Final project | Sociology homework help

FinalProjec1.docx

Final Project: Treatment Group Proposal

Formal proposals for treatment groups are typically presented to stakeholders to achieve agency support, including the provision of any necessary funding or staffing. They also serve as the group leader’s blueprint for practice once it is time to form the group and begin treatment.

Over the last several weeks, you have drafted multiple sections of your Treatment Group Proposal. Now, for this Assignment, you polish those sections and place them in the same document so that they can be presented to agency stakeholders as a complete package. You also write an abstract to highlight key points and summarize your overall message about the need for the group and the group’s design. If you have not already, review your Instructor’s feedback on past submissions and use it to improve your overall proposal.

Resources

Be sure to review the Learning Resources before completing this activity.

Click the weekly resources link to access the resources.

WEEKLY RESOURCES

To Prepare

Download the Treatment Group Proposal Template to use for this Assignment.

Review your submissions for Weeks 6–9 Assignments and any Instructor feedback received.

Revise and polish these submissions; then place them into the appropriate spot in the Treatment Group Proposal Template.

Write an abstract to include at the beginning of your proposal. The abstract should summarize the major points.

Assignment below:

Submit your revised and completed Treatment Group Proposal, which is a 6- to 8-page document including the following sections:

Abstract: Summary of major points (1 paragraph)

Purpose: Statement of purpose, specify and justify type of treatment group, qualifications of the group leader

Membership: Specific population for the group, cultural mix and demographic characteristics, whether involuntary group members will be included.

Statement of Need: Why is there a need for a group to serve this target population in your area?

Recruitment: Method to recruit potential members as well as screening and selection procedures.

Composition & Contract: Criteria for inclusion/exclusion, size (number in group), open/closed; contents of contract (number of sessions, frequency, time of meetings, and length)

Orientation: How you will address and ensure confidentiality, obtain informed consent, and establish rules

Intervention Framework: Evidence-based practices and techniques to be used. Justify why the framework is appropriate for the target population and issue(s). Identify topics you plan to cover over the course of the group treatment

Evaluation Methods: Evaluation of progress and readiness for termination of services using at least one assessment tool and one observational method.

Use the Learning Resources and additional relevant sources you have gathered to support your paper. Make sure to provide APA citations and a reference list.

submission information

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To submit your completed assignment, save your Assignment as WK10Assgn_LastName_Firstinitial

Then, click on Start Assignment near the top of the page.

Next, click on Upload File and select Submit Assignment for review.

Rubric

SOCW_6121_Week10_Assignment_Rubric

Criteria Ratings Pts

This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeAbstract

35 to >31.15 pts

Exceeds Expectation 90-100%

The abstract meets expectations and exceeds through concise and sophisticated writing that sets up the full proposal.

31.15 to >27.65 pts

Meets Expectation 80-89%

The abstract fully summarizes the major points of the proposal.

27.65 to >24.15 pts

Fair 70-79%

The abstract provides a limited, incomplete, or vaguely developed summary of the major points of the proposal.

24.15 to >0 pts

Needs Improvement 0-69%

There is little or no attempt to summarize the major points of the proposal in an abstract. The length may be minimal (1 or 2 sentences) or excessive.

35 pts

This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeRevised and Combined Proposal Sections (8 Sections): ...Purpose, Membership, Statement of Need, Recruitment, Composition & Contract, Orientation, Intervention Framework, Evaluation Methods

50 to >44.5 pts

Exceeds Expectation 90-100%

Response meets expectations and exceeds through a comprehensive proposal that flows well, clearly establishes need, and shows meticulous planning. The proposal demonstrates application of critical thinking and clinical practice knowledge and skills. There is evidence of comprehensive revision to improve prior submissions. ... Response may include additional details and examples from the Learning Resources, peer-reviewed research, or other relevant sources.

44.5 to >39.5 pts

Meets Expectation 80-89%

Response presents a complete picture of the proposed treatment group. ... All eight sections are represented in the proposal. Each section fully describes the associated aspects of the treatment group. There is evidence of substantial revision to improve prior submissions. ... Response demonstrates clear connection to the Learning Resources.

39.5 to >34.5 pts

Fair 70-79%

Response presents a somewhat incomplete picture of the proposed treatment group. ... Seven or eight sections are represented in the proposal. Each section provides a limited, incomplete, or vaguely developed description of the associated aspects of the treatment group. There is limited evidence of revision to improve prior submissions. ... Response may show evidence of connection to the Learning Resources, but it is vague or poorly connected.

34.5 to >0 pts

Needs Improvement 0-69%

Response includes six or fewer sections. There is little or no attempt in each section to describe the associated aspects of the treatment group. ... There is no evidence of revision to improve prior submissions. ... Response does not demonstrate connection to the Learning Resources. No resources are used to support the response.

50 pts

This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeWriting

15 to >13.35 pts

Exceeds Expectation 90-100%

Paper meets length requirements, meets expectations, is generally error-free (two or fewer), and further exceeds by showcasing an exemplary scholarly voice to develop its message or communicate ideas. ... Paper appropriately paraphrases sources, using one or fewer quotes. Presents polished APA Style. Citations, reference list, and paper formatting are generally error-free (two or fewer). ... Tone and presentation of ideas are free from bias and objective, unless otherwise directed in the prompt.

13.35 to >11.85 pts

Meets Expectation 80-89%

Paper meets length requirements and is clear and coherent. Errors in grammar, sentence structure, and punctuation are minor, minimal (three to five), and do not interfere with the scholarly message. The paper displays effective organization and focus to communicate ideas. ... Paper appropriately paraphrases sources. Paper may use two to three short quotes but provides appropriate reference. Consistently documents sources in APA Style. Uses citations for ideas requiring attribution, with a few minimal errors (three to five). The reference list is complete and contains only minimal errors (three to five). Paper formatting is appropriate. There is a clear distinction between cited content and original thought. ... Tone and presentation of ideas are free from bias and objective, unless otherwise directed in the prompt.

11.85 to >10.35 pts

Fair 70-79%

Paper does not meet length requirements (either somewhat too short or too long). The paper is somewhat clear and coherent. Errors in grammar, sentence structure, and punctuation are minor but frequent (5–10) and occasionally interfere with the message. The paper lacks clear organization or occasionally strays from the focus. ... Paper may rely on four short quotes or one to two long quotes (over 40 words) and/or does not sufficiently paraphrase material from other resources into student’s own words. Attempts to document sources in APA Style. Citations are present but contain frequent APA errors or omissions. A reference list is provided but is incomplete and/or contains frequent APA errors. Paper formatting may be incorrect (e.g., single-spaced or without a title page). ... Occasionally lacks a clear distinction between cited content and original thought.... Tone and presentation of ideas are free from bias and objective, unless otherwise directed in the prompt.

10.35 to >0 pts

Needs Improvement 0-69%

Paper does not meet length requirements (either significantly too short or too long). The paper lacks clarity and coherence. Errors in grammar, sentence structure, and punctuation are major, pervasive (11+), and interfere with the message. The paper is not organized or lacks focus. ... Paper relies excessively on quoting (five or more short quotes or three or more long quotes [over 40 words]) and/or uses quoted material without paraphrasing or referencing the source of the material. Little or no attempt has been made to document sources in APA Style. Citations are infrequent or missing, and a reference list is not provided. Little or no attempt has been made to format the paper in APA Style. ... There is no distinction between cited content and original thought. ... Tone and presentation of ideas reveal bias and subjectivity.

15 pts

Total Points: 100

WKS9COPY.docx

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Evaluation Methods

WKS 9 COPY

April 25, 2026

Evaluation is a critical component of the proposed Caregiver Stress and Family Conflict Support Group as it allows for an evaluation of whether the group members are decreasing the caregiver burden, increasing their coping ability and preparing members for group termination. The group targets carers that occur with a history of feeling stressed, guilty, grieving, experiencing family conflict and lack of coping strategies to deal with the burden of care giving. So, the aim of the group is to measure the change in the feelings of the members through assessment and demonstrate the change in skills.

The group measurement that I would like to use is the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI). This tool is suitable as it measures the burden of the care giver, such as the emotional burden, role burden and the impact of care giving on the family and personal life (Zarit et al, 1980). I would administer the ZBI at the beginning of the group, middle and at the end of the group. This will give the social worker an idea of the change in the participants' scores, and show a reduction in the caregiver burden. The tool will be completed by the individual members but the facilitator could see the group's scores by using the mean of the scores.

The ZBI would be useful to use as burden for the carers is discussed in the intervention group. The burden can impact the emotional, physical, social and financial aspects of the caregiver's life, so it is important to determine whether the group is helping the participants to better cope with the burden's demands (Liu et al., 2020). The instrument is also appropriate for the group intervention which has psychoeducation, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) strategies, support and problem-solving. Studies indicate that CBT and psychosocial interventions can decrease caregiver's stress and coping in the case of caregivers of patients with dementia, severe mental illness and so on (Kwon et al., 2017; Sampogna et al., 2023). So, if the ZBI score is low this will mean there are changes due to the group.

An observational measure that I would use would be a facilitator's observation measure, which will be rated at the end of each group. This will include attendance, participation, emotional regulation, readiness to give and receive support, using coping skills, re-framing negative thoughts, communication, setting boundaries and a self-care/crisis plan. This will assist the group facilitator to assess whether group members are actually practicing their skills as they learn them in the group.

This measure would be helpful in determining readiness for termination as not only symptom reduction is a measure of change in groups. Interaction, support, cohesion and practice are all indicators of growth in social work groups (Toseland and Rivas, 2017). A member can be ready to be terminated when a member can identify their own stressors and coping styles, assertive communication of their needs, boundaries and outside group support. Observation is also an ethical practice as the facilitator can take into account the members' strengths, culture, needs and progress (National Association of Social Workers [NASW], 2021). The ZBI and facilitator observation scale would give a good indication for group members' performance and readiness for termination.

References

Kwon, O.-Y., Ahn, H. S., Kim, H. J., & Park, K.-W. (2017). Effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy for caregivers of people with dementia: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Clinical Neurology, 13(4), 394–404. https://doi.org/10.3988/jcn.2017.13.4.394

Liu, Z., Heffernan, C., & Tan, J. (2020). Caregiver burden: A concept analysis. International Journal of Nursing Sciences, 7(4), 438–445. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnss.2020.07.012

National Association of Social Workers. (2021). Code of ethics of the National Association of Social Workers. https://www.socialworkers.org/about/ethics/code-of-ethics

Sampogna, G., Brohan, E., Luciano, M., Chowdhary, N., & Fiorillo, A. (2023). Psychosocial interventions for carers of people with severe mental and substance use disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis. European Psychiatry, 66(1), Article e98. https://doi.org/10.1192/j.eurpsy.2023.2472

Toseland, R. W., & Rivas, R. F. (2017). An introduction to group work practice (8th ed.). Pearson.

Zarit, S. H., Reever, K. E., & Bach-Peterson, J. (1980). Relatives of the impaired elderly: Correlates of feelings of burden. The Gerontologist, 20(6), 649–655. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/20.6.649

WKS6COPY.docx

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Treatment Group Proposal: Caregiver Stress and Family Conflict Support Group

WKS6 SOCW 6121: Social Work Practice With Groups April 5, 2026

Purpose

The proposed treatment group will provide both therapeutic care and psycho education to family caregivers who feel stressful and strained as they provide care to their seriously mentally ill or cognitively impaired relatives. In the process of interactions with the client of Parker family media case, a number of concerns were revealed. Sara Parker is a 72-year-old female patient with symptoms of cognitive deficits and hoarding, who has her daughter Stephanie living with her who has developed bipolar disorder. During the home visit of the Adult Protective Services, both of them confessed that there has been an increased conflict at home in relation to Sara hoarding and the efforts of Stephanie cleaning the apartment. Although both of them have not reported the sustained violence, the employee has observed that there has been tension of emotions and physical stress on the family which indicated the presence of caregiver stress and pooring family relationships.

A psycho educational and support group is a proper intervention with this type of dynamics. Psycho educational groups consist of a therapeutic discussion and psycho education on coping mechanisms, mental illness, and family communication (Toseland and Rivas, 2017). Such participants are assisted by these groups to learn practical skills and emotional support of individuals that are also confronted with the same care giving problems. The licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) who will be the leader of the proposed group will have a background in the areas of group facilitation, family systems, and mental health practice. The group leaders should also be knowledgeable of the trauma-informed care and crisis intervention to make sure that the surrounding is comfortable and secure when the emotionally sensitive conversations occur (Corey et al., 2018).

Membership

The proposed group shall cater to adult caregivers and family members to live or offer care to persons with severe mental illness, dementia, or hoarding behavior. These members may be spouses, adult children, or any other relatives that are put under stress or conflict due to the care giving duties. This group participation would particularly impact those individuals such as Stephanie who are struggling to manage their mental health needs and are attempting to care of their relatives.

Subjects will be expected to embody different backgrounds in terms of culture, socioeconomic as well as demographics. Cultural competence will also be required as communities do not hold the same beliefs regarding caring, family responsibility, and mental illness (Sue and Sue, 2022). Engagement of respondent will be done on a voluntary basis to facilitate open, trustful and substantive group discussions. The sample will include six to ten participants depending on the research the most appropriate number to reach a therapeutic and group interaction (Toseland and Rivas, 2017).

Statement of Need

Caregiver support in mentally ill or cognitively depressed persons is severely required. Care giving tends to cause emotional stress and social isolation in addition to psychological stress otherwise known as caregiver burden. These researches have demonstrated that the number of caregivers who are estimated to take care of mentally ill individuals and report high caregiver burden in emotional fatigue and disrupted family relationships is estimated at 31 percent (Zhu et al., 2022). Also, stress related to care giving duties is moderate to severe, and is being reported among a number of caregivers.

These issues are depicted in Parker family case. Hoarding and cognitive impairments have also made Sara create a clutter in her home, as well as on-going conflict between her and Stephanie. At the same time, the bipolar disorder of Stephanie renders her unable to assume care giving roles and be a stable mental system. Devoid of action, such challenges might develop and result in unsafe living conditions or additional emotional decline. The treatment group would provide coping skills, communication and support of families in similar situation.

Recruitment

The interviewees will be identified through the social service agencies, the community mental health clinics, outpatient program in the hospital, senior day treatment centers and the social service agencies. Referrals to the clients facing caregiver stress, or family conflict due to mental illness will be encouraged among the social workers, therapists as well as case managers.

The group facilitator will have to conduct the screening interview on the potential group members before they are allowed to join the group. The screening will assess the role of care giving, degree of emotional distress and ability to participate safely in a group. Those people who have acute psychiatric crisis or interpersonal violence will be directed to more specific services. The invited members will be engaged in an orientation program where the objectives and goals of the group, rules of confidentiality, and participation will be explained (Corey et al., 2018).

References

Corey, G., Corey, M. S., & Corey, C. (2018). Groups: Process and practice (10th ed.). Cengage Learning.

Sue, D. W., & Sue, D. (2022). Counseling the culturally diverse: Theory and practice (9th ed.). Wiley.

Toseland, R. W., & Rivas, R. F. (2017). An introduction to group work practice (8th ed.). Pearson.

Zhu, L., Heffernan, C., & Tan, J. (2022). Caregiver burden: A concept analysis. International Journal of Nursing Sciences, 9(3), 301–308.