Category: Social Work

Assignment #1 Thoughts on a Social Welfare Policy ProblemDue Class 3 (20%) The purpose of this assignment is for students to identify a current social welfare policy that needs to be improved or modified in order to adequately address a policy problem. You may want to use an issue you explored in SWO 403. Using the Assignment #1 Worksheet, students will: 1. Identify a specific federal, state, or local social welfare POLICY (name, docket #, bill #, OR statute any and all identifying information) & provide a URL to the policy. 2. Discuss an identified problem with the POLICY and provide at least 3 citations to support your claim. 3. Using the Chapin & Lewis (2024) Policy Analysis Framework, identify specific area(s) where policy change is needed to reduce or eliminate the problem the policy is meant to solve and use at least three (3) references to justify your analysis. 4. Provide recommendations for how to specifically improve the policy. Please use the Assignment #1 Worksheet for this assignment and remember to adhere to APA formatting (7th edition) for in-text citations and references. I am supposed to revise the worksheet I did she said there are somethings that are missing. I am doing the worksheet on the Mississippi SNAP policy and it has to go to the framework on the worksheet. I also inserted the paper I intially did so you can see the things I need help on to make the worksheet better.

This assignment is designed to help you think like a forensic social worker, not just write like a student.

In real forensic settings, social workers are often expected to:

• Review information quickly
• Make decisions under legal and system constraints
• Explain and defend their reasoning clearly to others (judges, attorneys, probation officers, supervisors)

Because of this, the assignment has two parts:

• The written decision brief shows that you understand course concepts, history, and systems.
• The short vlog defense allows you to explain your thinking in your own words, similar to how forensic social workers justify decisions in practice.

This format:

• Prevents over-writing and unnecessary length
• Encourages clear, focused thinking
• Makes it easier to show how you reason, not just whatyou know
• Reflects real-world forensic social work decision-making

What You Will Submit

Part A: Written Decision Brief

• Length: 750900 words total
• Format: APA style
• Title page and reference page are required
• Title page and references do not count toward the word limit
• File type: Word document or PDF

You will complete Sections 13 only, outlined below.

Required Case Scenario (Do Not Add Facts)

Case: Marcus

Marcus is a 16-year-old Black male referred to juvenile court after violating probation. His original offense involved truancy-related misconduct that escalated to a misdemeanor. He has a documented trauma history and a diagnosed anxiety disorder. Marcus is currently under intensive probation supervision with strict conditions, including school attendance, curfews, and mandatory programming. He has no new criminal charges but missed two probation check-ins and was labeled noncompliant. The court is considering detention.

Important:

You may not add diagnoses, offenses, family details, or services that are not stated above. The goal is to analyze systems and decisions, not to invent details.

Part A: Written Decision Brief

Section 1: Historical Policy Anchor (200250 words)

Identify one historical policy or trend discussed in Chapters 1415 or the lecture, such as:

• The punitive shift in juvenile justice
• Expansion of probation and surveillance
• Zero-tolerance or tough-on-crime logic

Explain:

• How the policy or trend was originally justified
• One intended outcome
• One unintended consequence that is still visible today

You must explicitly reference:

• One lecture slide or lecture concept
• One assigned video (by name)

Section 2: Case Application System Logic (250300 words)

Apply your historical analysis to Marcuss case:

• Identify two system actions affecting Marcus (for example, probation response or court authority).
• Explain how historical policy logic shapes those actions.
• Identify one point where the system escalates harm, even though there is no new criminal behavior.

Focus on systems and policies, not Marcuss personal choices.

Section 3: Intervention Under Constraint (300350 words)

Identify one evidence-informed intervention discussed in the course, such as:

• Diversion
• Multi-Systemic Therapy (MST)
• Restorative justice
• Trauma-informed probation

Explain:

• Why this intervention fits Marcuss situation
• Two system-level constraints that limit implementation (for example, court authority, funding, supervision rules)
• One realistic workaround a forensic social worker could attempt within those limits

The goal is to show professional judgment, not ideal solutions.

I included the rubric/instructions and an AI Version of what my memo should look like. This job requires you to completely rewrite the AI essay so that it passes Turn-it-in standards. I want the same contents and information as the AI memo example but written differently. IT MUST MAKE SENSE AND BE COHERENT (GOOD SENTENCE FLOW).

so what I need you to do is answer the question the question that the paragraph is asking and that same format as how the have it.

Background

As your reading and resources have explained, the federal poverty level (FPL) was created in the 1950s by the Social Security Administration. When the FPL was created, the primary expense of a family was food costs; this became the basis of the FPL, and it continues today. The poverty threshold is based on the cost of a minimum food diet in 1963, multiplied by three. Today, food is rarely the largest expense for a family. Housing, transportation, and childcare are often the largest expenses for a working family.

Consider the difference between the expenses and income of a minimum-wage worker; how can the minimum wage still leave a family in poverty? Do you consider the working poor when you think about those in poverty? As social workers, we often work with families in poverty, connecting them to resources to supplement the income of the working poor. Our job is to work with families to provide a basic standard of living that the FPL reflects.

Instructions

For this assignment, you will examine the expenses associated with a typical family of three and compare that with the minimum wage in the United States. After completing this calculation, consider how you, as a professional social worker, can help keep this family out of poverty.

Federal Poverty Level (FPL) exercise

For this assignment:

1. Determine the minimum wage in the United States today that is, the dollar amount per hour. Then, calculate what a worker earning that much per hour could make in a year, based upon a 40-hour week and 52 weeks a year.
2. Refer to the federal poverty guidelines and find the income level needed for a family of three to be considered above the poverty line.
3. Compare the annual earnings of an individual working full time at minimum wage and the poverty line for a family of three. Consider the following: Is only one member in that family capable of working? Is it a single-parent family? If so, will it require one person working more than one job to rise above the poverty line?
4. Use the poverty-line calculation for a family of three, and then, determine whether that income level can provide for all basic needs.

Expenses

• Food (eating in): $295
• Meals (away from home): $103
• Clothing: $100
• Shelter: $470
• Utilities: $245
• Healthcare: $110
• Transportation: $481
• Insurance/Savings: $56
• Entertainment: $107

References: Support your assignment with the scholarly resources included in this week’s course resources. In addition to these specified resources, other appropriate scholarly resources, including seminal articles, may be included.

Length: 3-4 pages, not including title or reference pages

In a 2-3-page reflection paper, not including title and reference pages (using your Caste textbook as a guide) write your thoughts on the impact of the Caste system on Black Women in the United States. Please refer to the APA manual as needed to properly cite and reference at least 3 academic/peer-reviewed sources for this paper.

Its the IB TOK Essay

The policy you need to write about is the House Bill 1449. The correct articles you need to go off of is Jstor to find the articles needed to write the essay it can be any jstor articles that protein to the house bill. To support what it is and why it matters

The first half of your policy paper should be written in current APA format, double spaced, person-first language, and properly formatted references. You will receive feedback on your draft assignment that you can incorporate into a final polished product and receive points back that you may have lost on this initial draft. This is the first half of your final policy

?a?

Policy Analysis- (Eirst Half of paper 6-7 pages Double Spaced).

Identify a CURRENT federal, state, or local formal policy of interest to you. It must be a current policy that has been passed into federal, state, or local law where you are registered to vote (Or where you currently live). You may also focus on analyzing a local city/county ordinance. Be concise, clear, and organized in choosing what to include and how to present the information so that a professional colleague less familiar with the topic will understand it and be persuaded by your analysis and conclusions. All papers should include a proper introduction and conclusion paragraphs, along with proper topic sentences and transitions. For the first draft, focus on completing roman numerals I and Il below.

You must utilize at least 10 scholarly sources in your policy paper, outside of course materials. While you must have 10 sources, you should use more sources if needed to support any statistics, major claims, and major opinions given within your paper. Sources can be journal articles, legitimate websites, and/or various policy oriented texts or reports from government or respected organizations. You should consider sources such as, the OK Policy Institute, Housing and Urban Development, the Williams Institute, CDC, DOJ, Child Welfare Gateway, DHS, National Alliance to End Homelessness, OK governmental Sites, Robert Wood Johnson, etc.

Include an APA title page (does not count towards page guidelines)

SAMPLE STUDENT PAPER: Student Sample-Policy Paper Half-1,pdfL Half-1pdfLi

**Use the bold headings below as your headings and sub-headings. These may differ from sample above**

1. Policy Issue/Problem – 2-3 pages

• Introduction
• What is your policy?
• What is its relevance?
• Description of the Issue/Problem
• Define and describe the issue/problem
• Incidence and prevalence of the issue/problem (what is the rate/size of the problem)
• Impacted Populations
• Who is affected the most by the issue/problem and how?
• think about race, class, gender identity, sexual orientation, geographical location, or any other type of sub-population or group that may be impacted

2. Policy Description, Background, and Impact – 3-4 pages

• Historical Context
• What historical problems, events, conditions, or circumstances led to the creation of this policy/law to address the problem you described above? (Really think about what’s going on socially/culturally at the time of the passage)
• Key Features
• When was the policy enacted and how long has it been in existence?
• Is the policy permanent or does it undergo reauthorization every so many years?
• What does your policy actually do?
• How did this policy address the issue identified in innovative or new ways for the time period that it was enacted?
• Effectiveness and Outcomes
• How effective or ineffective has this policy been for addressing the issue you identified (be specific?
• Is the policy doing what it was intended to do?
• If the policy is very new, you can discuss what you expect this bill to do based on evidence. Are there other states with a similar bill? What kind of results have they seen?

THE DETAILS

Your essay must include:

An introductory paragraph that describes what the

reader will discover in your essay.

A description of the person, event, or legislation

(Suggested length: 1 12 pages)

A description of the social, political, and/or cultural

issues of the timeframe and how the event impacted

the time period that it occurred in (Suggested

length: 1 12 pages)

An overview explaining why this person, event or

legislation is important to the field of Human

Services (In other words, in what way did this

person, event or legislation influence/change the

existing social, political and/or cultural norm?)

(Suggested length: 1 pag

Module 8 Discussion Board

Case Overview: 93-year-old Woman, Elder Abuse

Edna is a 93-year-old woman who lives with her son, Ned, and his wife. Unfortunately, because of Ednas declining health, she is not as mobile as she would like. After living on her own for decades, Edna had to move in with her son and daughter-in-law 3 months ago. At the time, Edna and her son reported that although it was not the ideal situation, they agreed it was the best option and would be a healthy living arrangement for all involved. Before moving in with her son Edna described him as a loving son who would do anything for her. Recently, Ned was laid off from his manufacturing job. Financial difficulty has befallen the family, and Edna now tells the visiting social worker that her relationship with Ned has become strained. Edna reports that she often feels alone and isolated on her side of the house. She reports that Ned and his family rarely check in on her and that the weekly trips to the grocery store have now become biweekly. A glance into Ednas refrigerator shows a carton of milk and some raw vegetables. An assessment of Ednas medication shows that she has only a 3-day supply of pills left, and when asked about this, Edna reports,I asked Ned to take me to the pharmacy, but he yelled at me and said Im too demanding. He said there is no money to pay for it anyway. Edna also tells the worker that Ned recently told her that she would need to sign over her Social Security biweekly payment so that she can help support the family. Apparently, Ned also confiscated Ednas checkbook recently. Edna states that her son has become increasingly agitated with her and has been slamming doors and throwing things around her room on the rare occasion he comes to check in on her. She reports that he has never been physical with her, but she is worried that he may hit her.

Please discuss the following:

1. What are the trauma-related issues for Edna?
2. What risk and protective factors does Edna have?
3. What issues are facing Ednas providers and involved organizations?
4. How might a trauma-informed approach be useful in this case? Explain.
5. What do you notice about your own reaction to this case?

Please be sure to refer to the TWO due dates on your syllabus.

I entered these instructions twice because the Word document is not uploading properly.

Required Material

• Goelitz, A (2021). From trauma to healing: A social worker’s guide to working with survivors (2nd

ed.). Routledge.

• Assessment/Crisis Intervention

Read Chapters 13 and 14