Research and Critical Analysis for Social Work with Children and Families
Assignment 3: Using Data to Inform Practice
20% of course grade (group-based assignment)
Purpose. Identifying client problems and understanding why they exist is fundamental to developing effective intervention strategies for addressing them. The primary purpose of this assignment is for students to demonstrate their ability to use research and data to inform intervention by applying various forms of data to inform practice with children, youth, and families (see student learning outcomes 4b in course syllabus). To that end, students will build upon their work in Assignment 2 by outlining a culturally appropriate, evidence-informed multi-service program to address the client population’s problem in functioning by meeting their service needs. Since one cannot effectively address a problem without first understanding why it exists, the service program should be clearly linked to the problem analysis in Assignment 2. Additionally, you will use the database as one research tool to propose the best possible intervention/service for addressing the unmet service need.
Practice Scenario. Congratulations! Your presentation to the agency’s planning team about a problem in functioning/adaptation for a particular subgroup of clients was a tremendous success. The Executive Director has agreed to one-year pilot of a new service program to improve outcomes in this client group. You are charged with developing the initial program outline, informed by agency data on clients and services, public data on the community, empirical research about the problem, and an analysis of prevailing policy, to guide the planning team’s efforts.
Assignment Requirements:
PROBLEM
Briefly summarize the problem of concern and corresponding unmet service needs for the client population of interest (1/2-1 page)
PROGRAM
1) List the program goal and corresponding objectives (1 page). List the client outcomes or changes in functioning that you want clients to achieve and the agency services you propose to help clients achieve those outcomes. One overall program goal, 2 outcome objectives, and 2 process objectives, at minimum, are required. These should be S.M.A.R.T.: Specific, Measureable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound.
1. The program goal should focus on reducing/eliminating the problem in client functioning (e.g., reduce dropout among pregnant teens by 50% by the end of the 1 year pilot program)
2. The two outcome objectives focus on decreasing client risk factors or increasing client protective factors that are related to why clients are experiencing the problem in the first place (e.g., increase teen parents’ perceived social support by 35% by the end of the 1 year pilot program). These factors should be drawn from your explanation of the problem in Assignment 2.
3. The two process objectives should focus on services your agency can implement to help clients reduce their risk for the problem or increase their protections (e.g., provide a one hour support group twice a week after school).
You may list the goals and objectives in outline form:
Overall Program Goal:
Outcome Objective 1:
Process Objective 1:
Outcome Objective 2:
Process Objective 2:
2) Describe the multi-service program that you are proposing to address the client problem (2-3 pages). Draw from administrative data within the agency, public data sources, empirical research, theory, and/or qualitative sources of information (e.g., case studies, expert informants, etc.) to inform the development of this section of the paper. The services you select should: a) fit with your agency’s mission and capacity, b) fill an existing service gap in the agency, c) be informed by evidence and data, and d) be culturally appropriate for the client population.
Your description should include the following information:
- The name of the program: Be creative!
- Target population: Describe whom the agency will serve in the program. How will the clients be recruited into the program? How many clients can the agency serve during the one-year pilot phase?
- The program services: A program is a set of services designed to address a problem for a client population; therefore,you should describe a minimum of 2 distinct services that will be offered in your program to address the client problem. Considerwhere, when, and how these services will be delivered, as well as cultural factors that might influence service delivery. What staff and supplies/equipment will be needed to deliver the services?
- Data, evidence, and theory to support your program: Why is your intervention approach expected to work to reduce/eliminate the client problem? Describe specific evidence-informed interventions or treatment strategies that you will use. Consider how these interventions may have to be adapted for your agency and/or the target population.
Format. The paper should be 5-6 pages in length (double-spaced); page limit does not include cover page or reference list. Please use 12-point font, 1-inch margins, a running header and page numbers. Use subheadings to organize content. Support your work with a minimum of 4 APA-formatted scholarly works. The course textbook will count as 1 source, regardless of the number of chapters cited. Besides scholarly sources, utilize and appropriately cite at least 2 different data sources, in addition to any empirical research you are citing (e.g., public data sources, administrative/agency data). Thus, you should have a total of 6 references at minimum.
Grading. The evaluation of the paper will be based on whether your group followed the directions and addressed all aspects of the assignment, as well as the group’s understanding and appropriate use of data, the strength of analysis, and the quality of written work (organization, flow, clarity, depth, grammar, spelling, etc.). Late assignments will be penalized 4 points per day.
Proofread your work and abide by the academic integrity guidelines. Students are strongly encouraged to seek assistance from the Writing Center and to carefully proofread prior to
submission. It is expected that students will submit their own work. Please note: Students found
to be in violation of the academic integrity guidelines may be referred for judicial review. The University’s guidelines on academic integrity can be found at the following URL:
