Sophie Miles

THIS WEEK’S WORK IS TWO DISCUSSIONS.

Week 6: Social Change and Professional Development

The characteristics of program design and evaluation are intended to provide some level of recommended change or action as a result of the systematic investigation into a program’s effectiveness. Evaluation can provide answers to questions about a program that may be useful in adjusting a program to become more effective. Because evaluation results in insight about the effectiveness of a program for a specific population, evaluation can be used to implement social change or action. Evaluation findings may assist stakeholders (those who hold an interest) or decision makers in go/no-go decisions about specific program modifications or initiate the continuation or demise of the entire program. Today, social policy and public administrative movement are closely associated with social program outcomes and effective evaluations.

This week, you present your design for a program addressing the needs of the homeless population in your community and analyze how your program may effect social change. You also evaluate your potential to impact areas of human services delivery and assess the benefits of participating in professional human services organizations.

Objectives

By the end of this week, you should be able to:

· Analyze how human services program design and evaluation influence social change

· Evaluate personal impact on areas of human services delivery

· Analyze how professional organizations contribute to professional development

Learning Resources

Required Readings

Kettner, P. M., Moroney, R. M., & Martin, L. L. (2017). Designing and managing programs: An effectiveness-based approach (5th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. 

· Review Chapter 6, “Selecting the Appropriate Intervention Strategy”

Donaldson, L. P. (2008). Developing a progressive advocacy program within a human services agency. Administration in Social Work, 32(2), 25–48.

Grant, H. M., & Crutchfield, L. R. (2007). Creating high-impact nonprofits. Stanford Social Innovation Review, 5(4), 32–41.

Skinner, K., & Whyte, B. (2004). Going beyond training: Theory and practice in managing learning. Social Work Education, 23(4), 365–381.

Council for Standards in Human Service Education. (2010). Retrieved from http://www.cshse.org/

Center for Credentialing & Education. (n.d.). Human services—Board certified practitioner. Retrieved November 22, 2011, from http://www.cce-global.org /HSBCP

Optional Resource

Simon, S. R., Webster, J. A., & Horn, K. (2007). A critical call for connecting students and professional associations. Social Work with Groups, 30(4), 5–19.

Retrieved from the Walden Library using the SocINDEX with Full Text database.

THIS IS DUE WEDNESDAY 8/18/21 BY 10 PM

Discussion 1: Social Change

There is a variety of elements that human services professionals should consider when they are developing and evaluating human services programs. Some of these elements include conducting a needs assessment, developing a problem statement and hypothesis, and determining goals and objectives for the program. Additionally, human services professionals can evaluate how programs can or did elicit social change as they develop and evaluate programs.

In this Discussion, you will present your Final Project to your colleagues. You will explore how your program might influence social change in a community in which it was implemented. You will also consider how your program could be evaluated in terms of its goals and objectives as well as its ability to elicit a desired social change.

To prepare for this Discussion:  

· Review Chapter 6 in your course text, focusing on how the particular design of a program evaluation influences social change.

· Review the article “Developing a Progressive Advocacy Program Within a Human Services Agency,” focusing on how this program created social change. Think about those concepts you could use in your own project.

· Review the article “Creating High-Impact Nonprofits.” Consider what suggestions you could use in creating social change.

· Review the design of the human services program you developed for your Final Project.

· Consider what kinds of social change your program could elicit in a particular community.

· Reflect on the type of evaluation that would be effective if your program were to be implemented in a community.

With these thoughts in mind:

By Day 3

Post a summary of the program design you developed for your Final Project. Then, explain how your program might influence social change in the community you selected. Be specific and provide examples. Finally, discuss how the effectiveness of your program might be evaluated with attention to social change.

Be sure to support your postings and responses with specific references to the Learning Resources.

THIS IS DUE SATURDAY 08/21/21 BY 10 PM

Discussion 2: Social Interest and Professional Development

The work involved in program evaluation requires a good deal of discipline and focus from the evaluator because of the standards, competencies, and codes of ethics required by the human services profession. Although evaluation is not specifically a profession, since evaluators are not licensed or certified, those who engage in the process of evaluation are professionals with extensive training and knowledge related to the various roles, responsibilities, and concerns of human services. Many human services program evaluators are themselves certified human services professionals and belong to various human services professional organizations. The existence of such certifications and involvement lend credibility and strength to the human services profession as a whole.

In this Discussion, you explore the various areas of human services delivery and identify areas of particular interest to you. You consider your possible future career as a human services professional and the impact you could have on the field of human services. You also explore the merits of professional human services organizations and entities for certification.

To prepare for this Discussion:  

· Review the article “A Critical Call for Connecting Students and Professional Associations.” Think about how becoming more involved in professional associations could be beneficial to your own future as a human services professional.

· Review the article “Going Beyond Training: Theory and Practice in Managing Learning.” Reflect on how you can continually be learning and growing in your field of work.

· Explore the Council for Standards in Human Service Education website listed in this week’s Learning Resources. Consider the importance of having a credential for achieving your goals as a human services professional.

· Explore the Center for Credentialing & Education website listed in this week’s Learning Resources. Consider the different types of human service credentialing available, the responsibilities of each position, and how working for such credentials could improve your ability to be an effective human services professional.

· Reflect on what you have studied and considered throughout this course. Focus on the various areas of human services and identify the areas in which you can see yourself working.

With these thoughts in mind:

By Day 4

Post a brief description of one area of human services delivery in which you are especially interested and why you are interested in that area. Then, explain how you might impact this area in the future as a human services professional. Finally, explain how affiliation with a professional organization and/or becoming a HS-BCP might contribute to the impact you hope to make. Be specific and provide examples.

Be sure to support your postings and responses with specific references to the Learning Resources.

Read a selection of your colleagues’ postings.