HSE 325 Final Paper Guidelines and Rubric

Overview
There are two final projects for this course: a final paper and a final presentation. The first final project due for this course is the creation of a child welfare issue
paper.
As a human services practitioner, adhering to legal and ethical guidelines is critical. Not only do the practitioners need to have a solid understanding of these
guidelines and how they relate to complex child welfare issues, but they also need to be aware of best practices and the most effective service delivery models to
act within these guidelines when working with children and families. Practitioners can also help families who are receiving services to negotiate the legal and
ethical guidelines that affect them through education and recommending resources. In addition to providing service for immediate crisis, it is important for the
practitioner to empower families through education.
You will incorporate scholarly research into both final projects. Scholarly research includes journal articles, government websites, and books. As you research,
examine the sources you choose for validity, thoroughness, and bias. Use sources from reliable authors. The paper will be a broad examination of a child welfare
issue in which you will identify the most effective service delivery models and how best practices assist practitioners in adhering to legal and ethical guidelines.
For more information about the second final project, the presentation, refer to the Final Presentation Guidelines and Rubric document.
The first final project is divided into three milestones and a final submission. The milestones will be submitted at various points throughout the course to ensure
you have the information and knowledge needed to submit a quality final paper. These milestones will be submitted in Modules Two, Three, and Four. The final
paper submission is due in Module Six.
In this assignment, you will demonstrate your mastery of the following course outcomes:
 Recommend Department of Health and Human Services and community resources for assisting families and children from birth to adolescence in
navigating legal and child welfare guidelines
 Apply state and federal laws, regulations, and ethical principles of the child welfare program to real-life situations
 Analyze the impact of best practices for adhering to legal and ethical guidelines in working with children
 Evaluate service delivery models for their effectiveness in meeting specific child welfare needs
Prompt I
In the first part of your final paper, you will first examine the roles of both the federal and state Departments of Health and Human Services in relation to a selfselected and specific child welfare issue. Next, you will evaluate service delivery models for the extent to which they meet the needs of the specific issue based
on research of commonly used models in the field. After determining the most appropriate delivery models, you will research the laws around the specific issue
of which the practitioner would need to adhere. This will directly lead into how best practices assist in adhering to these standards. You will use what you learn in
this paper to inform your presentation.
Specifically, the following critical elements must be addressed:
I. Introduction: Using your reading and discussion from Module One, identify a specific child welfare issue to study and explain how the missions of the
state and federal Departments of Health and Human Services relate to this specific issue. How do the missions impact how the department serves the
population of the child welfare issue?
II. Delivery Models: Now that you have identified the issue of focus and the general role of the Department of Health and Human Services, you will look
specifically at how well the services are delivered. Delivery models are addressed in the readings for Modules One and Two.
A. Explain the service delivery models usually associated with this specific issue. Which models apply and how? Which models do not apply and
how do they not?
B. Evaluate how the service delivery models associated with the specific issue meet the needs of the client. Using the models that apply to this
issue, how do these models meet the needs of clients? How are they designed to meet case-specific needs? How do the models not meet the
needs of the client?
C. Based on these delivery models, determine which model would be most effective in meeting the general needs of the issue, justifying your
decision. How would the model contribute to meeting the needs of the individuals involved? How would the model contribute to meeting the
needs of the family as a whole?
III. Guidelines: After determining the most effective service models, the next step is to determine what legal and ethical guidelines must be followed when
addressing the child welfare needs of the issue. Refer to the readings and resources in Modules Three and Four to learn more about legal and ethical
guidelines.
A. Explain the state and federal laws around the issue and how these protect children and families. What are the laws around the issue and what
are the repercussions for breaking these laws? How do these laws protect children in the issue? What legal rights do the children have? What
legal rights does the family have as a whole?
B. Discuss the ethical principles around this issue and how these principles inform the human services practitioner’s interactions with the family.
IV. Best Practices: Finally, the practitioner will need to be aware of best practices that assist in navigating these legal and ethical guidelines as well as how
these practices relate to the specific issue. Review the readings in Modules Three and Four, as well as Final Paper Milestone Two for assistance in
applying legal and ethical best practices.
A. Discuss human service best practices that relate to this specific issue. What are these practices? What makes these best practices when working
with this specific issue? How may some of these best practices not work for the specific issue?
B. Analyze how best practices assist practitioners in adhering to legal and ethical guidelines. How do the previously identified best practices
relating to this issue align with legal and ethical guidelines? How would you use these best practices to adhere to legal guidelines? Why is this
important to do?
C. Discuss how having best practices is ethical. How are the previously discussed best practices ethical? How is the use of best practices ethical?
How would the absence of best practices impact ethics?
Milestones
Milestone One: Identify an Issue (Introduction)
In Module Two, you will submit a 1–2 paragraph introduction, in which you identify a specific child welfare issue to study for this paper. Your introduction must
address critical element section I above. Include at least two APA references in your submission that will be helpful to your chosen topic. Include your
Introduction section in one complete Word document. This milestone is graded with the Final Paper Milestone One Rubric.
Milestone Two: Examine Delivery Models
In Module Three, you will submit a 1–2 page draft of your Delivery Models section, addressing all questions included in the critical elements as listed in section II
above. Please include your Delivery Models section in one complete Word document as an attachment in your initial post. You will review peers’ Milestone Two
submissions in the following module and provide feedback with recommendations for improvement. This milestone is graded with the Final Paper Milestone
Two Rubric.
Milestone Three: Draft of Guidelines and Best Practices
In Module Four, you will submit a 3–4 page draft, which will include the Guidelines and Best Practices sections, as they relate to your chosen issue. Be sure to
address all critical elements from sections III and IV above. Your draft should include the legal and ethical guidelines that must be followed in relation to the
specific issue. This milestone is graded with the Final Paper Milestone Three Rubric.
Final Submission: Child Welfare Issue Paper
In Module Six, you will submit your child welfare issue paper. It should be a complete, polished artifact containing all of the critical elements of the final
product. It should reflect the incorporation of feedback gained throughout the course. This milestone will be graded using the Final Paper Rubric.
Deliverables
Milestone Deliverable Module Due Grading
One Identify an Issue (Introduction) Two Graded separately; Final Paper Milestone One Rubric
Two Examine Delivery Models Three Graded separately; Final Paper Milestone Two Rubric
Three Draft of Guidelines and Best Practices Four Graded separately; Final Paper Milestone Three Rubric
Final Submission: Child Welfare Issue Paper Six Graded separately; Final Paper Rubric
Final Paper Rubric
Guidelines for Submission: Your child welfare issue paper must be 4–6 pages in length (plus a cover page and references) and must be written in APA format. Use
double spacing, 12-point Times New Roman font, and one-inch margins. Include at least three references cited in APA format.
Critical Elements Exemplary (100%) Proficient (85%) Needs Improvement (55%) Not Evident (0%) Value
Introduction Meets “Proficient” criteria and
provides concrete examples to
substantiate claims
Discusses the state and federal
missions, their impact on the
chosen issue, and the way they
provide service
Discusses the state and federal
missions, their impact on the
chosen issue, and the way they
provide service, but is inaccurate
or lacks detail
Does not discuss the state and
federal missions and their impact
on the issue and service
6
Delivery Models:
Explain
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
provides concrete examples to
substantiate claims
Accurately identifies and explains
which service delivery models do
and do not apply to this issue and
how they do and do not apply to
the issue
Identifies and explains which
service delivery models do and do
not apply to this issue and how
they apply, but explanation is
inaccurate or lacks detail
Does not explain the service
delivery models usually associated
with the issue or how they apply
or which service delivery models
do not apply to the issue
11
Delivery Models:
Meet Needs
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
uses scholarly resources to
support assertions
Accurately evaluates how service
models meet needs of the client
Evaluates how service models
meet needs of the client, but is
inaccurate or lacks detail
Does not evaluate how service
models meet needs of the client
11
Delivery Models:
Most Effective
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
uses scholarly resources to
support assertions
Determines the most effective
models for the issue, providing
justification around meeting needs
Determines the most effective
models for the issue, providing
justification around meeting
needs, but information is
inaccurate or incomplete
Does not determine the most
effective model for the issue, and
does not provide justification
around meeting needs
11
Guidelines: State
and Federal Laws
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
discussion demonstrates a
nuanced understanding of the
application of legal guidelines to
families
Explains the state and federal laws
specific to the issue
Explains the state and federal laws
specific to the issue, but
explanation is inaccurate or
incomplete
Does not explain the state and
federal laws specific to the issue
11
Guidelines: Ethical
Principles
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
discussion demonstrates a
nuanced understanding of the
application of ethical guidelines to
families
Discusses ethical principles around
the issue and how these would
inform practitioner interactions
Discusses ethical principles around
the issue and how these would
inform practitioner interactions,
but discussion is inaccurate or
incomplete
Does not discuss ethical principles
around the issue and how these
would inform practitioner
interactions
11
Best Practices:
Relate
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
uses scholarly resources to
support assertions
Discusses best practices related to
the issue and what makes these
best practices
Discusses best practices related to
the issue and what makes these
best practices, but discussion is
inaccurate or incomplete
Does not discuss best practices
related to the issue and what
makes these best practices
11
Best Practices:
Adhering to
Guidelines
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
provides concrete examples to
substantiate claims
Analyzes how best practices assist
practitioners in adhering to legal
and ethical guidelines
Analyzes how best practices assist
practitioners in adhering to legal
and ethical guidelines but with
gaps in accuracy or detail
Does not analyze how best
practices assist practitioners in
adhering to legal and ethical
guidelines
11
Best Practices:
Ethical Guidelines
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
provides concrete examples to
substantiate claims
Discusses how using best practices
is ethical
Discusses how using best practices
is ethical, but with gaps in accuracy
or detail
Does not discuss how using best
practices is ethical
11
Articulation of
Response
Submission is free of errors related
to citations, grammar, spelling,
syntax, and organization and is
presented in a professional and
easy-to-read format
Submission has no major errors
related to citations, grammar,
spelling, syntax, or organization
Submission has major errors
related to citations, grammar,
spelling, syntax, or organization
that negatively impact readability
and articulation of main ideas
Submission has critical errors
related to citations, grammar,
spelling, syntax, or organization
that prevent understanding of
ideas
6
Total 100%