Homework
Instructions:
In the first section of your proposal, you will need to create an introduction. In the introduction, describe the scope/magnitude of the social problem first:
Create 2 to 3 paragraphs to outline the social work problem. Describe:
i. What is the social problem?
ii. How many people are impacted by the problem or issue? Use statistics (obtained by credible resources -state/government websites, peer-reviewed articles) to describe the problem, include a breakdown of how the problem impacts certain age groups, genders, sexual orientations, SES groups, races/ethnicities, etc.; describe the problem in details by describing characteristics/severity of symptoms, etc.
iii. Is this a new problem or existing problem?
In the next paragraphs, describe:
i. What has been done to address the problem? In general, what types of programs/services/ interventions have been used to address the problem (look for and include other programs/services that are similar to your chosen program)? Highlight some of the main findings (benefits) from these studies (review the literature to find peer-reviewed articles)
ii. Then, include your specific program identified in your logic model, include more details about the program and how your program/service/intervention has helped to also address the problem. Review the literature to find peer-reviewed articles to support the utility/effectiveness of your specific program. For example, if you selected to focus on ‘HIV prevention' (this is the program/intervention) to address HIV (the social program) then find studies that have examined the effectiveness of different types of HIV prevention programs. Describe the outcomes of these studies.
iii. Then, identify limitations/gaps in the literature. You want to begin to build the case as to why you are proposing your program evaluation; what outcomes are missing from other research (has certain mental health/social outcomes been omitted in prior research?), has other research excluded certain racial/ethnic groups, age groups, etc.?, have studies been limited to certain research designs? Find the gaps in the literature (look at the research articles you find to pinpoint some limitations in the research), this will lead to your research question and/or hypothesis. The point of this homework is to propose a research question that builds upon existing research. Keep in mind that this is a "hypothetical research proposal" for how you would design an evaluation of a specific program (your identified intervention) with a specific population/target group.
iv. At the end of the last paragraph in this section (final paragraph), include the PICO research question (see example/description from the Power Point slides from SOW 5404). You can include a research hypothesis, if applicable.
Format your homework according to the following formatting requirements:
i) The answer should be typed, using Times New Roman font (size 12), double spaced, with one-inch margins on all sides.
ii) The response also includes a cover page containing the title of the homework, the student's name, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
iii) Also include a reference page. The Citations and references must follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.