Planning a Needs Assessment-Peer responses

You need to write a separate response for each peer’s posting each response needs to be supported with at least two references.

To begin the discussion of needs assessments, it is important to identify exactly what a needs assessment is. According to Royse & Padgett (2016), "Needs assessments are broadly defined as attempts at estimating problems that exist within a community or a client population." Special Olympics does not at this time appear to be a problem for the individuals served but more for the community that does not understand them which in turn poses a problem for a client population. There is information that will need to be acquired for instance the age of the population, the background, the socioeconomic status of the individuals, etc. There are many ways in which on can get information such as the Census Bureau. According to Royse & Padgett (2016), "At a minimum, census data can provide  you with estimates of the population in portions of the city, county, or state that your agency services and at a minimum you can compare this information against your agency's clientele to see if certain demographics are being served by your agency." The needs assessment should be done keeping in mind that the population being served are already vulnerable individuals within the population and ensure that them and their confidentiality are being protected at all times. People fear what they do not understand and they can become judgemental. According to Calley (2009), "A needs assessment identifies and prioritizes the clinical needs of a population. Conversely, an asset map identifies existing strengths (e.g., community organization and cohesion) and resources in the target region (e.g., community organizing practices, social service organizations). The results of the needs assessment and the asset map can be compared to see where identified needs can be addressed using existing resources. "

Needs assessments can be a major part of ensuring programs are effective and try to assist the individuals that are utilizing these programs. According to Calley (2009), "Comprehensive clinical program development in mental health counseling involves design, implementation, and evaluation. It therefore requires broad-based planning that takes a tremendous amount of work. It also requires scientific, business, and clinical knowledge and skills. Because mental health counselors are often responsible for program design as well as administration, it is essential that they be competent in comprehensive program development."

References:

Calley, N. G. (2009). Comprehensive program development in mental health counseling: Design, implementation, and evaluation. Journal of Mental Health Counseling, 31(1), 9-21. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.library.capella.edu/docview/198672063?accountid=27965

Royse, D., Thyer, B. A., & Padgett, D. K. (2016). Program evaluation: An introduction to an evidence-based approach (6th ed.).  Boston, MA: Cengage Learning. ISBN: 9781305101968.

2nd Peer Posting

Reasons for needs assessments pertaining to determine whether existing interventions are known to or are acceptable to potential clients and interventions and resources to address the problem that exist in adolescent substance program completion (Royse, Thyer, & Padgett, 2016).  Types of needs that are applicable to the hypothetical adolescent substance abuse treatment retention program includes accessibility, awareness or availability of services, and acceptance of the services offered with the program.  More specifically with accessibility, substance abuse treatment with adolescents can be court mandated due to probation or the like and the program may or may not be accessible to the program participants.  Considerations of these needs include the location of the program and participants access to reliable transportation, the cost of services, hours of operation, and whether the participants speak a language other than English or not, and past participant reviews or what potential participants may have heard about the program.  Potential sources of information for the needs assessment can include probation officers and other legal personnel, school officials, parents, participants, and community groups who are concerned about or have expressed needs, felt needs, and comparative needs for effective adolescent substance abuse treatment programs.  The needs assessment could be conducted with multicultural awareness and sensitivity to those who have unmet needs by collecting data from a “needs” and “wants” perspective by involving stakeholders in the needs assessment process and by being mindful of perceived differences in those two perspectives (Royse, Thyer, & Padgett, 2016; Calley, 2009).

References

Calley, N. G. (2009). Comprehensive program development in mental health counseling: Design, implementation, and evaluation. Journal of Mental Health Counseling, 31(1), 9–21.

Royse, D., Thyer, B. A., & Padgett, D. K. (2016). Program evaluation: An introduction to an evidence-based approach (6th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.