Discussion Response Using a Logic Model to Focus Interventions and Achieve Desired Outcomes

Go to ch. 6 in the attached text to get reference information.

Please Respond to this post 1 by doing all of the following

· Offer critiques of their logic model as if you were a member of their work groups. 

· Identify strengths of the logic models.

· Identify potential weaknesses in the assumptions or areas that may require additional information or clarification.

· Offer substantial information to assist your colleagues’ efforts such as: 

· Information to support their understanding of the problems and needs in this population

· Suggestions related to intervention activities, and potential outcome

POST 1

Using a Logic Model to Focus Interventions and Achieve Desired Outcomes

Logic model

            A logic model is a concise, one-page diagram of a program’s operations from beginning to end that shows the relationship between a need that the program is designed to address. (Randolph, 2010).  The diagram is made up of a series of boxes that represent the program’s components, resources, activities, outputs, and outcomes to describe the actions taken to address the need. (Randolph, 2010).  

Housing First 

Input	Activities	Output	Short-term outcomes	Long-term outcomes
McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Grant ($2.777 billion) (National Alliance to End Homelessness, 2020).	- Mental and physical health treatment - Finance education - Job training and education - Social skills education - Substance abuse treatment (National Alliance to End Homelessness, 2016).	- Medication management - Individual counseling - Health screening and treatment - Job coaching services - Money management classes  - Coaching on how to find and maintain housing - Social skills training and activities - Substance use education and relapse prevention (Cho, 2014).	- Achieve mental and physical health stability - Obtain employment - Obtain housing - Achieving sobriety	- Maintain mental and physical health stability - Maintain permanent housing - Maintaining sobriety

 

Types of problems

            The National Coalition for the Homeless (2009) stated that individuals with serious mental illnesses struggle with forming and maintaining stable relationships, leading to more vulnerability to homelessness as they push away their support system.  Homelessness also leads to increased risk for physical health issues due to the inability to take necessary precautions against diseases. (National Coalition for the Homeless, 2009).  When addressing homelessness, practitioners must take a holistic approach and address all unmet needs for them to be successful long-term.  Programs addressing homelessness must include mental and physical health treatment, as well as financial education and job training.  

Short- and long-term outcomes

            The desired short-term outcomes would include achieving mental and physical health stability.  Without addressing these needs, individuals receiving services would not be able to maintain long-term outcomes.  Other short-term outcomes include obtaining a job and securing suitable housing.  Long-term outcomes would include maintaining mental and physical stability and retaining permanent housing.  Another long-term outcome is maintaining sobriety. 

Interventions 

            As indicated above, interventions should include mental and physical health treatment, finance education, job training, social skills education, substance abuse treatment.  The National Alliance to End Homelessness (2016) stated that the program should train individuals on becoming independent through job training, budgeting education, and attending to substance use issues.  Individuals should receive mental health treatment, such as medication management and individual counseling to achieve stability.  They should also receive health screening and treatment to maintain their overall well-being.  Social skills education should be included to build positive relationships and create a support system.  Substance abuse treatment is another important part as individuals experiencing homelessness are at an increased risk for substance abuse issues. (National Coalition for the Homeless, 2009).  

Resources

Cho, R. (2014). Four Clarifications about Housing First. https://www.usich.gov/news/four-clarifications-about-housing-first/

National Alliance to End Homelessness. (2016). Fact Sheet: Housing First. http://endhomelessness.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/housing-first-fact-sheet.pdf

National Alliance to End Homelessness. (2020). Federal Funding for Homelessness Programs. https://endhomelessness.org/ending-homelessness/policy/federal-funding-homelessness-programs/

National Coalition for the Homeless. (2009). Mental Illness and Homelessness. https://www.nationalhomeless.org/factsheets/Mental_Illness.pdf

Randolph, K. A. (2010). Logic models. In B. Thyer (Ed.), The handbook of social work research methods (2nd ed., pp. 547–562). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. (PDF)

Please Respond to this post by doing all of the following

· Offer critiques of their logic model as if you were a member of their work groups. 

· Identify strengths of the logic models.

· Identify potential weaknesses in the assumptions or areas that may require additional information or clarification.

· Offer substantial information to assist your colleagues’ efforts such as: 

· Information to support their understanding of the problems and needs in this population

· Suggestions related to intervention activities, and potential outcome

Post 2

Logic models provides a concise, one-page picture of program operations from beginning to end (Randolph, 2010).  Social worker will construct a logic model to present to their team working with individuals within the public assistance agency's needing services. Components of program will consist of  outlining resources, activates, long and short-term goals. The diagram shows how these components are connected or linked to one another for the purpose of achieving program goals ( Randolph, 2010).

Trauma , Mental Health and Parenting

Inputs  Trauma exposure during childhood  within low socioeconomic status and urban communities.  Family  and Community environmental factors.

Activities Mental health assessment and treatment Traumatic events Inventory   Identifying past trauma    Education on triggers and identifying strengths    Parenting classes   Copying skills    Job Training   Money management classes   Securing permanent housing    Building support system ( natural supports )   CBT and DBT

Output Individual and family counseling    Understanding mental health diagnosis and medication management

Short-term Goal Maintain mental health stability   Continue therapy sessions and parenting classes   Securing full-time employment    Obtain housing

Long-term Goal  Maintain employment    Maintain affordable housing   Financial stability     Continue therapy to maintain a stable mental health

 

Traumatic events inventory is composed of thirteen items measuring one’s lifetime of exposure to trauma Cross et al. (2018). Young mothers particularly those of color are faced with high rates of exposure to traumatic events which left untreated lead to poor education, substance abuse, homelessness and untreated mental health diagnosis. In addition, parental exposure to trauma is associated with a tendency to perceive one’s child more negatively, such as perceiving the child to be difficult to manage or perceiving interactions with the child to be dysfunctional or disappointing, or to experience more distress in the parental role Cross et al. (2018). Working with low-income mother seeking services form public assistance programs , social workers will need to address these underline issues to assist in having a positive outcome and increasing the likely hood one may not need services for a lengthy period of time.

 

Short- and long-term goals

 

The goals whether short or long term should be implemented within a reasonable time frame to assist with client’s success. Short-term goals focus on mental health, parenting classes, housing and employment. How many goals implemented will be up to each individual client and how well they handle stress and task at hand. Long-term goals are to maintain the first set of goals and needing less support as each individual becomes stronger and more confident with obtaining and managing housing, employment parenting and mental health.

 

Interventions

Cognitive Behavior therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy with individuals to identify mental health conditions. Learning coping skills , job training, parenting skills and understanding one’s trauma will assist client in creating  better future for them and their children. CBT assist clients in identifying negative thinking patterns and understanding how to change them. CBT might be of more benefit over a longer time period, treatment for depression in advantaged populations results in significant improvements in functional and work outcomes Miranda et al. (2006).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reference

 

Cross, D., Ruchard, A.L., Jovanovic, T., Vance, A.L., Kim, Y.J., Fox, N. & Bradley, B. (2017). Trauma exposure ,ptsd and parenting in a community sample of low-income predominantly African American mothers and children, Psychological Trauma: Theory ,research, Practice and Policy, 10(3), 327-335.http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/tra0000264

 

 

Miranda, J., Siddique, J., Belin, T., Green, B.L., Krupnick, J.L., Chung, J. & Revicki, D. (2006).  One-year outcomes of a randomized clinical trial treating depression in low-income minority women, Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 74(1), 99-111.doi:10.1037/0022-006X.74.1.99

 

 

Randolph, K.A. (2010). Logic models. In B. Thyer (Ed.) . The handbook of social work research methods (2nd ed., pp. 547-562). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, (PDF)