Paper: Intervention Description
In this paper, you will describe an intervention that you find interesting. Remember that not all web-based descriptions have enough information to complete the paper (see the FAQs for more information about selecting a program). As your write your paper, discuss each of the concepts listed below. It does not matter whether or not I think the intervention you describe is a "good" one. Instead, it is important to show that you understand the basic concepts in intervention science.
Written communication skills are important in this field so organization, spelling, and grammar are important parts of the paper. Giving credit to your sources, by citing them in your paper as well as in the Reference (or "Works Cited") section is also extremely important.
In the Modules section of this course, you will find a section on Paper 1 with a number of resources to help you get started. There you will find a sample paper, the grading rubric, and the peer review form.
Organizing your description
Use the headings provided below to organize your description (e.g., Problem Identification, Intervention Spectrum).
Problem Identification
Identify the problem(s) that will be targeted by the intervention and indicate why the problem is important to address. Use several specific facts about the prevalence of the problem. Some sources to help you with this section are posted in the Paper #1 folder in the Files section of CANVAS. (Note: Make sure to include citations for where you got this information from.)
Basic activities
Describe the activities that occur during the intervention. Who provides the help? What do participants do during the intervention? How long does the intervention last? (e.g., Life Skills Training is implemented over the course of three years. There are 15 lessons during the first year, followed by 10 booster sessions during the second year and five lessons during the third year.) Where does the intervention occur?
Intervention Spectrum
Describe who receives the intervention (e.g., Who participates in the intervention? What age(s) are the participants?) Then, identify where the intervention lies on the intervention spectrum. Is it prevention, treatment, or maintenance/ rehabilitation? If it is prevention, is it universal, selected, or indicated? Explain how you knew where the intervention was on the spectrum (e.g., Life Skills Training is a universal prevention program because all youth at a school participate in LST).
Goals and Strategies
Identify the long-term goals of the intervention. Are the long-term goals to reduce problems, promote competence/wellness or both? Identify the short-term strategies of the intervention. Are the short-term strategies focused on risk-reduction, competence promotion or both?
Ecological niche(s)
Thinking about each of the main intervention activities, use Bronfenbrenner's ecological model to identify which levels (or interactions between levels) are the focus of the intervention. Focus on what levels the program directly tries to change, rather than what it may change indirectly.
Reflections
Without considering how the intervention was actually evaluated, discuss how you might know whether or not the intervention works. For example, what outcomes do you think should be measured? When should these outcomes be measured? (i.e., right after the program? Months or years after the program is ended?) Are there any challenges that may occur when trying to measuring these outcomes?
References
On a separate page at the end of your paper, please include a References page. At a minimum, this should include the citations for the websites that you used as sources. It should also include any other sources that you cite in your paper (e.g., articles from class, articles about the prevalence of the problem). Because APA is the standard format used in this field, it is the preferred style for the references (for a bonus ½ point), but APA format is not required.
Format
Create a cover page that includes basic identifying information (your name, HDFS 311, date). The paper should be 2-3 double-spaced pages in length. Please use 12pt Times or Times New Roman font with 1" margins on all sides.