Getting Started

During this course, you will conduct a policy analysis related to social welfare. The policy analysis will have five sections. You will create your project incrementally throughout the course in Workshops Two through Seven. Each week, you will complete one section of the analysis and submit a piece of the whole so you can receive feedback from your instructor and improve your work before your final submission in Workshop Seven.

As a social worker, you will be expected to demonstrate character, leadership, and scholarship in the arena of policy and its use in clinical practice.

• Character is the product of constant action, striving daily to make the right choices. Through your work of advocacy toward policy reform, you are demonstrating such qualities as responsibility, fairness, and caring, and proving by example that you value character.
• Scholarship means a commitment to learning. Applying diligence and effort toward learning about policy and advocacy as a social worker can impact your practice positively as a professional.
• Leadership at your agency means having a positive influence on your colleagues. In taking the initiative to learn about and advocate for policy reform, you can encourage others to attain the same objective, thus positively affecting your clients and your work toward social justice.

In this assignment, you will conduct a historical review of the policy you selected in Workshop One.

Upon successful completion of this assignment, you will be able to:

• Identify social policies at the local, state, and federal levels that impact well-being, service delivery, and access to social services. (PO 5)
• Assess how social welfare and economic policies impact the delivery of and access to social services. (PO 5)
• Analyze policies with regard to advancement of human rights and social, economic, and environmental justice. (PO 5, ILO 5)
• Demonstrate character, scholarship, and leadership in becoming a world changer through application to personal life and professional social work practice.
• Demonstrate Christ-like attitudes, values, worldviews, and ethical and professional behavior within advanced clinical practice. (ILO 1)

Resources

• File: Final Project.pdf (in the Shared Documents)
• File: APA 6e Guide.pdf
• File: APA Template for Assignments.docx
• Web Resource: Academic Writer available in IWU Resources in your course

Background Information

In this assignment, you will write:

• Policy Analysis—Section 2: Historical Review

Social policy is a reflection of the society in which it is formed. As we have read and discussed, social policies in the United States have been informed and impacted by historical and political events in the United States. Policy analysis means taking apart a policy (or law, legislation, or act) to understand, evaluate, critique, and provide suggestions for modifications to the policy. This process requires having a good understanding of historical events (and sometimes political events), as they often impact how policies are written, funded, and implemented.

Instructions

1. Review the rubric to make sure you understand the criteria for earning your grade.
2. Review the Final Project file for a description of the section that you will write for this assignment.
3. Review IWU’s APA 6e Guide on how to properly cite sources.
4. In a two-page APA-formatted document, write Section 2 of your Policy Analysis: Historical Review, addressing the Workshop Three prompts in the Final Project.pdf document. Use the APA Template for Assignments.docx to complete your assignment.
5. Before finalizing your work, ensure that you:
   1. Read the assignment instructions carefully.
   2. Use the spelling and grammar check.
   3. Review APA formatting and citation.
   4. Use APA format for organization, style, and source credits, including:
      1. 12-point, double-spaced Times New Roman font
      2. One-inch margins on all sides
      3. Normal character spacing
      4. In-text citations
      5. Title page and reference page
6. Review the rubric that your instructor will use to evaluate your work. Self-assess your assignment using the rubric and make improvements as needed to meet expectations and ensure that your work fulfills all the requirements.
7. When you have completed your assignment, save a copy for yourself, and submit a copy to your instructor using the Assignment submission page by the end of the workshop.