This paper is for Statistics Course. Course Title: Evaluation of Social Work Practice and Programs Content: Single-system research designs are useful to social workers who want to know whether an intervention has been effective with a client, whether the client be an individual, a family, a group, an organization, or community. While there are many different models of single-subject designs, for the purposes of this assignment you are to use the ABA design, also known as the “Interrupted Time-Series Design with Follow-up”. In this design, you must observe and record during three different periods: 1. baseline (before any intervention has occurred) 2. intervention 3. follow-up (after intervention has ceased) This must be a social work intervention. My colleague has agreed to be the participant. The following is the targeted problem that the client has indicated is undesirable and that the subject will commit to work on. Single-system evaluation milestone 1. the relationship of the participant to you The participant is a co-worker. 2. the target problem The target problem is the participant has a pattern of eating un-healthy between 4:00 -6:00pm. 3. how the target problem is defined The target problem defined by the types of foods he eats highly processed foods such as cheeseburgers, french fries and chicken sandwiches from Wendy’s, Mc Donald’s, and Chic-fila. 4. how the target problem will be measured The target problem will be measured by participant recording Y- 1, N – 0 if he ate highly processed foods as described above everyday between the hours of 4:00 – 6:00 pm. The result was that my co-worker ate fast food/cheeseburgers between the hours of 4pm and 6pm for 4 out of the 5 days measured. Activities 1. Choose the measurable problem (behavior, cognition, affect) that is targeted for change. 2. Record your baseline data on a tally sheet for at least five days, that is, how many times a day during this period was the problem observed? 3. Transfer the data from the tally sheet to a chart that specifies the exact time intervals (days) and exact frequency of the target problem (number of times observed that day). 4. After baselining the problem, begin your intervention. Describe in detail what is entailed in the intervention, what did you do? What was the subject expected to do? What were incentives for performing the expected behaviors, e.g., penalties for undesirable behaviors, rewarding desired behavior, etc? 5. Observe and record the frequency (or duration or intensity) of the target problem during the intervention period. The intervention should last the same number of days as the baseline period, but no less than five days. 6. Terminate the intervention and record the frequency of the target problem for at least as long as the baseline period on the tally sheet and your chart. 7. Write up your results in memo form and include the components listed below. The paper should no more than 4-5 pages and include 4-5 references, including Royce et al. Please use the following subheadings: a. Introduction: Brief description of the subject, the target problem, the intervention used, and the time frame. b. Intervention and rationale: Describe in detail the intervention and why it was chosen. Include a brief literature review that suggests, or seems to support, your intervention as an appropriate strategy to deal with the target problem. Indicate whether similar approaches have been tried and whether or not they were successful. Do the results vary by population, e.g., males, females, ethnic minorities? c. Results: Describe the results of the follow-up and refer the reader to your single-system chart. Point out any changes from baseline to intervention to follow-up. d. Discussion and Conclusion: Assess whether the intervention used was appropriate and effective. If so, would you use it again? If not, why was it not effective? What other approaches might be tried? With what client groups might it be effective? You will not be graded on whether the intervention was effective, rather on whether you are able to provide a sound rationale for the intervention based on empirical literature and whether you are able to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the approach. Deliverables 1. Memo 2. A reference list (following APA style) 3. Single-system chart 4. Please submit all of the above in one Word document. Required resource: Royse, D., Thyer, B.A., & Padgett, D.K. (2016). Program Evaluation: An Introduction to an Evidence-Based Approach (6th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.
