Week 8: Intervening in Social Conditions: action, development, and planning approaches UTA SSW Generalist Macro Practice Professor Dick Schoech Copyright (permission required before use) Suggest printing slides for class using: Print | Handouts | 3 slides per page | grayscale options

Summary of Classes 1-8  Generalist macro practice history, change process, roles, levels of intervention  Theories, values, perspectives  The community as client  Social conditions as problems/opportunities  Assessing social conditions/communities  Intervening in social conditions  Administrative practices

Steps in an Assessment 1. Identify the condition of concern 2. Listening to stakeholders 3. Developing a vision and guiding principles 4. Design assessment 5. Collect/analyze data/information on problem, community, services, evidence 6. Identify needs, barriers, capacities from assessment 7. Develop intervention plan (goals and objectives) 8. Recommend on solution

Learning Objectives of Class  Learn to write needs statements  Learn to write capacities statements  Learn how to prioritize needs  Learn 3 intervention approaches Action Planning Development

Writing Need Statements  Include what is needed & who has need  Try to focus on outcomes, not process  Write precisely & 1 need per statement  Do not include how need will be met  Examples Poor: A clinic for teens is need to prevent drug abuse (poor because solution is included) Better: drug abuse among teens needs to be prevented (good because many solutions could lead to the outcome of drug abuse prevention)

Writing Capacities Statements  Identify the capacities of individuals Example: The majority of citizens indicated a willingness to volunteer time monthly to address this condition  Identify the capacities of associations The PTA has a task group studying this condition  Identify the capacities of institutions 5 agencies provide services that address this condition

Needs Prioritization  Targets change where it is most needed  Gains momentum for implementation  Involves those affected by change  Includes the politics of change

Need Prioritization Process  Process should be described  Several possible methods Technical by staff Group consensus or vote Mathematical rating process Political deliberations

Method 1: Technical by Staff  Easy & quick  True to data  Loses momentum for implementation  Narrow perspective  Does not include politics AdvantagesDisadvantages

Method 2: Group/committee Process  May include politics  Can build on vision & principles  Easy and quick  Most verbal members dominate  Institutions will protect their turf AdvantagesDisadvantages

Method 3: Mathematical (course pack)  More objective  More true to data  Includes criteria  Does not include power politics  May not be sellable AdvantagesDisadvantages

Method 4: Political/involve public  Most sellable  Could be difficult, depending on politics  Most biased  May not change system much  Can be divisive  Could be time consuming AdvantagesDisadvantages

Intervention Approaches  Similar to DP treatment modalities, e.g., CBT  Three traditional or common approaches Planning (link) (adv/disadvantages in course pack)(link) Action (link) (adv/disadvantages in course pack)(link) Development (link) (adv/disadvantages in course pack)(link)  Others common approaches Building coalition of loosely linked agencies Services integration for a system of agencies Policy/legislative approach for system wide change

Interventions can go wrong  Boot camp  DARE  HUD housing programs  Scared straight  Recovered memory techniques  Others

Conclusion  Need statements focus on outcome, not service or process  Needs tell you where to focus help  Capacities tell you how to help  Select prioritization process based on situation- -blended (math/political) good  Needs assessment more developed than capacities assessment  CAP has 3 traditional approaches (much like DP approaches to intervention)