Assignment Instructions
SOCIAL WELFARE PROBLEM POLICY AND SOCIAL CHANGE
Overview
For this assignment, you will continue building on the work you have done for the
previous assignments by exploring the role of human services professionals in
advocacy for social welfare policy.
As part of your analysis, you will need to incorporate at least 10 peer-review
journal articles and any other scholarly sources to support your points, including
one reference from the Congressional Research Service’s Search CRS Reports.
Only one peer-reviewed article may be older than five years.
Instructions
Write a 6–8 page paper in which you explore the role of human services
professionals in advocacy for social welfare policy. In addition to our course
readings, you will need to review the literature on the social issues or problem
you select in order to respond to some of the requirements below. Include the
following in your submission:
Introduction
Provide an introduction that succinctly describes the issue or problem and gives
an overview of current federal social welfare policy designed to address it.
Body of Paper
• Discuss how human services professionals’ knowledge could help inform
policy for the social issue or problem identified.
• Describe an advocacy effort, including its purpose, and the activities human
services professionals could engage in to help create policy change for the
social issue or problem.
• Explain why you would choose this particular form of advocacy for human
service professionals to engage in regarding this social issue or problem.
• Analyze how effective these advocacy efforts may be for this social issue or
problem and the reasons why these might be effective or ineffective.
• Synthesize the relationship between advocacy and public opinion for the
selected policy.
• Discuss how this class has impacted your understanding of social welfare
policy and your feelings about policy advocacy and social change.
Conclusion
Provide a succinct conclusion that highlights the key points of your discussion.
Additional Requirements
• References: Include at least 10 peer-review journal articles. Only one peerreviewed article may be older than five years. Include one reference from the
Congressional Research Service.
• Length of paper: 6–8 pages, not including cover and references.
• Communication: Communicate in a manner that is scholarly, professional,
and respectful of the diversity, dignity, and integrity of others, consistent with
expectations for members of the human services profession. Written
communication should be free of errors that detract from the overall
message.
• APA style and format: Use appropriate APA style and formatting for citations
and references. Refer to Academic Writer or Evidence and APA in the Capella
Writing Center.
SCORING GUIDE
Your work will be evaluated using this criteria.
VIEW SCORING GUIDE
Competencies Measured
By successfully completing this assignment, you will demonstrate your
proficiency in the following course competencies and scoring guide criteria:
• Competency 1: Evaluate the relationship between public opinion and social
welfare policies targeted at various social problems or groups within the
United States.
o Synthesize the relationship between advocacy and public opinion for
the selected policy.
• Competency 3: Critically analyze the roles and responsibilities of the human
service profession in public policy evaluation, analysis, and development, as
well as the relationship between policy and best practices for human service
professionals.
o Discuss how human services professionals’ knowledge could help
inform policy for the social issue or problem identified.
o Describe an advocacy effort, including its purpose, and the activities
human services professionals could engage in to help create policy
change for the social issue or problem.
o Explain why you would choose this particular form of advocacy for
human service professionals to engage in regarding this social issue or
problem.
o Analyze how effective these advocacy efforts may be for this social
issue or problem and the reasons why these might be effective or
ineffective.
o Describe how this class has impacted your understanding of social
welfare policy and your feelings about policy advocacy and social
change.
• Competency 5: Communicate in a manner that is scholarly, professional, and
respectful of the diversity, dignity, and integrity of others, consistent with
expectations for members of the human services profession.
o Utilize the required number of scholarly sources and other reference
material specified in the instructions.
o Communicate in a manner that is scholarly, professional, and respectful
of the diversity, dignity, and integr
