What is welfare? When you hear the word “welfare,” do you picture images of individuals who are facing hard times?

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Poverty in Young and Middle Adulthood

Poverty has a strong influence on the lives of adults. When an adult lives in poverty, the effects extend beyond that individual to all those who depend on the adult. The problem of poverty in the life of an adult becomes a family or community problem, and few social problems are more impactful than poverty.

 

As a social worker, you are likely to address the needs of clients whose adverse circumstances are strongly influenced by poverty. Increasing your understanding of poverty and its influence will equip to you to better understand and assist your clients.

 

As you read this week’s resources, select the theory of poverty that most resonates with you to address in your Discussion post for this week.

 

Post a Discussion that includes the following:

 

o   An explanation of how poverty impacts the experience of individuals in young and middle adulthood

 

o   A statement as to whether you think poverty is the result of cultural or individual. characteristics; provide support for your position

 

o   An answer to the following questions about the theory of poverty you selected:

§  What aspects of this theory would be most suitable for your practice? Why?

§  What aspects of this theory do you find problematic in terms of your knowledge of social work practice? Explain.

 

Be sure to support your posts with specific references to the resources. If you are using additional articles, be sure to provide full APA-formatted citations for your references.

 

References (use 2 or more)

 

Zastrow, C. H., & Kirst-Ashman, K. K. (2016). Understanding human behavior and the social environment (10th ed.). Boston, MA:  Cengage Learning.

 

Discussion 2: The Effects of Means-Tested Social Programs

 

What is welfare? When you hear the word “welfare,” do you picture images of individuals who are facing hard times? While there is more than one type of social program available in the United States to those who need it, social welfare programs like TANF provide assistance to families in need through government tax revenues. Programs like these are often referred to as “public assistance” or “means-tested programs.” These programs have eligibility criteria that are based on the individual’s or the family’s household income and assets. Do these types of programs exist in your state or region? If so, what are the criteria? If you encountered a client like Eboni Logan, from the Logan Family video, who soon will become a mother, how might you best assist her in obtaining benefits from these types of programs?

 

For this Discussion, review this week’s resources, including the Logan Family video case. Consider the means-tested programs that might be available to her in your state or region. Then, think about the likely long-term outcomes for Eboni and her child, if she chooses to parent. Finally, reflect on the state welfare policies that might help her manage the responsibilities of parenthood.

 

o   Post a brief explanation of the means-tested programs that might be available to Eboni.

 

o   Be sure your answer is specific to the means-tested programs available in your state or region.

 

o   Then, explain the potential long-term outcomes for Eboni and her child, if she chooses to parent.

 

o   Finally, explain the state public assistance policies that might help Eboni manage the responsibilities of parenthood.

 

 

Support your post with specific references to the resources. Be sure to provide full APA citations for your references.

 

References (use 2 or more)

 

Bentele, K. G., & Nicoli, L. T. (2012). Ending access as we know it: State welfare benefit coverage in the TANF era. Social Service Review, 86(2), 223–268.

 

Posiniewski, L. (2011). A unique approach to meeting the employment and training needs of food stamp recipients. Policy & Practice, 69(2), 14–15.

Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

 

Laureate Education (Producer). (2013). Sessions: Logan family Episode 4 of 42) [Video file].

 

 

 

 

Discussion 3: Welfare Programs

 

In the United States, there are many policies and programs in place to provide financial assistance to individuals in various ways. Some of these policies and programs include tax deductions for children, child care, mortgage interest, marital status, and/or student loans. These examples represent financial considerations the U.S. government provides to specific groups of people in society.

 

While many individuals appreciate the benefits of the policies and programs indicated earlier, there are many stereotypes associated with people who utilize certain public assistance programs like food stamps, subsidized housing, etc. It is important for social workers to understand the impact these stereotypes have on recipients of and service providers for such programs. Also, it is essential that you have the facts about social welfare policies in order to dispel the myths about recipients of assistance programs.

 

For this Discussion, review this week’s resources. Consider whether you think means-tested programs, such as the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and Supplemental Security Income (SSI), create dependency among its recipients. Then, think about how the potential perception of dependency might contribute to the stigma surrounding welfare programs. Finally, reflect on the perceptions you might have regarding individuals who receive means-tested welfare and how that perception might affect your work with clients.

 

o   Post an explanation of whether means-tested programs (TANF, SNAP, and SSI) create dependency.

 

o   Then, explain how the potential perception of dependency might contribute to the stigma surrounding welfare programs.

 

o   Finally, explain the perceptions you have regarding people who receive means-tested welfare and how that perception might affect your work with clients.

 

Support your post with specific references to the resources. Be sure to provide full APA citations for your references.

 

References (use 2 or more)

 

 

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. (n.d.). Office of Planning, Research & Evaluation. Retrieved November 14, 2013, from http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/research

Discuss at least two strategies that you will use to foster inclusion of all diverse family structures, so that all children will feel supported, regardless of their family configuration

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Discussion 1

Culture and Parenting

Ashford University Discussion

Professionals working with children and families typically receive cultural competency training; however, such training rarely includes the influence of culture on family dynamics and child rearing practices (Johnson, Radesky, & Zuckerman 2013). As a professional working with diverse families it is important to consider the influence of culture on parenting. For this discussion, you will be evaluating “How much of how we parent is dictated by our culture?”

* It is important to note that cultural patterns do not represent all people in a community.*

Begin by reading Chapter 6 of your course text and Promoting Healthy Parenting Practices Across Cultural Groups: A CDC Research Brief. Then address the following:

  • Discuss three general findings in the research brief about cultural parenting patterns.
  • Explain, using Table 1 on page 8 of the research brief, three different cultural patterns regarding what parents consider to be good behavior among children.
  • Explain, using Table 1 on page 9 of the research brief, three different cultural patterns regarding what parents consider to be bad behavior among children.
  • Evaluate the information you have gained and answer the question, “How much of how we parent is dictated by our culture
  • Discussion 2
  • Compare and contrast the family structures or dynamics shared in the two articles you read.Explain how you will utilize the NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct to provide a foundation for working with the diverse family structures in the two articles you read.
  • Discuss at least two strategies that you will use to foster inclusion of all diverse family structures, so that all children will feel supported, regardless of their family configuration. Use one additional scholary source to support your discussion.After reading the two articles, address the following:
  • “Family Instability Hits Boys Harder Than Girls and Has Double Poverty’s Influence on Childhood Aggression”
  • “Children Living With Female Same-Sex Couples Have 40 Percent More Focused Time With Their Parents”
  • “Children Do Just as Well in ‘New Family Structures’ as in the Traditional Family”
  • “After Parents Divorce, Regular Overnight Stays With Dad Are Best For Most Young Children”
  • To begin this discussion, read the “Creating Welcoming and Inclusive Environments for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Families in Early Childhood Settings” article. In addition, choose one of the articles below to read:There is no denying that family structures and dynamics are changing today. Therefore, as professionals working with children, it is important that we understand the diverse family structures we may encounter so that we are ready to help support the children we are working with. The importance of this is also reinforced in Chapter 2 of our course text.

Explain strategies for establishing and maintaining effective relationships.

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Taneka, a 17-year-old African American female, is a high school junior. She is the oldest of three siblings living with her single-parent mother. Her mother has worked for the past 15 years at a manufacturing plant. Her father has not been a part of Taneka’s life.

 

As the oldest child, Taneka has held major responsibilities throughout her life to support her working mother, such as carrying for her younger siblings, Derrick, now age 14, and Kenya, age 12. These early duties reinforced development of her natural leadership skills. Taneka has been recognized from an early age for being mature, responsible, and dependable. As her siblings have grown, she has been able to have part-time jobs, most recently as a salesperson at a teen fashion store in the local mall. It was here that she first realized she had a knack for dealing with people, and they responded well to her—employers, co-workers, and customers alike. She was recently approached by her supervisor to consider participating in the company’s employee leadership training program.

 

This has started Taneka to think about post-secondary education possibilities. Previously she had thought college was out of her reach, due to the limited financial resources of her family and no history of anyone in her family ever attending college. As such, she had not previously given much importance to her grades. Rather than participating in extracurricular school activities, she focused on working. She s on track for graduating with her class next year and has a current grade point average of 2.05.

Taneka is now questioning her previous assumption about college or other post-secondary educational possibilities, but she does not have a clear idea of what she would like to pursue as a career. Choosing a career and a post-secondary program to prepare for it, seeking financial support, and navigating the admissions procedure all remain mysteries to her. When her school counselor invites her in for her junior-year session to plan for life after high school, Taneka starts to open up about this and seeks help to start the process of planning for the rest of her life.

 

The Career Counseling Case Study Project provides the opportunity to demonstrate your critical

understanding of how career counseling is applied by providing a synthesis and evaluation of career counseling and consultation when working with clients. You will use a case study scenario as the basis of your project paper.

 

Please be aware that this project is designed to assist in your acquisition of career theory knowledge and therefore, you must apply the concepts that have been taught in this course. In other words, apply concepts unique to career counseling and not for other counseling disciplines such as marriage and family or school counseling.

 

To assist you in developing a complete case study, the course project includes three components:

In the Career Counseling Theory and Relationship Strategies assignment, you will focus on counseling theory and relationship strategies relevant to your selected case. Specific information regarding instructions for this assignment are located in Unit 3.

In the Diversity Issues in Career Counseling assignment, you will analyze the impact of diversity issues on career counseling. Specific information regarding instructions for this assignment are located in Unit 6.

In your final project assignment, Career Counseling Case Study, you will compile the previous assignments as well as add sections relevant to legal and ethical issues, assessment tools, and the impact of crises, emergencies, and disasters.

 

To successfully complete this project, you will be expected to:

1.       Apply relevant theory and research to career counseling practice.

2.       Explain strategies for establishing and maintaining effective relationships.

3.       Articulate how biases and assumptions can impact the career development process.

4.       Analyze legal and ethical issues related to the career development process.

5.       Write effectively in issues related to career counseling and consultation.

6.       Analyze the impact of crises, emergencies, and disasters on a person’s career planning and development.

 

To achieve a successful project experience and outcome, you are expected to meet the following requirements.

Your final project assignment should address the following topics. Please note that the number of pages per topic is provided as a guideline and is not a requirement.

 

1.       Theory and Relationship Strategies – Include the information from your Career Counseling Theory and Relationship Strategies assignment to meet the expectations for these topics. Be sure to integrate any feedback you received from your instructor to ensure you meet the grading criteria. While you may use sections of your original paper as it is, be sure to integrate this to create a cohesive assignment. In other words, be sure the section flows with the rest of your paper. (2–3 pages)

 

2.       Diversity Issues – Include the information from your Diversity Issues in Career Counseling assignment to meet the expectations for these topics. Be sure to integrate any feedback you received from your instructor to ensure you meet the grading criteria. While you may use sections of your original paper as it is, be sure to integrate this to create a cohesive assignment. In other words, be sure the section flows with the rest of your paper. (1–2 pages)

 

3.       Legal and Ethical Issues – Interpret and evaluate at least two ethical codes or standards that could be considered for this case. You need to cite which codes you are referencing and which organization it comes from. Appropriate resources include: NCDA, ACA, NBCC, AAMFT, ASCA, AMHCA, NAADAC, and so on (1 page). Be sure to access the most current code of ethics for the each organization.

 

4.       Career Counseling Approach – Appraise your understanding and application of the three steps towards career identification. These include self-awareness, identifying skills, and prioritization. Choose ways in which you can apply this knowledge to this case scenario. You may use the Career Diamond as a guide. (1–2 pages)

 

5.       Assessment Tools – Propose the appropriate selection of an assessment tool for your client. Examples may include card-sort, O*NET, or a Self-Directed Search (SDS). You may create this segment of your project in any way that meets the criteria stated in the rubrics. For example, you can state why you would suggest taking the SDS and then pretend to go through some of the more interesting results. This should demonstrate the skills of interpretation and relationship building with your client. You do not have to go through an entire assessment; just demonstrate that you can select an appropriate assessment tool. (1 page)

 

6.       Impact of Crises, Emergencies, and Disasters – Choose one area that may be affecting your client and address this consideration. You can create either a crises, emergency, or disaster. Examples may include job loss, family illness, or a neighboring earthquake. (1 page)

 

7.       Conclusion – Conclude your project with a summary of career counseling and how it can be beneficial to this client. (1 page)

 

8.       General Project Requirements:

 

9.       Written communication: Written communication must be free of errors that detract from the overall message.

 

10.   APA formatting: Resources and citations are formatted according to APA (6th Edition) Style and Formatting.

 

11.   Number of resources: Minimum of 6 resources.

 

12.   Length of paper: 8–10 typed, double-spaced pages.

 

 

13.   Font and font size: Times New Roman, 12 point.

Explain the concept of cohort effects. What cohort effects (e.g. historical or social events) might have influenced the parenting practices of each generation you described?

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Parenting Practices Over Generations

You learned in your readings that parenting practices and techniques used to shape child development are influenced by many factors including culture, socioeconomic status, non-normative life events, and cohort effects. To understand cohort effects, consider that the experiences of a child growing up in the 1940s are different in many ways from a child growing up today.

 

Read the article: Kotchick, B.A. & Forehand, R. (2002). Putting parenting in perspective: A discussion of the contextual factors that shape parenting practices. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 11(3), 255-269.

 

http://web.ebscohost.com.libproxy.edmc.edu/ehost/detail?sid=0de5858b-8bf5-4bef-b437-e4e3b5e46ed1%40sessionmgr11&vid=1&hid=7&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=afh&AN=7554170

 

Synthesize what you learned in your readings as well as the above article to address the following:

 

  • Using the chart/table below, list at least 4 parenting practices of 3 generations. You can describe parenting practices of 3 generations of your family members, another family you interview, or general practices of generations based on research you find. For example, how did each generation address issues such as education, extracurricular activities, breastfeeding, sleeping arrangements, religious involvement, etc.? Include brief demographic information (e.g., sex, age, region of the country) Note: 3 different generations means 3 different time periods, not 3 different people.
  • Now review the chart/table and discuss the following:
    • How were the parenting practices similar and different between generations?
    • Explain the concept of cohort effects. What cohort effects (e.g. historical or social events) might have influenced the parenting practices of each generation you described?
    • Identify and explain contextual factors (other than cohort effects) described by Kotchick and Forehand (2002) that might have influenced the parenting practices of each generation you described.
    • Why is it important to understand contextual factors, including cohort effects, when researching differences in parenting practices?

 

Generation 1: Years children were raised (19XX-XXXX) Generation 2: Years Generation 3: Years
Parenting Practice 1: Education
Parenting Practice 2:
Parenting Practice 3:
Parenting Practice 4:

 

Present the chart or table and your comments in a 3-page paper in Word format. Be sure to include introductory and concluding paragraphs in your paper, and an APA style reference page. Apply APA standards to citation of sources. Use the following file naming convention: LastnameFirstInitial_M1_A3.doc. For example, if your name is John Smith, your document name should be SmithJ_M1_A3.doc.

 

By Wednesday, March 27, 2013, deliver your assignment to the M1: Assignment 3 Dropbox.

 

Assignment 3 Grading Criteria
Maximum Points
Presented relevant and important data on at least 4 parenting practices