SOCIAL WORK

Goals: To design an intervention strategy based on clinical practice literature and theory to assist aging clients in coping with issues of grief and loss, death and dying; to become familiar with the range of resources that are available for use with clients experiencing loss. 

Process: Identify a grief/loss (death or non-death) event of interest that impacts the aging population. Examples are death of spouse, medical diagnosis, impact of terminal or prolonged illness, being moved from home to assisted living/nursing facility, spouse’s or own diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, etc. (there are many more!) You will research a potential intervention strategy for use in social work practice with the aging population experiencing this type of loss. You will also identify potential informational and supportive resources available to your aging clients. Please do not write in the first person since this is NOT a personal reflection paper. This is also NOT a case study.

Product (see the grading rubric for details regarding points for each section): Use course materials as well as references from the literature and peer-reviewed articles to inform your responses. This 10-12-page paper (not including cover page, reference pages, and appendix, APA format) informed by a minimum of 5 peer-reviewed journal articles written since 2012 will include the following headings and guidelines:

• Introduction and Loss Event

Identify the loss event and population that you have selected for this assignment.

• Importance and Relevance to Social Work Practice

Use course materials as well as references from the literature to inform your responses to the following: Discuss the importance and relevance of this topic for social work practice. (How common is it? How can social workers make a difference in the lives of the aging population experiencing this grief or loss event?) Think about the values and philosophies underlying social work practice as well as social work’s mission. 

• Potential Consequences

Based on the literature, list potential consequences of the loss and potential problems that might be faced by an aging person experiencing this loss event. 

• Intervention Strategy 

Using the course readings and material to guide you (and/or literature from 2012 to present), describe an intervention strategy that could be utilized in session to assist an aging client dealing with this grief or loss event. Describe the intervention in enough detail that a reader could carry it out. If the reference contains specific instructions for implementing the intervention, include them and any supporting materials (e. g., copy of an exercise, description of a videotape to be shown, etc.) in an appendix (excluded from page limit). 

• Rationale for the Intervention Strategy 

Using references from your syllabus and the scholarly literature, find support for your intervention strategy.  How does this intervention relate to the potential consequences/problems and/or treatment goals identified? Be sure to discuss how the proposed intervention and the potential problem(s)/anticipated outcome(s) of treatment are logically connected. 

• Grief-Related Theoretical Framework

Identify at least one grief-related theoretical framework from the course readings (refer to Humphrey chapters and the text) that informs and/or supports this intervention strategy and discuss its relevance. 

• Potential Referral Resources (as an appendix and not included in the page count)

Consider additional resources that might be useful to an aging client dealing with this loss event. Create a mini-directory with at least one resource in each of the following categories that might be appropriate as a referral resource to address the loss event you have chosen: 1) a community or national agency or organization – briefly describe the grief or loss-related services they provide; 2) a support group (based in the community or online); and 3) educational materials (books, videotapes, pamphlets, online information). Include enough information about each resource that an aging client could access the resource if desired (information about how to obtain it, name of contact person and telephone number, web site address, etc.). 

SOCW 5318 Death and Dying Intervention Paper Rubric (32 points possible)

Name: _______________________________________________________ Grade: __________

Meets requirements Average- some minor gaps Below average- some major gaps

2 1 .5 Introduction briefly identifies the loss event and rationale

3 2 1 Importance and relevance of this topic for social work practice

5 3 1 Potential consequences and potential problems faced by aging population experiencing this loss

5 3 1 Intervention strategy described in detail

5 3 1 Rationale for the intervention strategy supported by the literature

5 3 1 Identification of at least one (1) grief-related theoretical framework that informs and/or supports intervention strategy

3 2 1 List potential referral resources pertaining to this loss

1 .5 .25 A minimum of 5 peer-reviewed journal articles used; written no earlier than 2012; these are in addition to course material

1 .5 .25 APA formatting & references included, typed in Times New Roman, 12-point font

1 .5 .25 Appropriate grammar, sentence structure, sub headings and word choice throughout

1 .5 .25 Length 10-12 pages double spaced, not including cover or reference pages