My subject is Schools and the effects of homelessness
Social Work Specialization Paper
Choose one area of specialization in social work, e.g., medical, school, mental health, geriatric, protective services, drug
& alcohol, etc. Look through all the areas covered in this course (book) to get ideas. Feel free to email me if you have
questions about a specific area.
Complete a 7-page paper including the following 3 areas:
1. What are identified problems that require these areas of social work, i.e. literacy in schools, aging populations,
substance abuse, family violence, homelessness, mental illness, suicide, etc.?
*Provide scholarly research (books or peer-reviewed journals) regarding the identified problem that warrants a
need for social workers in the identified area that you chose. Examples might be: Geriatrics – The aging
(geriatric) population getting older and the lack of funding for health insurance or assistance programs; Suicide –
what are the causes? What are suicide rates? How prevalent is it in our society, etc.; Family Violence – What
causes family violence? Which demographic is most susceptible to family violence & why? Your topic should be
WELL RESEARCHED so that you can provide an in-depth discussion about them.
2. What interventions, theories, and/or perspectives have proven effective, OR NOT, in addressing the
issue? Provide at least 2. Must come from peer-reviewed source.
*In other words, what can be done? This could be several things: therapy (individual/group, Cognitive
Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, EMDR Therapy); effective case management, psychosocial
assessments, and effective treatment planning; support groups; hospitalization; writing policy, lobbying; family
reunification, etc. Make sure to discuss, IN-DEPTH, these interventions, theories and/or perspectives. DO NOT
give me YOUR ideas or thoughts on what YOU think would help! You MUST provide scholarly data about the
interventions, theories, and/or perspectives. An interview (personal communication) with a social worker in
this area could be one resource for you.
3. What are the long-term outcomes and/or projections for the identified problem? Must come from peerreviewed source.
*Example: Studies show that complex grief is affecting the elderly population at greater rates and severity than
in past generations. As a result, life expectancy for seniors experiencing long-term, complex grief, is shortened
by five years. However, through support groups and a change in lifestyle behaviors, research points to better
outcomes for this vulnerable population (Pearson, 2011).
4. Explain how the 6 core values and social work code of ethics, identified by the National Association of Social
Workers (NASW), factor into bringing about change. Please use at least 1 core value and 1 code of ethics. This
means that you will need to visit the NASW website! *In other words, how can you connect at least 1 of the 6
core values and 1 of the codes of ethics of NASW to your research? How studies, concerns, or interventions for
the elderly line up with a core value & ethical principle outlined by NASW? Ex: Support groups play a
fundamental role in the NASW core value of the importance of human relationships. Relational experiences
shared by several people – peers, loved ones, patient/therapist, neighbors, etc., are a basic need. Simply put,
people need people (Maslow, 1967).
This must be included in your reference list! This in-text citation and reference list might be a little tricky, so I
will provide you with the correct information below:
In-text (narrative): According to the NASW (2017), ….
In-text (parenthetical): The importance of human relationships is a foundational core value and
demonstrates significant importance in the betterment of individuals (National Association of Social
Workers, 2017).
References
National Association of Social Workers. (2017). NASW code of ethics. NASW.
https://www.socialworkers.org/About/Ethics/Code-of-Ethics/Code-of-Ethics-English
This is a research paper and should be presented as such. Your paper should be double spaced with Times New Roman,
12-point font. Spelling and grammar will be included in grading. In addition, your paper must be in APA
format. Refer to the APA Resources Module for APA Assistance – video on how to format an APA paper, APA Tips, APA
Sample Paper, etc. If you are not sure about this format, go to the writing center. There is no abstract required for this
paper; however, a title page and a reference page are required, so overall you will turn in 7 pages: 1 title page, 5
pages of content, and 1 reference page.
Make sure that you do not write this paper in the first person. Additional things to consider is to refrain from using
contractions, e.g., can’t, doesn’t, we’d, haven’t, etc. Use the full word of cannot, does not, we would, have not,
etc. Also, make sure to cite your sources in the text as well as on your reference page. DO NOT PLAGIARIZE YOUR
PAPER!!!! Plagiarism is when you take someone’s thoughts, words or ideas and use them as your own. This includes
simply omitting words, changing a few words from the author’s original text, etc. Here is a link that might help you
understand plagiarism a little more: http://www.plagiarism.org/article/what-is-plagiarism
You are required to have 7 resources for this paper but use more if you need. One of your sources can be an interview
(personal communication) with a social worker in the area of social work that you choose. However, an interview is not
required. You may only use one website/url as a source. ONLY USE URLs THAT END IN .GOV OR .EDU. All other
sources must come from a book or peer-reviewed journal. Going to the library link (on the MCC homepage) and
utilizing research databases would be the best place to find peer-reviewed journals. Academic Search Complete is
usually the database of choice.
Social Work Specialization papers are due by the date specified on the calendar.
