Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
Assignment Criteria
SOCU 423 Social Work Practice: Communities & Organizations
Project Assignment Summary
Putting it all Together
For your final project submit all of the following in the order listed:
Face sheet with your name, the name of the community, the course number and
name, the instructors name and date
The following should make up the sections of your complete paper: (These are the main
headings of your paper. There should be sub-headings also – ALL should be in bold
and separated out in paragraphs).
community you are assessing and why you chose this community).
information
paper.
1. During the daytime, drive through your community and visit local restaurants, coffee
houses or hangouts and have a drink (e.g. soda, coffee, tea, etc...).
2. Casually talk to multiple people in these venues (restaurant, on the street, in shops, in the
park etc). about:
Their perception of the community and what they like and dislike about the
community.
Talk to enough people to get participants who are older and younger, different
race/ethnicity, professional, students, homemakers, etc. Dress appropriately (e.g.
business casual).
As participants to identify a maximum of three primary strengths of the community and three
primary issues of concern within the community.
#2
Getting to know the Community culture
#3
Assessing and Analyzing Community Demographics (statistical information should be
included here)
I. Community Characteristics
A. Ethnic/Racial Configuration
1. What are the major population characteristics (for example, what percentage
is white, African American, Vietnamese, American Indian or Hispanic)?
2. What are the principle ethnic and religious groups?
3. What is the age composition?
B. Economic Factors
1. What are the principle economic characteristics of the community?
2. How are most of the people employed?
3. What are the major industries?
4. Have there been recent changes in the economic life of the community
(for example, having industries moving in or out of the area, or having major
expansions or cutbacks)?
C. Employment
1. What is the unemployment rate?
2. How does this rate compare with state and national rates?
3. Have there been recent changes in this unemployment rate?
If so, to what can these changes be attributed?
4. Are there sections of the community where the rate is appreciably higher than
average?
D. Income Levels
1. What is the median income?
2. Are there large numbers of poor people in the community?
3. How does the community’s median income compare to state and national average?
E. Education Levels
1. What is the median education level?
2. How does the community’s median education compare to state and national average?
3. How well are the local schools rated in the state? Graduation rates?
E. Housing Patterns
1. What percentage of residential property is high, moderate or low-cost?
2. What is the condition of the community’s housing (for instance, mostly new, well-
kept and maintained, or deteriorating)?
3. How available is moderate and low-cost housing?
#4
Health and Mental Health Resources
What are the resources that exist in your community and how aware where you of them prior to
doing this research?
How would you know where to refer clients for special help?
How aware are you of the support systems in your community?
Assess a comprehensive community mental health center and provide brief information
about the services provided to the community. If you community does not have one, use
the one that your community would use. In doing so, find out the answers to questions
such as these:
What are some common crises are likely to occur in your community?
Is individual counseling available? For whom? At what fee? Long term? Short term?
As community organizers, what role(s) would you have in regard to helping others access
the above?
#5
Community Needs Assessment: Problems/Plan
Overview: This is the culminating section for this project. It is time to carefully assess all of the
information you have gained, and critically evaluate and summarize the current strengths and
needs within your community. Remember, as a community organizer your role is to also
understand the perspective of the community members themselves, versus strictly your own
beliefs.
Summarize the key characteristics of the community, the impact of these characteristics on
effective community functioning. Based on this analysis identify 2 problem/need areas that exist
within this specific community and carefully propose strategies for addressing that need. Be sure
the need and plan are specific, with specific attainable and measureable goals. Support your ideas
with material from text and readings. This and all sections should be typed using in-text
citations to readings, using APA style.
1. Based on your analysis of all the data you have collected provide a summary of key
characteristics of your community, and the impact of these characteristics on
community’s well being. What are the community resources (the criteria for this is
highlighted in the text).
2. Clearly define 2 problem/need areas, citing evidence collected as part of your assessment.
3. Obtain all important facts related to the problem/need: consider causes, effects, and
history, including current community efforts, assets/strengths, and potential community
partners to address this problem/need.
4. Explore and detail possible action plans for addressing these issues and strategies for
attaining these objectives and reference the text or other materials in your strategies.
Be sure to address any faith-based possibilities in you discussion of solutions.
5. Determine the practicality and realistic feasibility of the proposed solutions from the
standpoint of finances, facts, time, and outcomes desired, resources, policies, etc.
6. Determine the best community approach to use in implementing this plan and explain
your rationale for choosing this approach (your choice must come directly from the text,
and your rationale needs to support the use of this method).
7. Determine how you would evaluate the sustainability of your intervention.