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Week 2 Discussion 1- 5/14/15
Social Versus Human Capital
This week’s first discussion forum will focus on the population
of abused individuals. Abuse is a pervasive problem in our
society. Although the forms of abuse, as well as the intensity
and duration can vary from case to case, each abused person is
tasked with dealing with the scars left from the abuse. As you
can imagine, this task can be very challenging to say the least.
Using research to help you form an opinion, which form of
capital (social or human capital) do you feel will have a greater
influence over resources accessible to the abused? Discuss
which form of capital you would rely on for emotional support
and help through difficult times if abused. Explain your
rationale. Chapter 3 of the course text defines these terms in
more detail.
Your initial contribution should be 250 to 300 words in length.
Your research and claims must be supported by a minimum of
two scholarly sources beyond your course text. Use proper
APA formatting for in-text citations and references as outlined
in the Ashford Writing Center.
Week 2 Discussion 2- Due 5/14/15
Continuum of Care Evaluation and Analysis
This week’s second discussion forum focuses on the populations
of the chronically ill and the disabled.
You may be familiar with the common quote “An ounce of
prevention is worth a pound of cure.” In reality, however, you
may know of a person, family, or group who is not receiving
adequate preventive or medical care due to a lack of resources
and funds.
Choose one specific chronic illness or disability of your choice.
Select two resources in your community that address issues
related to the chronic illness/disability and describe the services

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offered.
Select two national resources that address issues related to the
chronic illness/disability and describe the services offered.
Analyze whether or not the continuum of care services are
adequate for the population with the chosen chronic
illness/disability. Explain why or why not.
Your initial contribution should be 250 to 300 words in length.
Your research and claims must be supported by a minimum of
two scholarly sources beyond your course text. Use proper
APA formatting for in-text citations and references as outlined
in the Ashford Writing Center.
Week 2 Assignment Due 5/18/15
Assignment
To complete the following assignment, go to this week's
Assignment
link in the left navigation.
Vulnerable Population Summary and Proposed Program
The first of your two written assignments for the course will
provide a beginning framework that you will utilize in the
development of your
Final Project: a proposal for a community-based program in
your area. For this first written assignment, you will select one
of the vulnerable groups identified in the text that will serve as
your target population of interest throughout the duration of
your next written assignment and Final Project.
Select one among the following groups from Chapter 1:
Vulnerable mothers and children
Abused individuals
Chronically ill and disabled people
People diagnosed with HIV/AIDS
People diagnosed with mental conditions
Suicide- and homicide-liable people
People affected by alcohol and substance abuse
Indigent and homeless people

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Immigrants and refugees
Groups for special consideration (you may propose a different
vulnerable population at the consent of the instructor)
Once you have selected a group of interest, write a three page
paper that covers the following:
Discuss the impact that at least two of the factors below have on
the vulnerability of your chosen group:
Age
Gender
Culture/Ethnicity
Income
Analyze the intersection of social, political, and economic
factors affecting vulnerability (must address all three factors).
Draft the design of a new model program, not currently existent
within your community. Provide a two- to- three paragraph
statement that introduces your proposed community program.
This section is tentative and might change as you conduct more
research. At a minimum, however, items to address should
include:
An explanation of the issues and risk factors experienced by the
selected population.
An evaluation of the health needs of the group and a proposed
continuum of care level (preventive, treatment, or long-term
care) based on the group’s issues, risk factors, and needs.
Justify the proposed level with supportive research/evidence.
A description of one to two proposed services your program will
include.
Your assignment should be a minimum of three pages in length
(excluding title and reference pages), and should include a
minimum of three scholarly sources cited according to APA
guidelines as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.
Week 3
Disscussion 1 Due 5/21/15
Cost of Health Care
Our health, or the absence of such, can be very expensive. Many
vulnerable populations simply do not have private funds

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available to pay for their care. Relating your research to
individuals with mental conditions, select a mental illness of
your choice and discuss your response to the following
questions:
What public financing resources are available to individuals
with this particular mental condition?
What are the eligibility requirements and restrictions to receive
these funds?
What happens if eligibility standards/requirements are not met
by those with this illness?
Research and discuss two methods of alternative funding for
care for this group. What are the benefits and limitations of the
methods you discussed?
Your initial contribution should be 250 to 300 words in length.
Your research and claims must be supported by a minimum of
two scholarly sources beyond your course text. Use proper
APA formatting for in-text citations and references as outlined
in the Ashford Writing Center.
Discussion2 Due- 5/21/15
Suicide and homicide are violent actions reported in the news
daily. Individuals suffering from abuse, depression, mental
disorders, or substance-abuse disorders are at an increased risk
for committing suicide or homicide. Factors that contribute to
the risk are age, gender, socio-economic status, and
race/ethnicity. Additionally, situations that cause extreme life
or job stress, such as those seen when a loved one dies or by
military personnel, can contribute to the risk. Chapter 6 of your
course text highlights barriers to care relating to the vulnerable
and this population group in particular. For this discussion:
Locate and share statistical data for your community on annual
suicide and homicide rates.
Identify and briefly describe one organizational barrier and one
financial barrier relating to the suicide- and homicide-prone.
Create two recommendations on ways each of these barriers can
be reduced or eliminated.

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Identify two local resources available for suicide- or homicide-
prone individuals. Discuss which services are offered and
whether the services fully meet the needs of the population.
Your initial contribution should be 250 to 300 words in length.
Your research and claims must be supported by a minimum of
two scholarly sources beyond your course text. Use proper
APA formatting for in-text citations and references as outlined
in the Ashford Writing Center.
Week 3 Assignment Due- 5/25/15
Assessment of Community-Level Barriers
For the second written assignment of the course, you will
continue in the design of your proposed model program by
demonstrating your understanding of your selected population’s
challenges, which negatively impact this group’s health and
well-being. Based on this week’s research, conduct an
assessment of the barriers, limitations, and other distinguishing
features, as they exist within your community.
Prepare a recap of the model program for your community that
you originally shared in the week 2 written assignment. As
stated in the Week Two directions, changes to the potential
program can be made as you research and develop the focus of
the program.
Analyze and discuss at least three critical barriers that impact
the health and well-being of your chosen group; one must be a
micro-level (individual) barrier that is financial, one must be a
macro-level (community/state) barrier that relates to access and
funding for care, and the third barrier may be one of your
choosing.
Discuss at least one proposed solution for each barrier. Your
solution for the micro barrier must include an analysis of
various potential funding options (both independent and
integrated). Your solution for the macro barrier must include an
analysis of financing resources for health care.
Research and analyze the regulatory, legal, ethical, and
accreditation requirements and issues for the service(s) offered

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in your proposed program. Discuss how each will impact the
management of the program.
Your assignment should be a minimum of three pages in length
(excluding title and reference pages) and should include a
minimum of three scholarly sources cited according to APA
guidelines as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center. Please
note: All assignments in this course are progressive; therefore
you should use the same population selected in your Week Two
assignment. The Week Two assignment’s contents do not need
to be re-submitted with this assignment.
Week 4
Discussion 1- Due 5/28/15
Economic Dynamics of Health Care Delivery Models
After reading Chapter 7 and the required resources for this
week, consider the following scenario:
HIV Help-Inc., a non-profit organization focusing on the
prevention of HIV/AIDS just received a $10 million grant to
fund several projects. The organization is currently located in
an older building that needs extensive repairs. The organization
is using outdated office equipment In addition, one additional
staff member is needed in order to keep up with incoming phone
calls and requests for presentations and community outreach
activities. A portion of the grant - $2 million - is allotted for
business improvements which can address one of these three
areas: repairs to building, outdated office equipment, and more
staff. The remaining $8 million is to be used to further enhance
the continuum of care level to provide access to preventive
health services.
Section A:
Create a cost benefit analysis for an update that will improve
the business: structural, office equipment, or staff. You can be
creative in determining what the business needs. The cost will
use the full amount of funds allotted to this improvement ($2
Million), so you can only improve one of these three needs.
Section B:

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Create a cost effective analysis to determine how to best spend
the $8 million portion of the grant funding on education and
other preventive services.
The organization currently serves the community and clientele
with community education classes at schools and community
centers, as well as the distribution of condoms and educational
materials. They wish to expand their current services to reach
the neighboring community (4,000 residents), add social media
advertising and messaging to reach the younger population,
distribute educational material and condoms to homeless
shelters in the area, and add HIV testing to at-risk individuals.
Select two of the potential services and determine how the
money can be best spent to have the greatest outcome for the
HIV+ population in the community.
Based on the
CDC website
, analyze how cultural norms impact the risk of getting HIV.
Explain one method or action on how to address this challenge.
Your initial contribution should be 250 to 300 words in length.
Use proper APA formatting for in-text citations and references
as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.
Discussion 2-Due 5/28/15
Regulatory, Legal, Ethical, and Accreditation Issues in
Research
As highlighted in Chapter 9 of your course text, three research
methods are available (descriptive, analytic, and evaluative).
Discuss these methods and give one example of how each would
be used when conducting research using homeless individuals as
subjects. Analyze regulatory, accreditation, ethical, and legal
issues and challenges related to each research method.
Your initial contribution should be 250 to 300 words in length.
Your research and claims must be supported by a minimum of
two scholarly sources beyond your course text. Use proper
APA formatting for in-text citations and references as outlined
in the Ashford Writing Center.

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Week 5
Discussion 1- Due 6/4/15
Variations in Approaches to Care
Choose a specific culture or ethnicity of an immigrant or
refugee population.
Analyze their cultural and social norms.
Discuss how they experience the healthcare system in America.
Include an evaluation of how both the community and market-
oriented approaches to health care, as highlighted in Chapter 10
of your text, can assist your chosen culture in getting the care
they need. Provide an analysis of a multidisciplinary approach
that can be used to deliver the best care to your population.
Discuss a program in your community, or the nearest large
community, that serves immigrants and refugees. Are the
services truly accessible to a wide population of immigrants and
refugees? Identify one approach which could improve
accessibility, cost, or the quality of care for the population.
Your initial contribution should be 250 to 300 words in length.
Your research and claims must be supported by a minimum of
two scholarly sources beyond your course text. Use proper
APA formatting for in-text citations and references as outlined
in the Ashford Writing Center.
Discussion 2 Due 6/4/15
Making a Difference
Imagine you are a policymaker for your city or town. Based on
what you know and what you have learned in this course, what
would you modify or improve to make a positive change in the
life of a vulnerable group we have not covered in class? Justify
whether or not you would consult the vulnerable group when
developing programs or policies? Propose a policy you would
create to improve health care services accessibility, cost, and

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quality related to your selected group?
Your initial contribution should be 250 to 300 words in length.
Your research and claims must be supported by a minimum of
two scholarly sources beyond your course text. Use proper
APA formatting for in-text citations and references as outlined
in the Ashford Writing Center.
Final Project Due 6/8/15
Final Project
In the first two written assignments, you selected one
vulnerable population in need of a new program or service in
your community. In this project, you will finalize the research
that allows you to understand elements that go into designing
and launching a community service. The Final Project will be
written using a persuasive tone, such that you would be able to
present it in order to gain community and organizational support
for your program. The Final Project must demonstrate an
understanding of the reading assignments, class discussions, as
well as your research and application of new knowledge. Your
project must contain the following elements:
A description of the vulnerable population and why they need
assistance in your community.
A description of the health service needs of the vulnerable
population you have chosen to serve with your program.
In order to support the need for the service you propose, cite
statistical data obtained from your county health department,
state health department, and organizations or agencies who
serve the vulnerable population.
A description of your proposed community service or program;
include the specific service(s) provided and one continuum of
care level (prevention, treatment, or long-term care). Explain
how the selected service(s) and the continuum of care will
impact the chosen population.
Discuss the social and cultural norms of your vulnerable
population and how these play a role in the need for the services
offered by your program. Describe how the vulnerable

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population experiences the health care system. Analyze
methods your program can use to overcome social and cultural
differences.
Identify two or more community organizations or agencies with
which you can partner in order to implement your program.
Explain how these organizations can help you implement the
services you offer and the continuum of care offered by the
potential partnering agencies. Explain which services these
organizations will provide to your clientele that are not covered
by your program.
Analyze at least four potential funding sources for your
program, one of which must be from a state funded agency, one
of which must be from a federally funded agency and the
remaining two can be not-for-profit or for-profit business
sources. Explain what factors must be met in order to receive
funding from your sources.
Your final project will demonstrate quantitative literacy, which
shows your ability to identify and solve problems.
Additionally, you must demonstrate integrative learning, which
means you combine your earlier learning from this and other
courses, analyze data from multiple perspectives, explore issues
to their full extent as is required in the assignment, as well as
incorporate your own personal and professional experiences.
Be detailed and convincing in describing the above elements.
For your presentation, you may choose between the following
formats:
An APA formatted Final Paper
A PowerPoint Presentation
The Final Paper:
Must be eight to ten double-spaced pages in length (not
including title and references pages) and formatted according to
APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.
Must include a separate title page with the following:
Title of paper
Student’s name
Course name and number

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Instructor’s name
Date submitted
Must begin with an introductory paragraph that has a succinct
thesis statement.
Must address the topic of the paper with critical thought.
Must end with a conclusion that reaffirms your thesis.
Must use at least six scholarly sources, not including the
textbook.
Must document all sources in APA style, as outlined in the
Ashford Writing Center.
Must include a separate reference page, formatted according to
APA style as outlined in the
Ashford Writing Center
.
The PowerPoint Presentation:
Must be at least 18 slides in length (not including title and
reference slides).
Must include a title slide with the following:
Title of presentation
Student’s name
Course name and number
Instructor’s name
Date submitted
Must use at least six scholarly sources, not including the
textbook.
Must document all sources in APA style, as outlined in the
Ashford Writing Center.
Must include a separate reference slide, formatted according to
APA style as outlined in the
Ashford Writing Center
.
Must include detailed speaker notes for each slide.
Must be creative, using images and charts. Remember to cite all
images taken from an online resource.
Creative Commons
and

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Flickr
are great websites for open source images.
For tips on creating an excellent presentation, read the
following
overview
.
Week 5 Final project will be the PowerPoint!!