Discuss the program with regard to the four components described in Nelson and Prilleltenksy (2010). Be sure to make use of and cite Nelson and Prilleltenksy’s portrayal of these components.

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You are required to complete a critique of two existing programs this term, due in Weeks 6 & 8. Programs can be relevant to the issue you have chosen for your final project, and thus reflect work you have identified in your review of the research literature. Although it is preferred that you identify a program from the published research literature (i.e., one which has been subjected to systematic evaluation), you may choose a program that is less well researched and available from other sources (e.g., published programs, agency websites engaged in community intervention). The latter programs, however, should be subjected to the same level of analysis with regard to key program components.

The Program Critique involves review and critical analysis of a specific program with regard to the four main components of the conceptual framework of community psychology described in Nelson & Prilleltenksy (2010; introduced in Chapter 2):

1. The issues or problems addressed 2. The values reflected in the program approach and methods3. The conceptual foundation of the program4. The action and research tools (i.e., the “science of CP”)

Structure of the Critique

I. Brief Program Description

Describe program goals & objectives, conceptual/theoretical model, target population, staff, context/location, program content, intervention methods, research methods, program outcomes

II. Program Analysis

Discuss the program with regard to the four components described in Nelson and Prilleltenksy (2010). Be sure to make use of and cite Nelson and Prilleltenksy’s portrayal of these components.

1. What specific issues or problems were addressed?2. What values were reflected in the program, either explicitly stated by the researchers/interventionists or implicit in the program approach?3. What was the conceptual or theoretical foundation(paradigm) of the program?4. What action (intervention) tools were used? What research tools were used?

Be sure to focus your analysis on:

1. The extent to which the program reflects a holistic transformative ecological model vs. an individually-oriented ameliorative approach2. The extent to which the values base of the program addresses personal, relational, and collective well-being.3. The extent to which the conceptual model (paradigm) is reflected in the program focus and methods.4. Whether the tools for action and research were appropriate for achieving the goals of the program.5. The extent to which key stakeholders participated in the process of program development, implementation, and evaluation.

III. Suggestions for Program Improvement

Provide suggestions for program improvement based on your critical analysis.

IV. References

The Critique content should not exceed 4 pages double spaced. You must also include a cover page and references. References can be from a variety of sources but must also include some peer reviewed journals from within the last 5 years. The document must be in APA format.

What critique do you have for this kind of therapy? Are there any problems for which you anticipate solution-focused therapy might not be a suitable treatment? Why or why not? 

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Update your Spark page to include your thoughts on the postmodern approaches therapy that we have learned. Be sure to refresh your link by clicking “share” at the top of the screen. This is the final update to your Spark page, so I will be using the grade entry for this assignment to grade the Spark page as a whole, complete with all entries for each week. The rubric is at the bottom of this page.

Example prompt:

After watching the first 38 minutes of the marital counseling session with Edward Hamann, please reflect on the following questions in your weekly journal. To access this video you may have to login with your Webster login.

  • What solution focused techniques do you see being utilized?
  • How would you describe the role of the therapist?
  • What are your overall impressions of the solution focused session?
    • What were the most beneficial aspects that you found most interesting or potentially helpful?
    • What critique do you have for this kind of therapy? Are there any problems for which you anticipate solution-focused therapy might not be a suitable treatment? Why or why not?
    • How is it similar to and different from other theories we have studied in this half of the term (CBT, REBT, feminst/RCT, reality therapy, different approaches to family therapy)?
  • What further questions do you have about solution-focused therapy?

Describe the developmental period of adolescence, including the sub-periods of early adolescence, middle adolescence, and emerging adulthood. Provide specific examples of typical school-related behavior found within each sub-period.

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The purpose of this assignment is to research and outline major theories, principles, issues, and applications regarding adolescent development and learning that will guide parents and families in the development milestones of their children.

Write a 750-1,000 word newsletter for your current or future students’ parents and families. Your goal is to inform and prepare parents about major developmental milestones, theories, and concepts facing adolescents, including how parents can be actively involved in their child’s development.

The newsletter should outline the following:

  1. Describe the developmental period of adolescence, including the sub-periods of early adolescence, middle adolescence, and emerging adulthood. Provide specific examples of typical school-related behavior found within each sub-period.
  2. Provide an overview of the key theories related to adolescence, including the biological, psychoanalytical, cognitive, and social learning views of adolescence. Acknowledge key theorists and their major contributions.
  3. Outline and define the roles of nature/nurture, continuity/discontinuity, and early/late experience and their effect on adolescent development and classroom learning.

Support your findings with a minimum of three scholarly resources.

Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required.

This assignment uses a rubric. Review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.

You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite.

Post a brief explanation of the information you need to gather and the questions you need to ask, in order to complete a proper assessment for the client in the case study you selected, based on the micro, mezzo, and macro levels of social work practice

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Maintaining the perspective that people are in constant interaction with their environment and the social systems therein (the Person in Environment perspective) is a key concept in the field of social work. Social work recognizes that the concerns or problems individuals face might be due to many causes. This view also supports another goal of social work which is to empower clients who are marginalized and oppressed to collaborate in the resolution of their problems or concerns as experts of their life experiences. As such, looking at a problem and assessing the needs of individuals depends on a review of the challenges they have encountered on the micro, mezzo, and macro levels. Assessing the situation on all three levels will provide a holistic map for goal planning. For example, you might assess a client’s individual strengths and challenges, the support or lack of support received from family, friends, and others in the client’s life regarding the issue, and the societal resources available to address the problem.

For this Discussion, review this week’s Resources. Select either the course-specific case study for Abdel or Pedro. Then, consider what information you need to gather and what questions you need to ask in order to complete a proper assessment for the client, based on the micro, mezzo, and macro levels of social work practice.

Post a brief explanation of the information you need to gather and the questions you need to ask, in order to complete a proper assessment for the client in the case study you selected, based on the micro, mezzo, and macro levels of social work practice. Be sure to reference in your post which case study you selected. 

 

Working With Clients With HIV/AIDS: The Case of Pedro

Pedro is a 58-year-old, heterosexual, Dominican male who is HIV positive. He is married to his second wife and is the father of three sons. Pedro lives with his wife in a modest two-bedroom apartment in a major metropolitan area. Pedro completed high school and has a long work history as the manager of multiple food stores in his community. Pedro is currently on disability. He collects Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and is covered by Medicare and the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP). ADAP is a state-sponsored insurance program for low-income individuals with HIV/AIDS that provides assistance with access to medication and primary care services in the state. Pedro does some work “off the books” to keep himself busy and earn extra money. While Spanish is Pedro’s dominant language, he is able to communicate well in English. Pedro identifies as a Christian, and his faith is a very important part of his life.

Pedro has a long history of substance abuse, including intravenous drug use (IVDU). Pedro spent a good part of 20 years using both cocaine and heroin. Despite his drug use, Pedro kept a full-time job and provided a safe home and moderate lifestyle for his family. When I met Pedro, he had been clean for more than 15 years. He reported that he stopped using drugs “because I got tired of being strung out.” He stated, “One day I grabbed my Bible and locked myself in a room for a week. I haven’t touched drugs since.” Pedro denied ever attending a formal drug rehabilitation program.

Pedro was diagnosed HIV positive in 1988. His risk factor for contracting HIV was IVDU. Pedro’s first wife contracted HIV from Pedro and died of AIDS. After her death, Pedro raised his sons as a single parent until he remarried about 10 years later. Pedro’s youngest son was infected with HIV through vertical transmission (from mother to baby). His HIV disease was controlled until he was 17. At that time, Pedro’s son developed AIDS and, after a long battle, died before his 19th birthday. Pedro never left his son’s bedside during his illness. Pedro harbors significant guilt about his son’s death. Pedro’s HIV/AIDS is moderately controlled on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), although he has a history of poor compliance with his HAART regimen. HAART should be taken on a consistent schedule, but Pedro stops and starts his HAART, which can be very dangerous. In addition to HIV/AIDS, Pedro is diagnosed with hepatitis C (Hep C). His doctor has indicated that Pedro’s Hep C should be treated, but Pedro is very reluctant to begin treatment.

The treatment setting where I met Pedro was an outpatient comprehensive care clinic affiliated with a city hospital. The clinic was created to provide interdisciplinary care to adult patients living with HIV/AIDS. The backbone of each patient’s clinical team included a social worker and a primary care physician with a specialty in HIV care. For the most part, visits with the social worker were paired with routine doctor appointments. When I met Pedro, he was an established patient at the clinic, having gone there since his initial diagnosis in 1988. As a result, he had worked with a string of social workers over the years.

During our initial visit, Pedro greeted me by saying, “I really don’t need another social worker who is not going to help me, so there’s no point in me talking to you.” I urged Pedro to sit down with me so I could at least introduce myself. During our visit, I validated Pedro’s feelings about having another new social worker and attempted to explain how I viewed my role at the clinic. Pedro “yessed me to death” politely, but his ambivalence and resistance were palpable. This type of exchange continued for several visits. During these visits, I tried to build a rapport with Pedro. We spoke about his family and his social and medical history. The visits were casual, and I was nonconfrontational. After each visit, I thanked Pedro for talking to me and told him that I hoped I would be able to help him if something came up. My intent during this period was to build a clinical assessment of Pedro. Pedro had a strong personality and was reluctant to show his true emotions. His presentation was consistent with machismo, and I realized that Pedro’s Latino cultural background was embedded throughout his life. Pedro was profoundly committed to his family and their well-being, he had strong views toward male and female gender roles, and religion played a very important role in Pedro’s life.

One day, Pedro surprised me by greeting me and saying, “Ok, I need your help.” Pedro was having difficulty filling his prescriptions. In short, Pedro’s Medicare and ADAP had to work together, but neither Pedro nor the pharmacy could figure out how to make the process work. It became plainly obvious that despite Pedro’s ability to manage many complex issues in his life, dealing with this issue was overwhelming and almost paralyzing for him. After multiple phone calls to Medicare, ADAP, the pharmacy, etc., I was able to decipher the process that Pedro needed to follow. I realized the only way Pedro was going to be able to succeed was if I broke the problem down into manageable pieces. Ultimately, Pedro and I figured out a suitable plan that worked for him and got his prescriptions filled. While my initial task was to help Pedro come up with a plan of action, my ongoing role was to provide support and encouragement so that Pedro felt empowered to face a task that was once inapproachable.

Engaging Pedro around this concrete issue opened the door to our future relationship. In his eyes, I was no longer “another worthless social worker,” and he was able to address more emotional issues with me, such as his feelings about his son’s death and the progression of his own HIV/AIDS and Hep C illnesses. In our future work, we spoke about Pedro’s noncompliance to his medication, and while Pedro’s behaviors around his HAART did not change, he did begin and successfully complete treatment for his Hep C.

 

References

 

Kirst-Ashman, K. K., & Hull, G. H., Jr. (2015). Understanding generalist practice (6th ed.). Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning.

  • [removed]
    • Chapter 5, “Engagement and Assessment in Generalist Practice” (pp. 199-202)

 

 

Kirst-Ashman, K. K., & Hull, G. H., Jr. (2015). Understanding generalist practice (6th ed.). Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning.

  • Chapter 2, “Practice Skills for Working with Individuals” (pp. 85-91)
  • Plummer, S.-B., Makris, S., & Brocksen S. M. (Eds.). (2014). Social work case studies: Foundation year.Baltimore, MD: Laureate International Universities Publishing. [Vital Source e-reader].
    • Working with Clients with HIV/AIDS: The Case of Pedro

 

  • [removed]Rountree, M. A., Pomeroy, E. C., & Marsiglia, F. F. (2008). Domestic violence shelters as prevention agents for HIV/AIDS? Health & Social Work, 33(3), 221–228.
    Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.