Purpose
This assignment aims to support your understanding of global social issues of concern to social workers as you compare approaches employed by the United States to approaches used by another country to address social issues.
Course Outcomes
This assignment provides documentation of student ability to meet the following course outcomes:
CO 5: Students will understand the impact of social work’s complicity in furthering oppressive and discriminatory practices on individuals, families, groups, and communities (Competency 3, 6, 7, 9).
Directions
Complete this assignment following the steps below.
Review the rubric for “Applying International Assistance Approaches to a U.S. Community Context” and follow it to complete the assignment.
Correctly cite and reference ideas and information from scholarly literature. Sources should be no more than five years old unless they are historical or seminal references.
Follow grammar, spelling, word usage, and punctuation rules consistent with formal, professional, academic writing.
Scenario
Imagine you are the Director of Community Outreach in a medium-sized Community Action Agency. You recently had a discussion with the Executive Director (ED) about the Bolsa Família Program and the Grameen Bank. During that conversation, you explained the difference between a conditional cash transfer program (Bolsa Familia) and a micro-lending program (Grameen). You recognized that your agency was missing an opportunity to better serve the community, as direct cash payments of any kind were not typically allowed by your funding sources.
To your surprise, a few weeks later, the ED approached you with the news that one of the agency’s donors has agreed to fund a one-year pilot study based on one of those programs. This is exciting news! Moreover, if the program is successful, the donor has offered to gather additional agency supporters to expand and fund the program into the foreseeable future. The ED tells you that the donor wants to include 25-50 clients in the pilot project and assist one (or more) of the following populations: Persons experiencing poverty, women, children at risk, seniors over 65, or those affected by a disaster. She asks you to answer the following questions using a visual presentation method, such as Canva or PowerPoint. Keep in mind: it is important to be clear, well-organized, persuasive, and brief.
You may find the following sources helpful:
Conditional cash transfer programs in the USLinks to an external site. (Privacy International, n.d.)
Micro-credit pilots in the USLinks to an external site. (Grameen Bank, n.d.)
You may also find helpful information under the Learning Resources section on this week’s Introduction page.
Include the following sections (detailed criteria listed below and in the grading rubric). Answer the questions under each section with explanation and detail.
Section 1: Review and Analyze a Program (use bullet points, short paragraphs, and visuals)
Briefly describe the basic features/characteristics of the Bolsa Familia conditional cash transfer program or the Grameen Bank micro-lending program. Include what the program does, who it serves, its goals, and what it has accomplished.
Briefly describe the geographic community that is served by the agency, such as demographics, socioeconomics, resources, and 2-3 reasons one of the programs (conditional cash transfer vs micro-lending) would be a better fit for your community. You may create a fictional community or use the community in which you live. If you are in a large metropolitan area, you may choose a specific part of the community (e.g. the south side of Chicago, the Bedford-Stuyvesant region of Brooklyn).
Explain how the program you reviewed better aligns with social work values (e.g. the dignity and worth of the person, social justice) than most assistance provided by social service agencies.
Name: What do you propose to name the program? It should be memorable and connect to the program and the community/population(s) you intend to serve.
Section 2: Create a Program Proposal
Now that you have chosen a specific program, describe whom it is going to serve. Remember, this is a pilot program so it can’t be too big (e.g., all residents who live in the city) or too small (e.g., pregnant/parenting teenagers who are left-handed and have green hair). Share some reasons as to why the program should assist this group.
Define two program goals. Goals should be measurable and realistic (e.g. stay in school, complete certificate/training, start a business, etc.).
How much financial assistance will the program offer to accomplish the stated goals? Be as specific as possible (e.g., “According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, small businesses typically need x amount of money for startup costs.”).
Provide a 1-paragraph summary describing the program and why it will help the population you have selected and meet important needs of the community members your agency serves. Please include how your proposal helps remove barriers and further self-determination for clients.
Section 3: Visual Presentation
Answer all questions/criteria with explanation and detail.
Include references when needed to bolster your proposal.
Include in-text citations.
Complete all sections as outlined in the rubric.
Submit the completed assignment to the Week 2 Assignment Dropbox by Sunday at 11:59 p.m. MT.
Rubric
MSW547_W2_Assignment
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