In regards to social work

Assignment Description

You will choose a social problem and a population affected by the problem.  Then, you will identify, describe and analyze a social policy that addresses the problem  The problem and policy must fall within the topics covered in the textbook.  The paper must be 10-12 pages in length, double-spaced, including the title page and references. 

Purpose: After doing this assignment, you will be able to:

1. Describe the features and historical framework of a social policy that affects well-being, service delivery, and/or access to social services from the perspective of a specific client population of your choosing.
2. Evaluate how the social policy is affecting delivery of or access to social services for a specific client population of your choosing.
3. Use theoretical frameworks and critical thinking to analyze, formulate, and advocate for a social policy that will advance human rights and social, economic, and/or environmental justice.

This assignment helps determine if you have met course objectives 4, 5, 6, and 7, which are connected to CSWE EPAS Competency 3: Advance Human Rights and Social Justice and Competency 5: Engage in policy practice. 

Skills: The assignment will provide an opportunity to practice the following skills:

• Collecting and organizing information and data from appropriate sources;
• Synthesizing information to summarize key factors that demonstrate understanding of complex information;
• Evaluating information to assess the impact of social policy and its congruence with the values of the social work profession.
• Communicating with individuals and organizations who are invested policy outcomes.
• Composing a thoughtful written paper that is organized, coherent, well written, concise, and utilizes information from the course modules, textbook, and outside resources to demonstrate what you have learned in course.

Knowledge: This assignment will also help you solidify important content knowledge related to social welfare policy covered in this course:

• Social problems that affect populations served by social workers.
• The important features of social policy include goals and objectives; implementation, funding, and sponsoring agencies; legislative and regulatory history; support and opposition by stakeholders (e.g., politicians, advocacy and citizen groups, professionals)
• The necessity of evaluating the impact, including unintended consequences, of social policies on diverse client populations, in order to better serve clients and advocate for needed changes.

The paper should cover the following points:

• Provide an introduction that presents an overview of the paper.
• Describe the current social problem you are concerned with, and a population affected by disparities based on social class (i.e., poverty), race/ethnicity, ability, sexual orientation, and gender identity.
• Identification of policy: Identify a policy that is currently in place to address this concern and address whether it is dictated by local, state, or federal statutes or regulations (or a combination). Describe the goals of the policy, and how it is implemented, administered, and funded, including governmental agencies or organizations that oversee the policy. Describe the knowledge base underlying the policy and evidence for the effectiveness of the policy

• Historical background: Describe the historical background of the policy. Who has supported and who has opposed the policy over time? Be detailed about which stakeholder(s) support or oppose the policy and describe the reasons for their support or opposition. What are their rationale?
• Feasibility: Consider the goals of the policy and address its political, economic, and administrative feasibility. You are welcome to use personal interviews with stakeholders (persons affected by the policy such as clients, social workers, agency administrators). 
• Application of theory and policy assessment: Apply two of the policy analysis theories described in the textbook to the social policy. 
  • Why the policy was enacted
  • How the policy was implemented
  • How the group/population you identified was affected by the policy
  • What were its intended and unintended consequences?
  • To what extent is it compatible with the core values of the social work profession?
  • How could the policy be improved?
  • Who would you work with to make the improvements? 
• How does the theory help you understand the policy in the following ways:
• How do the two theories complement, contradict, and/or reinforce each other and your understanding of the policy?
• Assess the policy using the theories
• Conclude the paper with a brief summary of the main points of the paper. 

Tasks: This assignment consists of a 10-12 page PAPER. To complete this paper, you should:

1. Determine a topic and obtain instructor approval. You need to find and focus on a population and policy that will enable you to manage the assignment without becoming overwhelmed.  The topic should relate to one of the policy areas addressed in the course and the textbook.  Analyzing a policy that influences service delivery or clients at your field agency may help you contribute to the work of your agency as well.
2. Optional: Schedule an individual meeting to consult with Monique Oldfield, the social work reference librarian, to find resources for your paper.
3. Create an outline to guide you during the review and paper writing process. Your working outline as you develop the paper should consist of the following main sections: Title Page; Introduction; Main Body; Conclusion
4. The Title Page should include your name, the number, and name of the course and semester, the name of the assignment (Unit 1 Assessment), and the date it is submitted
5. The Introduction should be a one-paragraph summary of what the paper is about
6. Within the Main Body of the outline, organize the content areas of the paper based on the assignment description and the checklist.
7. The Conclusion should be 1-2 paragraphs and briefly summarize your major points in the paper (think of this as the readers take away what do you want them to remember about what you wrote?).
8. Proofread your paper. Prior to submitting the finished paper, you should check that you have met all the criteria for success. Be sure to proofread for spelling/grammar errors and typos, and make sure your formatting is consistent throughout (11 or 12-point font, subheadings, 1-inch margins, page numbers).