social workers ’ activities consist H u m a n i t i e s

In social work practice and in program
development, it is possible to make faulty assumptions about what
clients need and what social work activities will lead to. Consider the
following:

A team of social workers meets to
discuss their services to low-income young mothers. One social worker
states that what the young mothers need most is information about
community resources. She proposes that the social workers’ activities
consist of making referrals to programs for public assistance for income
support, food stamps, medical insurance, employment agencies, and
educational resources. However, another team member points out that most
clients are referred to their program from the public welfare office
and health care programs. This suggests that the clients tend to possess
knowledge of these common resources and have been able to access them.

How
might the team explore what problems bring the clients to their agency?
What might the team learn from client assessments? How can the team
verify the desired outcomes of their services? Developing a logic model
will help the team see a logical connection between problems, needs,
intervention activities, and corresponding outcomes. This series of
logical connections leads to formulating a theory of change, that is, a
theory about how our work leads to the outcomes for clients.

To
prepare for this Discussion, imagine that you are part of a work group
charged with creating a logic model and generating a theory of change.
Select a practitioner-level intervention for which you are interested in
analyzing connections. Consider how a logic model might be applied to
that practice.

By Day 3

Post a logic model and theory
of change for a practitioner-level intervention. Describe the types of
problems, the client needs, and the underlying causes of problems and
unmet needs. Identify the short- and long-term outcomes that you think
would represent an improved condition. Then describe interventions that
would lead to a change in the presenting conditions. Be sure to search
for and cite resources that inform your views.

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