SOCW 6311 wk 10 Assignment: Designing a Plan for Outcome Evaluation

ALL discussions for SOCW 6311

SummerLove Holcomb 

RE: Discussion – Week 1

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The Characteristics of the evidence-based practice (EBP)          

            The evidence-based program is defined as the programs that are effective and this is based on the rigorous assessment. One of the key features of EBP is that they have been assessed thoroughly in an experimental or quasi-experimental study. The evaluation of the EBP has been subjected to critical peer review and this implies that a conclusion has been reached by the evaluation experts. The EBP requires the ability to differentiate between the unverified opinions concerning the psychosocial interventions and the facts about their effectiveness. It is involving the process of inquiry that is provided to the practitioners and described for the physicians. This is important in integrating the best evidence, clinical expertise, and patient values as well as the situations that are linked to the management of the patient, management of the practice, and health policy decision-making processes (Small & O’Connor, 2007).

The assessment of the factors that are supporting or impeding the adoption of the evidence-based practice

            Several factors are associated with the failure to the successful adoption of EBP. The implementation of EBP for example in healthcare facilities requires the dedication of time. Therefore, lack of adequate time for the training and implementation of the EBP makes it hard to adopt it within the facility. The adoption of evidence-based practice also requires adequate resources. This, therefore, implies that there must be adequate resources to facilitate the effective implementation and the adoption of the EBP. This, therefore, implies that smaller organizations with unstable capital income might not adopt the EBP. Another barrier is the inability to understand the statistical terms or the jargons used in the EBP. This leads to barriers in understanding thus making it hard to implement the EBP (Duncombe, 2018).  Therefore, the factors that might support the implementation of the EBP are the availability of resources and adequate time.
References
Duncombe, D. C. (2018). A multi‐institutional study of the perceived barriers and facilitators to implementing evidence‐based practice. Journal of Clinical , 27(5-6), 1216-1226. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.14168
Small, S., & O’Connor, C. (2007, October 6). Evidence‐based programs: An Overview. Retrieved from University of Winsconsin-Madison and University of Winsconsin-Extension.

RE: Discussion – Week 2

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The practice and the evidence supporting it

            The social worker reports about the importance of meeting the clients before the selection of the treatment. This is a good approach that needs to be supported to ensure effective service delivery. The solutions offered to the patient in the video include medication and the use of yoga, however, they appear to be offensive to the patient. Therefore, it is necessary to have evidence-based practice such as seeking safety since it involves the research findings, clinical knowledge and skills, and the values of the patient. The successful implementation of the evidence-based practice must involve the process of building trusting associations to discovered essential information (Brown et al., 2019).

The reason for the appropriateness of the intervention for Jake

            The evidence-based practice solution selected by the client is seeking safety for Jake to help in the management of the trauma. It helps in the normalization of the individual’s PTSD symptoms, promoting psychoeducation, and the treatment of substance use. Jake would benefit from this intervention since it will help in the management of anxiety and interpersonal-related challenges (Brown et al., 2019).

The explanation of the supervisor about the issues related to the implementation

            There is no need to have issues concerning the implementation process. The seeking safety is provided directly in a group. This helps in the collection of more information that can be used in helping Jake overcome his issues.
The two factors that are important in the successful process of implementing the evidence-based practice
            One of the factors in the successful implementation is the existence of the guidelines that is provided in a manual. This helps in the step-by-step implementation process of the evidence-based practice. Another key factor is the prior knowledge about the client. This is important in understanding the strengths and the weakness of the clients (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2018).

The two factors that might hinder the implementation process and how they can be prevented

            One of the barriers to the successful implementation process is the failure to cover the materials appropriately. This barrier can be overcome by ensuring that the material or other important resource is used effectively and appropriately. Another barrier is the is location or the setting where the evidence-based practice is being implemented. Since direct delivery of the evidence-based intervention is the effective approach, it is important to have a group of clients to help in promoting the group discussion thus facilitating the collection of important information about Jake (Brown et al., 2019). 
References
Brown, L. A., Zandberg, L. J., & Foa, E. B. (2019). Mechanism of change in prolonged exposure therapy for PTSD: implications for clinicalpractice. Journal of Psychotherapy Integration, 29(1), 6-14. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/int0000109
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2018). Evidence-based practice resource center. Retrieved from https://www.samhsa.gov/ebp-resource-center

RE: Discussion – Week 3

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Evaluation of the proposed case study

            Chris the social worker and the team of managers used a strategy that integrates geriatric case management elements with short-term treatment techniques. These treatment methods are mainly task-centered and solution-focused models. The team evaluates the practice approach using a multiple-baseline, based on single-subject design. Each case manager selected a single new client to the caseload to take part in the case study. The respective managers had the responsibility to explain the research projects to their clients.
            The case managers utilized clinical rating scales from the task-centered model as part of the practice process. At the start of each meeting, the client and the manager together evaluated how well the undertaken practice steps were completed through the ten-point scale. The managers also concurrently evaluated the changes related to the clients’ problems through the same clinical scale.

Whether the outcome of Chris’ study would influence the adoption of the model

            The outcome of the study conducted by Chris and George, the client, would influence me to adopt the case management technique with a task-centered and solution-focused model. This because of various reasons. The basic logic and concept underlying the single-subject study are straightforward. The model allowed continuous evaluation and collection of data related to the change in behavior until the baseline was established. The client and the manager collaboratively evaluated the practice steps at the beginning of each client contact.
            Besides, the repeated measurement of the variable over the process is central to the single search research. It emphasizes validity, a high level of control, and accuracy (Mattaini, 2010). The study also meets the quality indicators that need to exist for a study or research to be considered credible under single-subject research. Some of the indicators include the description of participants and their settings, both variable, internal and external validity (Tankersley et al., 2008).

The recommendations for improvement

            The study conducted by Chris and the management team is fairly presented in terms of the research and the data presented and can be adapted to various types of programs. However, suppose they wish to give in the study to the practice registry, they need to adjust some of the aspects. First, they need to conduct more research generally to build the body of the study to be presentable to the registry. They also need to include how the sample variability was conducted. The team also needs to consider how individuals with different situations or characteristics would react to the intervention.
References
Mattaini, M. A. (2010). Single-system studies. The handbook of social work research methods, 241.
Plummer, S.-B., Makris, S., & Brocksen S. (Eds.). (2014b). Social work case studies: Concentration year. Baltimore, MD: Laureate International Universities Publishing. [Vital Source e-reader].
“Social Work Research: Single Subject” (pp. 70–72)
Tankersley, M., Cook, B. G., & Cook, L. (2008). A preliminary examination to identify the presence of quality indicators in single-subject research. Education and Treatment of Children, 523-548.

RE: Discussion – Week 4

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Case Study Interpretation
Case study: the vocational rehabilitation intervention program may be effective at promoting full-time employment.
This can be done by analyzing a group of people who are already working and the nature of their employment, if it is full-time job or part-time job. This is done among a population of people working in different places regardless of gender or religion or level of employment. The null hypothesis set for this study is:
H0: employees whom have gone through vocational rehabilitation intervention are opt for full time employment.
The study is affected by various internal validity factors which limits the ability to draw conclusion. Internal validity involves the confidence that the data under study and analysis is not affected by other factors. In the case of employment various factors affect the type of employment ones get. Some companies do not have room for full-time jobs though they have open positions and have good payment. This would mean they can absorb anyone either from vocational rehabilitation or not as long as the employee meets the job requirement. This limits the ability of the study. Employees are in constant urge to increase their work experience as well as get more sustaining jobs as explained by Ahmad, & Jameel, (2018). Opening job positions from prestigious companies have great influence on already working employees which lure them to quitting their initial jobs such position. This is contributed by the fact that employers offer different working conditions, job security and salaries. Company stability is also an internal validity factor which can make our study result biased. Employees prefer more stable companies and would quit their full time job for part time job in a more stable and better paying company. Time factor for different employees has great impact on type of job, example employees with the urge to further his or her education. Employees relationship among each other and with company management is also an internal validity factor which may affect the type of employment an employ gets or opt for in an organization.
These factors make it hard to develop a conclusion on relationship between going through vocational rehabilitation intervention program and effectiveness in promoting full-time employment.
References
Ahmad, M. A. A., & Jameel, A. S. (2018). Factors affecting on job satisfaction among academic staff. Polytechnic Journal, 8(2).

RE: Discussion – Week 5

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In today’s world, social care intervention relates to the actions performed by social workers to provide immediate assistance to those who are in distress. Qualitative proof syntheses are becoming more popular, but methods for deciding how much faith to put in synthesis results are missing. This suggests that evaluating how much faith to put in findings from a qualitative data synthesis is aided by confidence in the evidence from numerous analyses of qualitative analysis approaches (Lewin et al, 2015).
Social work, when it comes to may take three forms: macro, mezzo, and micro. Mezzo social work emphasizes on working with individuals and communities, particularly in a therapeutic capacity, macro social work is also founded on assisting a broad number of people indirectly, though no less effectively, through research, political activism, and wide-scale services that addressees’ common social problems.
Macro social work thus is done where the whole society and health-care infrastructure are impacted. Mezzo social work, on the other side, includes intermediary entities such as institutions. An organism then experiences the microform. The aim is to evaluate the Single Room Occupancy (SRO) macro, mezzo, and micro-oriented guidelines to offer quality guidance to social workers and how evidence-based approach recommendations may be tailored to be culturally aware and appropriate for African Americans.
SRO’s primary function is to provide accommodation for low-income households. Knight’s study photographs show the differences between the old and current SRO (Single room Occupancy) rooms. The two images show a clear contrast between a stressful physical environment and a normal state in a personal SRO from what is depicted in the study. The older Single room Occupancy room is single with public washrooms in the first photo, while the current SRO room is tidy, lightened, and safer, with personal washrooms and a kitchen in the second photo. These illustrations demonstrate that the condition and functionality of the structure and its surroundings provide a significant difference that leads to the harmful and positive aspects of women’s mental health results.
The homeless people who live in SROs need some protection, so it is suggested that they be given the format of a newer SRO house, similar to the one seen in the photo. Public relations and immersive schemes engage with the world on a micro basis to exploit psychological health (Knight et al., 2014). Since the patients have the influence of their surroundings, the private world plays a significant role in mental illness. On the other hand, because of previous experience, shared environments trigger the recurrence of mental health issues as well as severe physical victimization or sexual assault, finding it impossible to handle trauma (Knight et al., 2014).
Therefore, based on the study of the week’s required sources and evidence from the confession of some of the study victims, shared rooms tend not to bring the best out of individuals who have been inflicted with trauma. To manage trauma, it’s advisable to use single rooms to give such individuals space and time to be alone. As demonstrated by multiple victims’ confessions in Knight et al. report, sharing accommodations aren’t the safest for trauma management. However as means of making this evidence-based procedure ethnically responsive and applicable to African Americans, suggestion should be made on  a framework for performing cultural adaptations, then detailing the adaptation procedure  (Marsiglia & Booth, 2015). Following that, Knight et al.’s case study and the insights learned from it, and also as suggestions for customarily trapped social work practice, are conversed.

References

Kelly R. Knight, Andrea M. Lopez, Megan Comfort, Martha Shumway, Jennifer Cohen & Elise
D. Riley (2014). Research on Single room occupancy (SRO) hotels as mental health risk environments among impoverished women: The intersection of policy, drug use, trauma, and urban space.

Lewin, S., Glenton, C., Munthe-Kaas, H., Carlsen, B., Colvin, C. J., Gülmezoglu, M., … & Rashidian, A. (2015). Using qualitative evidence in decision making for health and social interventions: an approach to assess confidence in findings from qualitative evidence syntheses (GRADE-CERQual). PLoS Med, 12(10), e1001895.
Marsiglia, F. F., & Booth, J. M. (2015). Cultural adaptation of interventions in real practice settings. Research on social work practice, 25(4), 423-432.

RE: Discussion – Week 6

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Program Evaluation

Post a brief summary of the program that you selected.

I live in Tacoma Washington I work for CHI Hospice and intern at Sound options elderly care. The program involves the addition of 76 surgical/medical acute cares beds to St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma, Washington. The program will be completed in four phases with 8,21, 28, and 19 beds added each of the respective phase.  

Recommend a program evaluation model that would answer a question relevant to the program.

Performance monitoring.

Explain the potential benefits of the program evaluation that you proposed (both process and outcome).

There are several benefits of performance monitoring. It ensures accountability for program activities. It demonstrates that resources for the program, initiative, or strategy, are managed well and used for the intended purpose (TK Logan, 2009). It monitors and offers reports on progress towards achieving pre-established goals. It offers early warnings to management and funder of problems.

Identify 2–3 concerns that stakeholders might have about your proposed evaluation and how you would address those concerns.

Have the activities for the program been conducted in the planned manner?
Have the services and products been provided and generated by the efforts as planned?
Has the effort accomplished the objectives of the program?
As the program unfolds there should be ways to evaluate the progress to make sure we are on track

Then explain 2–3 concerns that stakeholders may have about your proposed program evaluation and how you would address those concerns.

The stakeholders might be concerned about whether the program has been carried out in a planned manner. The concern will be addressed by emphasizing the perspectives, relationships, and boundaries within and across the subsystems and systems, and the program.
The stakeholders might be concerned if the program has provided the products and services as planned (W.K. Kellogg Foundation, 2017). The concern will be addressed by emphasizing learning and use of learning to refine innovation and be responsive to the environment. 
The stakeholders might be concerned if the program has accomplished its objective. The concern will be addressed by involving the program staff in facilitated discussions and dialogue in articulating determining the evidence and measures required to monitor’s the program’s success and progress.
 
References
TK Logan, D. R. (2009). Program Evaluation Studies. In D. R. TK Logan, Program Evaluation (pp. 221-234). Brooks/Cole.
W.K. Kellogg Foundation. (2017). The Step-by-Step Guide to EVALUATION: How to Become Savvy Evaluation Consumers. W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

RE: Discussion – Week 7

Using a Logic Model to Focus Interventions and Achieve Desired Outcomes

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Problem

Needs

Underlying Causes

Intervention Activities

 
Outcomes

Homeless young mothers

Housing, substance abuse counseling, job training, healthcare access

Poverty, substance abuse, mental health issues

A practitioner led intervention for low income mothers
· Housing
· Mental health care
· Follow-up Healthcare access
 

High degree of social support
Greater access to vital community and healthcare resources

 

Post a logic model and theory of change for a practitioner-level intervention.

            A practitioner led intervention for low income mothers is a program for mothers who had recently given birth. The intervention involves the use of texting for follow-up intervention post–hospital discharge for 6 months (Hannan et al., 2016). A logic model presents a picture of how your effort or initiative is supposed to work. The logic model involves the activities that will bring about change and the outcomes. For low income mothers, there are higher infant morbidities and less access to vital health services. The logical model consists of purpose, contexts, inputs, activities, outputs, and effects. The purpose
 is the mission of the program which in this case is to improve maternal/infant outcomes. The contexts
 refer to the conditions. How will the new program align with exiting services? The inputs include the resources/infrastructure of the program while the activity is the intervention. Outputs provide evidence the activities performed as intended. The effects are the results or the impact of the program on the lower income mother and their infant. A theory for change will describes how and why you think change happens.

Describe the types of problems, the client needs, and the underlying causes of problems and unmet needs.

            Social workers evaluate the effectiveness of their clinical work (Dudley, 2014). This includes evaluating programs.  The lower income mother who has recently given birth has many life struggles. Because of lack of access to high, quality healthcare the concern is higher infant morbidities and poor maternal health outcomes (Hannan et al., 2016). The lower income mother needs greater access to aftercare services to improve health outcomes for the mother and the child. “Low-income mothers in the United States have higher birth rates and higher infant morbidities compared to upper income mothers” (Hannan et al., 2016, p. 233). A lack of postpartum follow up care for the mother and timely routine follow-up care for the infant increases the risk of poor health outcomes. the goal of the program is to reduce the risk through more effective follow-up using cellphones and texting.

Identify the short- and long-term outcomes that you think would represent an improved condition.

            The short-term outcomes of the improved condition will be better immediate health outcomes for the mother and child. They will have greater access to healthcare and community resources. The long-term outcome is good maternal and infant health. Morbidity rates can be lowered when poor mothers and their infants are connected to the right services and receive proper healthcare.

Then describe interventions that would lead to a change in the presenting conditions.

            The interventions that will lead to change are follow up texts to encourage mothers to make necessary healthcare appointments. Through the program, Mothers will receive higher degrees of social support and will be connected to vital health and community resources. For the infant, they will receive acute follow up care, infant immunizations, and necessary healthcare services. the low-income mother is connected to healthcare services as well as community services to assist with housing, food, and infant care.
references
Dudley, J. R. (2014). Social work evaluation: Enhancing what we do. (2nd ed.) Chicago, IL:
Lyceum Books.
Hannan, J. et al. (2016). Low-Income First-Time Mothers: Effects of APN Follow-up Using
Mobile Technology on Maternal and Infant Outcomes. Global Pediatric Health, 3, 233

RE: Discussion – Week 8

 Planning a Needs Assessment

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Unmet need and how current information supports the position that a needs assessment is warranted.

 
The main aim of this need assessment plan is to evaluate the risks of cardiovascular disorders such as heart failure, stroke abnormal heart rhythms, congenital heart diseases, heart attack, and cardiomyopathy among African American Women (Ferrari, 2018). From previous researches, none of them assessed the level of knowledge of cardiovascular awareness among African American women and the evaluation and deploying educational intervention as a result. There is a need to develop new teaching infrastructures, learning and assessing skills that can contribute to educating citizens on awareness of cardiovascular diseases (Ferrari, 2018).

Sources of information that can be used when conducting a needs assessment

           This need assessment will be completed through quantitative and qualitative data collection methods through paper surveys, interviews, use of focus groups, and observations. The specific number of African American women from 24-65 years of age will be selected and they will be grouped according to their geographical locality. This will help the researchers to get clear information that will help them in developing charts with sequential information. Focus groups will be used to collect data from the selected groups through group interaction. Citizens will be interviewed on their understanding of cardiovascular disorders, the main factors that contribute to the increase of this disparity, how to prevent it from increasing, and if there is a treatment for this disparity.

Potential informants that would be valuable resources of information

Potential informants that will be valuable for this need assessment will be African American women between the age of 26- 65, caregivers, and other stakeholders. They will be interviewed on what they understand about cardiovascular disorders. What are some examples and symptoms of cardiovascular disorders? They will also be audited to give opinions on whether they know any preventive measures that can prevent the increase of cardiovascular diseases. The provided information will be very important since it will help the researcher to estimate a percentage of people who have a clue of what cardiovascular disorders are and how they can be prevented.

Steps for obtaining credible, unbiased information

Seven steps need to be followed when conducting a need assessment. Following these steps will ensure that needs assessment planning, analysis, and subsequent actions are efficiently and effectively conducted(O’Donnell, n.d.).
Step 1. During this phase, you will have to ask yourself why you are conducting the needs assessment planning and what are you planning to do with the findings you’ll get.
Step 2. Be realistic with your resources and capacity you can devote to need assessment
Step 3. Identify target audience and data resources that will be used in your needs assessment
Step 4. Think widely when conducting summaries on your results
Step 5. Get feedback from audiences such as the community members, funders, or other stakeholders
Step 6. Share your work internally and externally
Step 7.  After your need assessment plan, review the original objectives with final results and recommendations.
 
 
 
References
Ferrari, R. (2018). Major unmet needs in the cardiovascular area. Oxford Academic. Retrieved 19 April 2021, from 

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O’Donnell, E. Seven Steps for Conducting a Successful Needs Assessment. NICHQ – National Institute for Children’s Health Quality. Retrieved 19 April 2021, from 

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RE: Discussion – Week 9

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Reporting a Process Evaluation

1. A description of the process evaluation that you chose and explain why you selected this example – Linking the intervention to the problem is the better process evaluation as it highlights the question of whether the intervention addressed the exploration of options and thus the problem of concern (Dudley, 2014). 
2. Describe the stage of program implementation in which the evaluation occurred – the stage of the program that this evaluation is feasible is the data analysis stage. The objective of the group is to encourage participation and thus the main aim is to understand the actual number of participants that got involved in the discussion to understand whether the approach worked well. The key participants were encouraged to get involved and offer a collaborative discussion and by this encouraged to be collaborators in the research.
3. Improve upon the information presented in the case study by identifying information gaps.

There is no specification of the behaviors that were observed and thus no identification of an activities table. The information is qualitative but uses analysis based on quantitative data hence a lack of distinguishable components resulting in a lack of detailing of the process for clear intervention need …