thinks] in numbing out and finding a temporary ‘escape’ from the pain involved† (personal communication, January 28, 2010). Hester and Miller (2003) cite several coping skill deficits such as the â€Å"lack of adequate skills to regulate positive and negative mood states as well as to cope with social-interpersonal situations, including work, parenting, or marital relationships† (p. 213). Concerning the social learning aspect of this model, â€Å"several studies have shown that children and parents tend to exhibit similar drinking practices, indicating that observational learning plays some role in later alcohol use† (Ellis Zucker, 1997, p. 222). Soberingly, Dawson, Goldstein, Chou, Ruan, and Grant (2008) demonstrate that â€Å"individuals who started drinking before 15 years of age were significantly more likely to experience the incidence of alcohol dependence and alcohol abuse in adulthood than those who delayed initiation of drinking until 18 or older† (p. 2155). The personality/intrapsychic model seeks a connection between the intrapsychic conflicts within an individual or personality traits such as impulsivity, with substance abuse (DiClemente, 2003, pp. 11-12). The compulsive/excessive behavior model links â€Å"addiction with ritualistic compulsive behaviors like repeated hand-washing or cleaning rituals† (DiClemente, 2003, p. 16). The conditioning/reinforcement model relies upon reinforcement theory to explain the etiology of addiction. For example, the  intermittent schedule of reinforcement allotted for slot machines assures addictive usage for many patrons (Tavares, Zilberman, El-Guebaly, 2003, p. 23). The current literature appears to repudiate the view that physiological dependence is the key element that determines whether a person has an addiction. Instead, the emphasis has become the psychological component that develops and maintains addiction. Ksir et al. (2009) reveal, â€Å"Psychological dependence, based on reinforcement, is increasingly accepted as the real driving force behind repeated drug use (p. 36). They indicated that tolerance and physical dependence do not play as a major role as psychological dependence (Ksir et al., 2009, p. 36). Yet, Roberts and Koob (1997) contend that addiction is the by-product of the dual processes of reinforcement and neuroadaptation. They explain, â€Å"Working together, these factors appear to motivate the initial, short-term (i.e., acute) response to a drug and the establishment of the long-term (i.e., chronic) craving for the drug that characterizes addiction† (p. 102). It has been argued that the five models of addiction described above do not address the etiology and the treatment strategy of the addiction in a comprehensive way. DiClemente (2003) asserts, â€Å"There is also no single developmental model or singular historical path that can explain acquisition of and recovery from addictions† (p. 19). For instance, the prevalent view concerning alcoholism coincides with the disease model â€Å"which someone either ‘has’ or does not have and which has an inevitable progression to more and more drinking, then the only acceptable treatment goal is total abstinence† (Ksir et al., 2009, p. 430). The etiological view directly impacts treatment as seen with Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) which subscribes to the disease model, having total abstinence as the goal (Ksir et al., 2009, p. 430). Evidence-based research also demonstrates effectiveness of psychosocial approaches and indicates that the disease model is too limited in its pe rspective and application (Miller, 1993, p. 132). Still, Miller (1993) contends, â€Å"Dispositional disease views have remained strangely intermingled with moralistic attitudes toward people who are alcoholic, seeing alcoholics as prone to lie and deny their problem (p. 131). Therefore, this researcher leans more toward a biopsychosocial model which allows for more of a comprehensive view of the etiology and an eclectic approach to treatment. That is, â€Å"a descriptive model based on continua of severity and an etiologic model encompassing host, agent, and environmental factors† (Miller, 1993, p. 135). Instead of viewing alcoholism as a disease like diabetes (you either have it or you dont), this researcher favors using the analogy of having hypertension which is â€Å"genetically influenced yet quite responsive to psychosocial factors† (Miller, 1993, p. 134). Concerning the â€Å"bio† part of the biopsychosocial view, Scripture seems to endorse certain aspects of the disease model. However, the sickness ultimately appears to be sin (Isaiah 1:5-6). That is, an addiction such as alcoholism is the symptom of the sin disease (Galatians 5:21). Jesus refers to the disease model as an illustration of humanitys dilemma and combines this â€Å"sin disease model† with what seems to be the moral model with the call to repentance—which is the treatment (Mark 2:17). The â€Å"psycho† coincides with where Scripture instructs believers to â€Å"renew† their minds, identifying the association between thought and behavior (Ephesians 4:23). The â€Å"social† element is observed in how Paul warns, â€Å"Do not be misled: ‘Bad company corrupts good character’† (1Corinthians 15:33 NLT). For example, a person ought not hang out at the bar, or he will most likely drink. The Scriptural etiological view of addiction begins with an individual’s concept of self, God, and other relationships. For example, an addict could be viewed as a person who is unwilling to come to terms with his inaccurate view of self, God, and other relationships. In contrast, a psychologically healthy person is someone who has an accurate understanding of self and does not focus on self. McMinn (1996) instructs that â€Å"To be healthy, we need to move beyond a preoccupation with self† (p. 46). An unhealthy self-concept produces detrimental results. At one extreme, Nebuchadnezzar’s inflated view of self led to blind rage and insanity (Daniel 3:18-19; 4:30-34). On the other side of the spectrum, McMinn (1996) described a man with a low view of self which brought forth destructive behaviors such as drinking alcohol excessively (p. 47). A healthy view of self does not cause a person  to be lifted up with pride nor to be brought down to a permanent condition o f wallowing in utter self-loathing. Isaiah developed a balanced sense of self when he gained an accurate vision of God. Isaiah’s encounter with God produced genuine brokenness, forgiveness, and a sense of godly competence to fulfill the high call of God (Isaiah 6:1-8). The primary element that contributed to Isaiah’s healthy sense of self was his open recognition of need. McMinn (1996) asserts that â€Å"there is only one way to spiritual health, and that requires us to recognize that we need God† (pp. 48-49). Therefore, people who have a healthy sense of self recognize their own spiritual poverty and desperate need for God. The subjective, experiential sensing of â€Å"need† for God is an appropriate craving or â€Å"thirst.† Jesus pointed to Himself as the only One who truly satisfy this thirst (John 4:13-14). Assessment A person who describes an egg as a two-fold object composed of shell and egg white is missing the yolk, therefore lacking the complete definition. Similarly, clinicians who do not include spiritual assessment in gathering data will lack a holistic, â€Å"whole person† perspective of their clients. For example, Hodge (2005) asserts that â€Å"human beings are an integrated entity, consisting of body, soul, and spirit† (p. 316). This triune understanding of a human being’s composition is consistent with a biblical worldview (1Thessalonians 5:23). Still, it is not solely Christian clinicians who recognize the need to include a client’s spiritual background within the counseling setting. Hodge (2006) reveals, â€Å"Growing consensus exists that spiritual assessment is an important aspect of holistic service provision† (p. 317). Moreover, the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), which is the largest health care accrediting body in the United States, â€Å"now requires the administration of spiritual assessment† (p. 317). A majority of clients have also expressed the desire to incorporate spirituality within the therapeutic setting (Hodge, 2006, p. 317). Spirituality is frequently at the core of how clients develop their worldview and coping skills (Hodge, 2005, p. 314). This understanding is vital for developing effective strategies with clients addicted to alcohol and drugs. Comprehensive, qualitative spiritual assessment methods include spiritual histories, spiritual lifemaps, spiritual genograms, spiritual ecomaps, and spiritual ecograms. Spiritual histories describe a format that uses questions â€Å"to explore spiritual and religious themes in the context of an empathic dialogue† (Hodge, 2001, p. 205). For example, the counselor presents open-ended questions with a spiritual theme to encourage clients to verbally share their spiritual narrative or story. Examples of questions a clinician may use include â€Å"When and in what ways do you feel close to the Divine?† and â€Å"How is God involved in your problems?† Two other assessment tools commonly used to identify the severity of alcohol problems are â€Å"the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) and the CAGE. These instruments are listed in the NIAAA Guide and are available in computerized versions† (Hester Miller, 2006, p. 37). These and other screening tools offer benefits such as providing â€Å"personalized feedback to clients in a timely and visually engaging manner† as well as â€Å"specific recommendations for change, based on the results of the assessment and other empirical evidence (Hester Miller, 2006, p. 37). Corresponding to the transtheoretical model (TTM), â€Å"a 12-item Readiness to Change scale has been developed as an efficient measure of three stages from the transtheoretical model: precontemplation, contemplation, and action† (Hester Miller, 2003, p. 100). Diagnosis Before a mechanic can fix a car with engine trouble, he first must identify the problem. Likewise, appropriate diagnosis precedes effective counseling. According to the American Psychiatric Association (APA) (2000), the DSM-IV-TR describes the diagnosis for 303.90 Alcohol Dependence as â€Å"indicated by evidence of tolerance or symptoms of Withdrawal. Especially if associated with a history of withdrawal, physiological dependence is an indication of a more severe clinical course overall† (p. 213). The diagnosis of 305.00 Alcohol Abuse â€Å"requires fewer symptoms and, thus, may be less severe than Dependence and is only diagnosed once the absence of Dependence is established† (APA, 2000, p. 214). Instead of being viewed categorically, that is, either a person has an  alcohol disorder or not, researchers suggest that problems or addictions be viewed as being in different dimensional phases. This perspective corresponds to the psychosocial problem theory. Maddux and Winstead (2008) explain, â€Å"Psychosocial problem theory sees the dimensional responses as the very problems for which people need help, and dimensional measures as sufficient to evaluate, communicate about, and remedy them† (p. 143). The criticism that disorder theory has received is because â€Å"disorder theory prescribes shifting the focus from concrete problem dimensions to abstract mental disorders† (Maddux Winstead, 2008, p. 143). This is not to say that categorizing disorders does not have benefits. Vieta and Suppes (2008) expound, Dichotomies are useful for education, communication, and simplification; unfortunately, simplicity is useful, but untrue, whereas complexity is true, but useless. In clinical practice, we may use current classifications, such as DSM-IV, as categorical backgrounds that may help in establishing treatment and prognosis (p. 165). Consequences Researchers have demonstrated that â€Å"alcohol use can increase adolescents’ exposure to risky situations, such as driving while intoxicated, engaging in unprotected sex, and confronting violent exchanges† (Hester Miller, 2003, p. 83). Price and Emshoff (1997) reveal, â€Å"Children of alcoholics (COAs) are at increased risk for a wide range of behavioral and emotional problems, including addiction to alcohol and other drugs (AODs), depression, anxiety, school failure, and delinquency† (p. 241). A major reason for the higher risk of problems in COA’s is because â€Å"cross-generational transmission of alcoholism increases in likelihood to the extent that alcoholism invades the family system and disrupts the enactment of family rituals; that is, patterns of behavior that give identity and meaning to the family† (Jacob, 1992, p. 323). Hester and Miller (2003) assert, â€Å"Persons drinking three to four drinks per day have a two- to threefold risk for accidents, stroke, liver disease, cancer, and hypertension† (p. 65). Scripture asserts that â€Å"there is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death† (Proverbs 14:12 NKJV). Intervention Strategies Researchers assert that clinicians working with clients addicted to alcohol need to â€Å"become more comfortable with†¦brief therapy intervention technique, and motivational interviewing† (Hester Miller, 2003, p. 69). Motivational interviewing, which â€Å"aims to increase a patient’s motivation to change, has been found effective in controlled clinical trials† (McCarty, Edmundson, Hartnett, 2006, p. 8). The stages of change according to the transtheoretical model (TTM) include precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, and maintenance (DiClemente, 2003, p. 27). MI is helpful in addressing the client’s ambivalence and tipping the decisional balance toward change (Hester Miller, 2003, p. 65). For example, MI has helped motivate clients to move from the precontemplation stage to the contemplation stage or from the preparation stage to the action stage. Four key factors that define MI include expressing empathy, developing discrepancy, rolling with resistance, and supporting self-efficacy (Miller Rollnick, 2002, pp. 36-41). For example, the counselor conveys acceptance by incorporating listening skills such as reflective listening, paraphrasing, and clarifying. Empathy and acceptance promote an atmosphere conducive for change. To develop discrepancy, the client â€Å"rather than the counselor† is led to â€Å"present the arguments for change† (Miller Rollnick, 2002, p. 39). Empathy is characteristic of the person-centered approach and is considered â€Å"the most powerful determinant of client progress in therapy† (Corey, 2005, p. 173). Empathy disarms clients’ defenses and promotes trust within the therapeutic relationship. Empathy â€Å"involves demonstrating the act of listening to the subject and understanding the individual’s situation and the emotional reaction to it with the purpose of establishing a basic trust relationship† (Regini, 2004, p. 2). Without it, there will be no change. In fact, research has shown that the model of therapy is not what determines the effectiveness of therapy, but the quality of the therapeutic relationship. McKergow and Korman (2009) assert, â€Å"More important are the therapeutic alliance as seen by the client, allegiance of the therapist to their model of choice, placebo effects, and general therapist competence† (p. 46). Person-centered theory presumes that the quality of the relationship between the therapist and client is all that determines change (Kirschenbaum, 2004, pp. 116-117). Research has shown that the key predictor in achieving a successful outcome in treatment is a strong therapeutic relationship between the clinician and client (Jennings Skovhalt, 1999, p. 4). If clinicians do not establish trust in the first phase of the working alliance with their client, their client will be less likely to proceed to the next level that includes â€Å"shared responsibility for working out treatment goals† (Horvath Luborsky, 1993, p. 563). Clinton and Ohlschalger (2002) insist that trust is vital â€Å"†¦for without it the client too easily backs away from the difficult challenges inherent to change† (p. 205). Trust is established when the client perceives the counselor as caring, sensitive, sympathetic, and helpful (Horvath Luborsky, p. 564). Patients who do improve with medication often become less consistent with taking their medications over time. A strong alliance has been shown to help in this area. Strauss and Johnson (2006) reveal that â€Å"patients who reported stronger alliances with their providers reported more positive attitudes about medication and stigma. (p. 220). Spiritual, psychological, and emotional health is interwoven within the fabric of loving relationships. The author of Hebrews encourage believers to â€Å"consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching† (Hebrews 10:24-25 NKJV). There are necessary times for solitude but disaster awaits people who completely cut themselves off from authentic relationships. Solomon instructs, â€Å"A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire, he rages against all wise judgment† (Proverbs 18:1 NKJV). Therefore, clients are encouraged to join a small group Bible study, a men’s group, a women’s group, a cancer support group, or another group conducive to a client’s need. Solutions-focused brief therapy (SFBT) employs rapport-building techniques such as active listening. The counselor seeks to understand what the client wants through actively listening and echoes back the past, present, and  future desires of the client. In addition, active listening entails paraphrasing, summarizing, and asking questions. SFBT has been useful in walk-in sessions. Clinical interviewing techniques are â€Å"designed to move clients away from focusing primarily on the problem and toward a focus on solutions. Some of these ideas include attending to exceptions to the problem (already existing periods when the problem is not occurring)† (Slive, McElheran, Lawson, 2008, p. 14). Other treatment strategies for clients struggling with alcohol dependence and abuse include psycho-education, family therapy, behavior modification, detoxification, and 12-step programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA) (Kanel, 2007, p. 176). Hester and Miller (2003) demonstrate, â€Å"Patients attending AA were significantly more likely to be abstinent than those not attending† (p. 182). They also provide a summary of treatment strategies by order of their effectiveness such as coping skills treatment (CST), cue exposure treatment (CET), community reinforcement approach (CRA), and community reinforcement and family training (CRAFT) (Miller Hester, 2003, pp. 218, 229-232, 237-240). Brewer (2008) presents an integrative Christian counseling grid called METAMORPH. He delineates that â€Å"METAMORPH integrative Christian counseling grid represents an eclectic approach to counseling that seeks to responsibly draw upon a plethora of counseling theories within the context of a Christian worldview† (Brewer, 2008). Truth drawn out from an individual’s life has the tendency to be more easily apprehended and embraced (Proverbs 20:5). For example, Brewer (2008) integrates choice theory techniques with exploratory questions such as: â€Å"What do you want? What are you doing to get what you want? How is it working for you? Is it the right thing to do?† When Adam and Eve were hiding in the garden, God asked them â€Å"Where are you?† God knew where they were, but He wanted them to become self-aware and to consider turning back to Him (Genesis 3:9-13). In like manner, Jesus asked His disciples important questions (Matthew 16:13, 15). Concerning pharmacotherapy, prescribing medications for mental disorders has been a controversial practice especially in Christian circles. This  researcher has been quite wary in the past about any type of drug therapy, because God has â€Å"given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness† through His divine power (2Peter 1:3a NKJV). In addition, Scripture is sufficient to help believers become complete and mature, â€Å"equipped for every good work† (2Timothy 3:17b NKJV). The two previous biblical references did not include mention of the need for medications. Yet, it is interesting that soon after, Paul describes one of the requirements for godly leadership as â€Å"not given to wine,† which means to not abuse alcohol or to not be addicted to wine. Two chapters later he instructs Timothy to personally use wine for a medicinal purpose (1Timothy 3:3a; 5:23 NKJV). This researcher currently holds the view that certain drugs including medications for brain chemical imbalances were given through God’s guidance to benefit humanity. However, just as there is a danger that wine may be abused and lead to tragic consequences, these medications have the potential of being abused. Clinton and Ohlschlager (2002) teach, â€Å"They [psychiatric medications] have tremendous potential to help people with problems that can destroy their lives psychologically, medically, and spiritually. However, they must be used with care and at the discretion of someone who is skilled in their administration† (p. 152). Drug therapies address the neurobiological dysfunctions which impair emotions and behavioral functioning. Medications are not necessarily the â€Å"silver bullet† in solving all the issues which challenge individuals any more than wine was the cure-all for Timothy’s problems. Rather, they may help promote enough emotional stability for a client to be able to receive input regarding other issues. An example of a medication that has been successful in the treatment of alcohol addiction is naltrexone, which â€Å"is an opiate-antagonist medication. Clinical trials suggest that naltrexone contributes to reductions in the frequency of drinking and severity of relapse among alcohol-dependent patients† (McCarty et al., 2006, p. 7). Personal Application As the rudder steers a ship, a counselor’s theory guides the counseling process. This researcher believes that a comprehensive counseling theory begins with a biblical worldview that evaluates psychological contributions,  human nature, and the systems that shape the human personality, and view of addiction through the lens of Scripture. Psychology often limits its focus to the study of the soul. The word â€Å"psychology† is a combination of the words -ology and psyche. The suffix -ology means â€Å"the study of.† The Greek word psyche in the Bible means â€Å"a living soul,† and it is also defined as â€Å"the seat of the feelings, desires, affections† (Blue Letter Bible, 2010). Therefore, psychology is the study of one of God’s works, the human soul. Theology derives meaning from His word, the Bible. Averbeck (2006) proposes that the â€Å"double knowledge† of psychology (knowledge of the human person) and biblical theology (the knowledge of God) is necessary. He expounds, â€Å"Neither one is complete in itself; both need the other†¦True wisdom is bringing the knowledge of God and people together in the midst of the mess which we are and in which we live. This is what the Bible and counseling are really all about† (p. 111). Therefore, this researcher seeks to integrate theology and psychology into his understanding of addiction. This researcher works in a psychiatric hospital setting. Alcohol dependence and abuse in particular is common within the patient population. Jeannette Sapp, a clinician at the hospital discloses, â€Å"Alcohol is the drug of choice for many patients because it is available, legal, and relatively inexpensive. Many patients self-medicate their particular disorder† (personal communication, February 16, 2010). The stages of change are going to become hospital policy concerning patient treatment. The supervisor has been encouraging clinicians to consider the specific stage of change each patient they are working with is in. This is a necessary step since each stage of change has different tasks which require appropriate corresponding interventions (DiClemente, 2003, p. 240). DiClemente (2003) asserts, The best way to mirror the process of change is to have a dynamic treatment protocol that can respond to being stuck at various stages as well as to movement through the stages of change (p. 250). It is helpful to understand that â€Å"addictions are understood as learned habits that once established become difficult to extinguish even in the face of dramatic, and, at times, numerous negative consequences† (Jenkins, n. d.). Since addictions are learned habits which develop through  the stages of change, they can be unlearned and replaced with healthy and helpful habits as the individual progresses through the stages of change. As applied to believers, Christians are to deal with ambivalence concerning the â€Å"tug of war† between sin and the new nature, and to move along the stages, becoming transformed into the image of Christ from glory to glory by God’s Spirit (Romans 7:7; 2Corinthians 3:18). Clinton and Ohlschlager (2002) clarify, â€Å"The effective Christian clinician will be a principled, biblically informed, and responsible eclectic who knows how to fit the right therapy with the right client at the right time and the right stage of living† (p. 176). Christian counselors are to model the divine Counselor. Jesus, the â€Å"Wonderful, Counselor† (Isaiah 9:6b), has all the qualities for promoting effective client outcomes: genuine compassion, ability to comfort, ability to challenge, and a provider of sanctuary for the client. Jesus said that â€Å"everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher† (Luke 6:40b). Christian counselors know they will become like the best counseling teacher as they learn from the Master Himself (2Corinthians 3:18). Jennings and Skovhalt (1999) identified and defined the key characteristics of master therapists. They also gave credit to studies that describe effective therapists who have attributes such as compassion, sensitivity, and commitment to their clients’ well-being. These qualities describe love. Clinton and Ohlschlager (2002) insist that â€Å"the most important counseling tool is you† (p. 67). Tripp (2002) insists, â€Å"God never intended us to simply be objects of His love. 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