HSE 110 miniprojects

Mini-projects. Each mini-project is worth 25 points and has a specific due date. You are required to do seven of the nine, and may choose to do an eighth project for extra credit. All mini-projects are due on the assigned dates, including one done for extra credit. Mini-project five is required; you cannot use that one as one of the two projects that you do not have to submit.

Mini-Project One: Analysis of a Volunteer Program

This assignment is due Monday, August 29, 2005.

Select a human services agency in your area that has a volunteer program. Gather information about these components by interviewing the volunteer coordinator, a volunteer, and a human service professional. Examine agency literature about the volunteer program. Answer the following questions:

1) How is the program funded?
2) What recruitment strategies are used?
3) What motivates individuals to volunteer to work with this agency?
4) Are efforts made to match motivations and job assignments?
5) Are written job descriptions provided?
6) How are volunteers trained and supervised?
7) What rewards do volunteers receive?

This assignment should start with a brief description of the agency, followed by the answers to the questions.

SPECIFICATIONS
Acceptable Length: One to two pages.

Formatting Requirements:
Put your name, course and section number, and assignment title clearly at the top of the document. Use one-inch margins and an eleven or twelve point font.

To get a top score, your paper should answer each question thoroughly, with full grammatically correct sentences. There should not be any spelling errors

Mini-Project Two: Significant Contributors to Human Services
This assignment is due Monday September 19, 2005.

THE ASSIGNMENT

Chapter two mentions several people who have been influential in the development of human services. Choose one of these individuals, find out more information about that person and write one page about that person's view of helping from the perspective of that person. For example, you may choose Mary Richmond, and you would write a page about helping as though you were Mary Richmond. Make sure you include the sources of information in your paper, with a section titled "references".

RESOURCES TO CONSIDER

There are several links under External Links that may be helpful.

SPECIFICATIONS
Acceptable Length: One page, and a list of references.

Formatting Requirements:
Put your name, course and section number, and assignment title clearly at the top of the document.
Use one-inch margins and an eleven or twelve point font.

To get a top score, your paper should be written from the perspective of the historical figure, be grammatically correct, with no spelling errors, and have references cited correctly (APA or MLA style).

TO SUBMIT
Include your name, the assignment name, and your course and section number at the top of the paper. Give to your instructor in class, or submit via email as an ATTACHMENT.

Mini-project Three: RESOURCES

This assignment is due Monday, September 26, 2005.

SITES TO USE IN COMPLETING THE ASSIGNMENT

You will find useful links in "External Links." You will also need to use search engines to research these topics.

ELEMENTS TO LOOK FOR AT THE WEB SITES

Look for specific statements about the available services. Make sure the services are available to individuals needing these services, without an obligation, such as having to state having a specific religious belief in order to get the services.

THE ASSIGNMENT

Choose one of the following topics: mental health, children and youth services, corrections, AIDS, aging. Using the Internet, find five agencies/programs that address needs in these areas. One of the programs should be located in another country. Two of the programs can be located in other states, and two of the programs should be in North Carolina. For example, you have chosen AIDS as your topic. Search the Internet for agencies that provide services for individuals with AIDS. You find the AIDS Community Residence Association in Durham, North Carolina. You learn that they provide hospice care and other services for people with AIDS. You would list this a one of your five agencies/programs, describe the agency/program, explain what services are available, and write down the Internet address (for example:http://www.AIDS-Residence.org/)of the agency/program, with proper citation.

PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS

This should be submitted as a list of agencies, with a description, an explanation of what services are available, how these services can be accessed (who is eligible to get the services and how dot hey go about doing that). Make sure to include the Internet address of the agency/program. You should have one inch margins, and an eleven or twelve point font.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Include your name, the assignment name, and your course and section number at the top of the paper.

Give to your instructor in class, or submit via email as an ATTACHMENT.

Mini-project Four: COMPARING MODELS
This assignment is due Monday, October 10, 2005.

INTRODUCTION

This assignment will help you apply the three models of service delivery.

THE ASSIGNMENT

Make a list of problems that are currently receiving the attention of the helping professions. Choose one of the problems and discuss how each model might approach the problem. Based on this activity, what seem to be the strengths and weaknesses of each model?

Note: Please do not use teenage pregnancy as your chosen problem. This will be the identified problem in the group activity.

RESOURCES TO CONSIDER In addition to your textbook, you may want to use the Internet to research more about the problem you chose.

SPECIFICATIONS
Acceptable Length: Two to three pages.
Formatting Requirements:
Put your name, course and section number, and assignment title clearly at the top of the document.
Use one-inch margins and an eleven or twelve point font.

To get a top score, your paper should include a list of problems, clearly identify the problem you chose, have at least one paragraph describing the problem, include a detailed description of how each model might approach this problem, and identify the strengths and weaknesses of each model.

TO SUBMIT
Include your name, the assignment name, and your course and section number at the top of the paper. Give to your instructor in class, or submit via email as an ATTACHMENT.

Mini-project Five: Poverty Today

Please note this project must be done – it is not one of the optional ones. This assignment is due Monday, October 31, 2005.

INTRODUCTION

What is it like to be poor today?

The following exercise will allow assist you in understanding what it means to live at the poverty line by exploring the choices which result from poverty. There are several steps to this activity.

THE ASSIGNMENT

1. Identify the exact annual poverty line in North Carolina, for a family of four. Make sure to include the source of your information when you submit the assignment.
2. According to the original financial formulas, it is recommended that one third of income is expected to be used for food. Divide the poverty level by 1/3, then divide that number by 364, and you will have the amount of money that can be spent on food that day. Consider whether the family is eligible for food stamps and what role this would play in grocery shopping.
3. Go to a convenience store and a grocery store, and plan the meals for that day, for a family of four, using the amount of money and/or food stamps you figured in question number two.
4. Describe the meals planned from shopping at both the convenience store and the grocery store, in detail.
5. Think about the last meal that you ate at a restaurant (including fast food). Incorporate that meal into your meal plan for the day. In other words, figure out the cost of four meals and develop a formula of how much money would be remaining for food the rest of the day.

RESOURCES TO CONSIDER

You may want to contact your local department of social services, or use the Internet to obtain the information about the poverty line.

SPECIFICATIONS
Acceptable Length: One to three pages.

Formatting Requirements: Put your name, course and section number, and assignment title clearly at the top of the document. Use one-inch margins and an eleven or twelve point font. To get a top score, your paper should answer each question thoroughly and clearly, with correct grammar and spelling.

TO SUBMIT
Include your name, the assignment name, and your course and section number at the top of the paper. Using Microsoft Word (or another word processing-program allowed by your instructor) save the document with a filename that includes the assignment title, your first initial and last name.

Submit the assignment as an email attachment or in class.

Mini-project Six: Employment

This assignment is due Monday, November 14, 2005.

Interview two of the professionals listed in the textbook (physician, psychologist, social worker, counselor). Ask the following questions:

1) Where do you work?
2) What is your job title?
3) What are your job responsibilities?
4) What training did you have to qualify for this job?

Provide that information as well as the answer to these questions: Do the answers your received support the description of the occupations provided in the text? What are the similarities? What are the differences?

RESOURCES TO CONSIDER

Interview people in the community and through local agencies. Try to interview people working for different types of organizations.

SPECIFICATIONS
Acceptable Length: Two to three pages.

Formatting Requirements: Put your name, course and section number, and assignment title clearly at the top of the document. Use at least one-inch margins and an eleven point.

To get a top score, your paper should include the name, address and phone number of the two professionals you interviewed, and the answers to all of the questions. There should not be any spelling or grammatical errors.

TO SUBMIT
Include your name, the assignment name, and your course and section number at the top of the paper.

Using Microsoft Word (or another word processing-program allowed by your instructor) save the document with a filename that includes the assignment title, your first initial and last name.

Submit the assignment to your instructor in class or as an email attachment.

Mini-project Seven: PRACTICING SKILLS

This assignment is due Monday, November 28, 2005.

INTRODUCTION

This assignment will help you put the information in module seven into practice.

THE ASSIGNMENT

During the next week, practice active listening, helpful responses, and asking good questions, as described in the textbook. Record the interactions and describe your reactions. Your submission should include interactions with at least three people.

SPECIFICATIONS
Acceptable Length: One to three pages.

Formatting Requirements: Put your name, course and section number, and assignment title clearly at the top of the document. Use at least one-inch margins and an eleven point.

To get a top score, your paper should include detailed descriptions of each interaction, how you used the new skills, and your reactions, particularly how this interaction might have differed from previous interactions when you did not use these skills.

TO SUBMIT

Include your name, the assignment name, and your course and section number at the top of the paper. Using Microsoft Word (or another word processing-program allowed by your instructor) save the document with a filename that includes the assignment title, your first initial and last name.

Submit the assignment to your instructor in class or as an email attachment.

Mini-project Eight: LOCAL COMMUNITY SERVICES

This assignment is due Monday, December 12, 2005.

INTRODUCTION

This assignment will help you become more familiar with local resources.

THE ASSIGNMENT

Find a local community services directory, and answer the following questions. (If your community does not have a community services directory, use phone books and other resources to answer questions three through ten.

1. What organization(s) publish the Community Services Directory?
2. What kind of information is available about each agency, organization or institution?
3. On what page do you find information about juvenile court?
4. Find an organization that provides direct help to people in need. Find an organization that provides membership opportunity for professionals.
5. Look up the Department of Social Services. What services does it provide? Is it tax supported or privately funded? What is the hotline number to report child abuse?
6. Find a place to get emergency food and clothing. Name the place, location, phone number and describe how you found it.
7. Find a place to house and counsel a runaway adolescent. Name the place, location, phone number and describe how you found about it.
8. If you don?t know where to find help, what telephone number service is available at the United Way?
9. Find an organization that provides a communication service for deaf persons (teletype phone service). Include the name, location, phone number and address.
10. Where can you find a recreational program designed especially for a diabetic child? Include name of organization, phone number and address.

RESOURCES TO CONSIDER

Libraries are often a good place to start!

SPECIFICATIONS
Acceptable Length: One to two pages.

Formatting Requirements: Put your name, course and section number, and assignment title clearly at the top of the document. Use at least one-inch margins and an eleven point.
You do not have to write the questions, only the questions numbers and the answers.

To get a top score, your paper should answer each question thoroughly, with full, grammatically correct sentences and correct spelling.

TO SUBMIT

Include your name, the assignment name, and your course and section number at the top of the paper.

Mini-project Nine: Professional Ethics

This assignment is due Wednesday, December 14, 2005.

THE ASSIGNMENT

Interview two human service professionals, asking the following questions:
1) What is the most common ethical dilemma you face?
2) Can you provide an example?
3) Do you have a code of ethics? If so, please describe it.
4) Do you discuss ethical dilemmas with others? Who?
5) What is the most stressful part of your job?
6) How do you deal with stress?
7) Would you describe a time when you felt burned out?
8) What did you do to recover from that?
9) In what professional development activities have you participated in the last year?

RESOURCES TO CONSIDER

There are many different types of human service agencies. Try to talk with professionals from different agencies, and do not use the agencies you have used for previous assignments.

SPECIFICATIONS

Acceptable Length: One to two pages.
Formatting Requirements: Put your name, course and section number, and assignment title clearly at the top of the document. Use at least one-inch margins and an eleven point.
You do not have to write the questions, only the questions numbers and the answers.

To get a top score, your paper should answer each question thoroughly, with full, grammatically correct sentences and correct spelling.

TO SUBMIT