ONLY FOR KIM WOODS
In regards to discussion posts I generally follow the guidelines spelled out in Walden's grading rubric in regards to posts (see the grading rubric outlined in the course information section of blackboard). However, if you do not use APA format or references in at least your initial post, I will deduct at least 5 points for that (so please do that). This is also the same rules for assignments, that they must follow APA style format. Also, in past courses I have been flexible in certain situations regarding delayed or late posts. I do believe that life sometimes gets in the way when we least expect it to. Please know that I would prefer a late post than no post at all. However, I will not accept posts that are more than a week late. If you are not able to post by the required date for whatever reason, just please let me know beforehand. As a rule, however, I do deduct points off the posts if they are late so as to be fair to those who post on time.
In addition, I will be following very closely with Walden's Tunitin Policy, which I posted below. Therefore, any paper that is submitted to me with more than 30% of the paper with improperly cited passages (or to many cited passages) I will return the paper to you and ask for you to re-review it and for a re-write if necessary. You will not lose points if the original paper was submitted on-time, but will be given a limited period of time to review/rewrite the paper (2-3 days).
I have provided an outline of what is specifically required for discussion posts and written assignments in this course:
Discussion Posts:
All posts to all discussions require APA citations and references. Each student is to respond to 2 other students’ posts for every discussion throughout the course. This is the rule for this class; there are discrepancies in this on the Blackboard site. However, going forward, If you post more than 6 response posts by day 5 you will be eligible for 3 points extra participation credit to make up for any lost points (my class rule).
I will be posting on discussions and I am requiring a response from you so please check throughout the week for when respond to your discussion post (usually by day 5)
All initial posts and response posts are due on the days specified on Blackboard (usually Day Three and Five). If your post is late for whatever reason please make sure your posts are posted by Day 7. I am no longer allowed to accept posts after Day 7 as per Walden’s Policy, and any posts. If you know that there is a circumstance that will prevent you for making the post on time or by Day 7, please email me to discuss.
The way a reader (myself and other students) can see that you understand the information, theoretical models, concepts, and words you are discussing is to write about them in your own words as much as possible, tell us what the article authors said by paraphrasing, using your own language. Scholarly does not mean you have to write using multi-syllabic words. Writing a bit like you talk is fine if the reader can understand and if your spelling and grammar are correct.
Read the rubric before and while you write. Let it guide you as to what you write. This is straightforward. In discussion posts you can draft a post in a word document where you have pasted the instructions for each point to be made in the post. You can then write your answer/post right under this instruction and copy and paste the whole thing onto the discussion list. This can help you stay on track.
The idea in discussions is to have as much of a conversation as possible. Notice that the “feedback” rubric score for “excellent” says: RESPONSES --if you fail to respond at all, the grade for feedback is 0 out of 10 points. This does not even consider quality of posts, doing nothing causes a loss of 10 points
CITATIONS AND REFERENCES: Initial posts and the 2 required responses must have citations and references from the professional literature. Using only the case as a reference/cite is NOT sufficient. This is a vignette, it is not research that will back up a claim. Every post should have a claim you are making (e.g. "I think an eco map is good to use here", "Strengths based is best here", "Women in violent relationships often attempt to leave 9 times before leaving for good). You then must have a cite/ref. that backs up this claim, e.g. an article that states eco maps are good to use in situations similar to the case under discussion.
Written Assignments:
Walden University has a strict policy on written assignments, whereas all papers are required to follow APA format. The only exception is that they no longer require a running head on the papers. Most of you already adhere to this format and I have not been as strict in my grading when reviewing your papers on this, but going forward (Week 7 and beyond) I will now follow closely to Walden University requirements and the rubric. The outline for an APA paper is below, and I have attached a sample for your review.
In addition, as I mentioned in my introductory post at the beginning of the quarter. following very closely with Walden's Tunitin Policy, which I posted below. Therefore, any paper that is submitted to me with more than 30% of the paper with improperly cited passages (or too many cited passages) I will return the paper to you and ask for you to re-review it and for a re-write if necessary. You will not lose points if the original paper was submitted on-time, but will be given a limited period of time to review/rewrite the paper (2-3 days).
Please feel free to email me if you have any questions.
APA Format Outline: In general, your paper should follow these formatting guidelines:
Margin. Although formerly, the required measurement for margins is 1 ½ inch, now, it is required that margins on all sides (top, bottom, left, right) should each just measure one (1) inch.
Font Size and Type. Font for text all throughout the paper should be 12-pt., Times New Roman.
Spacing. Double-space for the whole document, including appendices, footnotes, tables and figures. For spacing after punctuation, space once after commas, colons and semicolons within sentences and space twice after punctuation marks that end sentences.
Text Alignment and Indentation. Alignment should be flush left, or aligned to the left creating uneven right margin.
Active Voice. Traditionally, the APA writing format requires writing in an impersonal form. That is, refraining from using pronouns such as ‘I' or ‘We' in your statements. Now, it has changed. Most disciplines require the active voice. An example of this would be, instead of writing “according to the study,” it should be “according to our study.” This way, papers are made to be as active as possible.
Order of Pages and Pagination. The order of pages should follow this format:
Title Page > Abstract > Body > References > Appendices > Footnotes > Tables > Figures
The page number should appear one inch from the right corner of the paper on the first line of each page. The title page will serve as the Page 1 of your paper.
Title Page
The Title Page should contain the title of your paper, your name as its author (including co-authors), your institutional affiliation/s and author note if applicable. In case there's no institutional affiliation, just indicate your city and state or your city and country instead.
As mentioned earlier, your title page will serve as your Page 1. It should be typed centered on the page. If it requires more than one line, please be reminded to double-space between all lines. Your name appears double-spaced as well, below the paper title.
The author note is where information about the author's departmental affiliation is stated, or acknowledgements of assistance or financial support are made, as well as the mailing address for future correspondence.
Abstract
The Abstract of your paper contains a brief summary of the entirety of your research paper. It usually consists of just 150-250 words, typed in block format. The Abstract begins on a new page, Page 2. All numbers in your Abstract should be typed as digits rather than words, except those that begin a sentence.
Body
The body of your research paper begins on a new page, Page 3. The whole text should be typed flush-left with each paragraph's first line indented 5-7 spaces from the left. Also, avoid hyphenating words at ends of line.
Text Citation and References
Text Citations are important to avoid issues of plagiarism. When documenting source materials, the author/s and date/s of the sources should be cited within the body of the paper. The main principle here is that, all ideas and words of others should be properly and formally acknowledged.
The Reference Section lists all the sources you've previously cited in the body of your research paper. It states the author/s of the source, the material's year of publication, the name or title of the source material, as well as its electronic retrieval information, if these were gathered from the Internet.
Appendices
The Appendix is where unpublished tests or other descriptions of complex equipment or stimulus materials are presented.
apaformat.pdf
SOCW 6351 Week 10 and 11
Week 10: Substance Abuse
Introduction
Substance abuse is perceived in a variety of ways by different entities. The court system may view substance abuse as a criminal activity. The medical and social work fields may view it as evidence of a disease or disorder. Uninformed individuals may view substance abuse as a personal choice or weakness. Decisions about how to address and respond to this social problem influence the development of effective policies.
This week, you explore the impact of drug policies on clients and populations. You identify the ethical obligations of social workers in changing drug policies. You also identify the impact of social agencies on social issues and analyze social service delivery systems.
Objectives
Students will:
Analyze effects of drug policies on a social work case study
Identify gaps in service as a result of current drug policies in a social work case study
Apply strategies for addressing gaps in service due to drug policies in a social work case study
Analyze the ethical obligations of social workers in changing drug policies
Identify levels of government and public agencies to address social issues
Analyze the social service delivery systems
Analyze effectiveness of social services
Required
Plummer, S.-B., Makris, S., & Brocksen, S. M. (Eds.). (2014). Social work case studies: Foundation year. Baltimore: MD: Laureate International Universities Publishing. [Vital Source e-reader]. "Working with Clients with Dual Diagnosis: The Case of Joe" (pp. 77–78)
- Popple, P. R., & Leighninger, L. (2015). The policy-based profession: An introduction to social welfare policy analysis for social workers. (6th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.
Chapter 8, “Mental Health and Substance Abuse” (pp. 164-193)
- Humphreys, K., & McLellan, A. T. (2011). A policy-oriented review of strategies for improving the outcomes of services for substance use disorder patients. Addiction, 106(12), 2058–2066.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
Discussion: Drug Policies and Ethics
The NASW Code of Ethics provides social workers with guidelines and standards for interacting with clients, colleagues, communities, and society, as a whole. These standards govern interactions and professional behavior of social work practitioners. The NASW has also developed specific standards, which are published in the NASW Standards for Social Work Practice With Clients With Substance Use Disorders. These standards emphasize the importance of the competence of social workers. The standards indicate that social workers should be knowledgeable of evidence-based interventions for substance disorders. The confidentiality standard becomes essential as social workers must be informed and comply with federal, state, and local laws about substance use, as well as third-party payee regulations.
For this Discussion, review this week’s resources, including the case Working with Clients with Dual Diagnosis: The Case of Joe,and consider how social policies affect Joe’s circumstances as described in the case study. Then, think about any gaps in service you found in Joe’s case. Finally, reflect on how you might address these gaps or make changes to the policies that affect Joe.
Post by Day 3 an explanation of how drug policies affect Joe’s circumstances, as described in the case study. Then, explain any gaps in service you found in Joe’s case as a result of the drug policies described in the case study. Finally, describe a strategy you might use to address these gaps or make changes to the policies that affect Joe.
Support your post with specific references to the resources. Be sure to provide full APA citations for your references.
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Assignment 1: Final Social Welfare Wiki Assignment, Part 4: Government and Public Agency Perspectives on Policy Wiki
Effective collaboration among professionals is essential for advocacy and policy development to occur. Collaboration does not happen automatically; it calls for a specific skill set. As a social worker, you need to develop collaboration skills that are crucial for policy development and implementation.
For this Assignment, visit the Group Wiki to which you are assigned. Then, begin sharing information and resources that relate to determining the level of government and public agencies that are in place to address the social issue your group selected in Week 3. You will use the information you gain from your group's collaboration to write a paper later this week. You may want to consult the assignment instructions to ensure that your Group Wiki addresses all aspects of the problem and includes resources to meet all of the requirements of the paper.
Keep in mind that you stand to get as much out of a wiki as you put into it. You are required to post information on your wiki at least twice a week. You can substitute one of your content-related posts by performing “housekeeping” activities in the wiki, such as reorganizing existing information into new categories or restating content to increase clarity.
Complete your Wiki Assignment by Day 5 of Week 10.
To complete your Wiki, click on Groups on the course navigation menu. Once you have clicked on the link, select your assigned group Wiki (e.g., Group A, Group B, etc.) to access your group's home page. Select Group Wiki under the Group Tools menu to work on your Wiki.
Assignment 2: Application—Government and Public Agency Perspectives on Policy
In Week 8, you wrote a paper on the existing policies associated with the social problem selected by your wiki group. Subsequently, as a group, you analyzed the level of government and public agencies that are there to address the social problem in this week’s wiki assignment. It is now your turn to assimilate this week’s wiki inputs into a paper. Remember, each group member will write a paper on an individual basis.
For this Assignment, review your group’s wiki for this week. Consider how you will incorporate the information and resources into your paper about government and public agency involvement in addressing social issues.
Assignment (6–8 pages, APA format): In addition to a minimum of eight scholarly references, which may include electronic government documents and reputable websites, your paper should include:
A description of the level of government and public agencies that are in place to address the social issues
An explanation of the services the government and/or public agencies deliver and how they are delivered
An explanation of whether these social services are effective
Week 11: Policy Skills and Practice
Introduction
Advocacy for social and economic justice is an ethical responsibility of all social workers. The social workers need to analyze policies from many different aspects, anticipate unintended consequences, and educate legislators, stakeholders, and the population on policy issues. This requires a specialized skill set, and this week’s Assignments will provide you with some of these skills.
This week, you examine social policies and analyze how they are evaluated. You also examine the role of lobbying and campaigning in social work practice. Finally, you explore the steps for incorporating policy in social work practice that reflects professional ethics.
Objectives
Students will:
Analyze social policy changes
Analyze how social policies are evaluated
Evaluate how policy advocacy is related to social work practice
Analyze the role of lobbying and campaigning in social work practice
Analyze the impact of colleagues’ experiences/opinions on personal experiences/opinions
Analyze steps for incorporating policy advocacy in social work practice that reflects professional ethics
Required
- Plummer, S.-B., Makris, S., & Brocksen, S. M. (Eds.). (2014). Social work case studies: Foundation year. Baltimore: MD: Laureate International Universities Publishing. [Vital Source e-reader].
“Working With Survivors of Sexual Abuse and Trauma: The Case of Rita” (pp. 81–83)
- Rome, S., Harris, S., & Hoechstetter, S. (2010). Social work and civic engagement: The political participation of professional social workers. Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare, 37(3), 107–129.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases. - Plummer, S. -B., Makris, S., & Brocksen, S. (Eds.). (2014). Sessions: Case histories. Baltimore: MD: Laureate International Universities Publishing. [Vital Source e-reader].
Part 1, "The Johnson Family" (pp. 11–13)
Required
- Laureate Education (Producer). (2013). Sessions: Johnson family (Episode 4 of 42) [Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu
Discussion 1: Policy Analysis and Application
According to the NASW Code of Ethics section 6.04 (NASW, 2008), social workers are ethically bound to work for policies that support the healthy development of individuals, guarantee equal access to services, and promote social and economic justice.
For this Discussion, review this week’s resources, including Working with Survivors of Sexual Abuse and Trauma: The Case of Rita.Consider what change you might make to the policies that affect the client in your case. Finally, think about how you might evaluate the success of the policy changes.
Post by Day 2 an explanation of one change you might make to the policies that affect the client in the case. Be sure to reference the case you selected in your post. Finally, explain how you might evaluate the success of the policy changes.
Support your post with specific references to the resources. Be sure to provide full APA citations for your references.
Required
- Popple, P. R., & Leighninger, L. (2015). The policy-based profession: An introduction to social welfare policy analysis for social workers. (6th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education..
Chapter 12, “Taking Action: Policy Practice for Social Workers” (pp. 262-283)
Discussion 2: Evaluating Policy Implications
When developing, implementing, or revising organizational policies, it is important that all potential consequences be considered. Social workers must be particularly sensitive to any negative consequences or unintentional harm the policies might cause for any individual or group.
For this Discussion, review this week’s resources, including the Johnson Family video. Consider the campus’ policies on how sexual assault accusations are addressed. How might the current procedures and policies negatively affect survivors of sexual assault? What changes might you suggest to the campus policies to better protect survivors? Finally, describe how you might evaluate the success of these policy changes.
Post by Day 3 an identification of how the current campus policies on sexual assault might negatively affect survivors and an explanation of the changes you might make to these policies that would protect sexual assault survivors. Be sure to reference the Talia Johnson case in your post. Finally, explain how you might evaluate the success of these policy changes.
Support your post with specific references to the resources. Be sure to provide full APA citations for your references.
Chapter 13, “Conclusion” (pp. 284-289)
- Discussion 3: The Social Work Advocate in Politics
Social workers often have commitments to specific policies, laws, or funding of programs that are vital to the population they serve or an issue that they strongly support. Such commitments often lead social workers to become involved in political issues and the campaigns of specific candidates. Being a social worker, such campaign experiences, the outcomes of your efforts, and how effective you felt you were may affect your view of the political process and the likelihood of becoming involved in similar campaigns in the future.
For this Discussion, reflect on your experiences if you have ever participated in a political campaign. What was the outcome of your participation? If you have not participated in a campaign, choose a campaign topic you support or oppose and consider the ways you might like to participate in that campaign. Likewise, think about your experiences if you have ever lobbied on a topic. If you have not, choose a topic for which you might like to lobby in favor or against. Finally, consider how you think social workers might have a powerful and positive effect as elected officials.
Post by Day 4 an explanation of the role of lobbying and campaigning in social work practice. Then, explain how you think social workers might have a powerful and positive effect as elected officials. Finally, explain of the impact, if any, the experiences and opinions of your colleagues have had on your own experiences and opinions. A 3 to 5 page-paper
Support your post with specific references to the resources. Be sure to provide full APA citations for your references.
