The document contains posts from four classmates - Arkia, Lisa, Gloria, and Carmen - introducing themselves and responding to prompts about their backgrounds, interests, goals for the course, and concerns. Carmen then posts a response about two planning theories - advocacy and transactive - that relate to her current work in behavioral health. She provides an example of how these theories could be applied. Gloria responds, selecting advocacy and radical planning and discussing how they could relate to her desired career as a juvenile probation officer. Thashina also selects two theories - synoptic and incremental planning - and analyzes how they fit with the complex, changing nature of human services work.

1. 6 peer responses due in 24 hours
Post Your Introduction [WLO: 4] [CLO: 6]
Guided Response:
Respond to at least three of your classmates’ posts
ARKIA’S POST:
Hello, my name is Arkia Brooks from Montgomery, Alabama.
I’m 31 years of age and married, we have two sons together. I
like shopping, going out to eat and doing my hair. I own a
hairline which I sell hair and other hair products.
I am a graduate of Alabama State University of May 2015,
currently working in the Social Work field as a Foster Care
Mentor Specialist. I work for Georgia Family and Children
Services as a Foster care Mentor Specialist which I train all new
hire case managers, supervisors, and veterans case managers.
Very excited about this class and meeting new people. The
online class will fit better into my schedule. The benefit of
online is I learned some very important things: time
management, determination, and accountability for my
education. I decided to attend Ashford University to further my
education and obtain a master’s in human services. The
curriculum really would work well with my career path as well
as financially. I want to help my community by starting a
daycare that offers classes for special needs children.
My undergraduate academic experience was wonderful. I was on
the Dean's list and won several honors awards. I’m a very
determined, hard worker and organizer woman. I intern at

2. Seraaji Family Homes Inc., a private foster care agency. While
there I work with foster parents, children suffering from severe,
emotional, and behavioral problems with their families. I went
into the home with children to prevent them from coming into
foster care. I help managed children's case files. We provide
services to help enhance and empower families to build on their
strength. My internship has helped me with the experience of
learning so much about foster care. This internship has inspired
me to continue my education further in Social work.
I can’t wait to get to know you all. I want to learn more about
human development and use it in my everyday work. I only have
1 class left in I'm so excited about graduation.
Siblings: Three sisters and two brothers
Favorite Color: RED
Favorite Food: Pizza, Chinese, and Mexican
Favorite Music: R&B, Blues, and Gospel
Favorite sport: Football and Basketball
Pet: Rabbit ( Paw Paw)
What you are most excited to learn in this course?
I want to learn about meeting new people, grant writing, and
new information.
What you feel might challenge you the most in this course?
I might challenge with writing and references. I feel that I am
not a good writer.
What three (3) courses in your program of study you feel will

3. help you with the completion of your Research Proposal Project
assignment due on Day 7 of Week 6?
These are the three courses that I feel would help me with
completing my research proposal project: HUMAN SERVICES
ADMINISTRATION, FISCAL ADMINISTRATION IN
MENTAL HEALTH CARE SYSTEMS, AND APPLIED
RESEARCH METHODS.
What one resource from any prior course in the MA Human
Services curriculum that you have taken might assist you and
your peers in completing Research Proposal Project assignment?
One resource I would use is Ashford Library
LISA’S POST:
Hello Everyone,
My name is Lisa Smith, and I was born, raised, and live in
Austin, TX. I have six beautiful children and a great husband
who are significant support throughout my college adventures.
My children’s ages range from 25-6 (yes, you can say wow),
with two of them living at home. Two years ago, I graduated
from AU with my bachelor’s in behavioral science. It was a
very proud moment for not only myself but my family as well. I
was the first person in my family to graduate college.
I have worked my way up for a non-profit over the past five
years. Right now, I am in my second year as a Director of Club
Operations, and I would love to become a Chief Director within
the non-profit world. The goal to become Chief Director has
pushed me into the next phase of my college career to work on
getting my master’s in humans services with a specialization in
non-profit.

4. I was a teen mom in an abusive relationship; I had to work two
times as hard to get where I am today. I have a passion for
making a difference and helping kids reach their full potential
and meet their goals in life.
Siblings- two brothers I am the middle kid
Favorite Color- changes with age right now it pink
Favorite Music-depends on the mood I like all genres right now
I am listening to Metallica
Pets- Family pets are all cats! I am a grandma to Pip, Milo,
Max, Apollo, and Haru
Favorite Food: Pizza, Chinese, and Mexican
Lisa Smith
GLORIA’S POST:
Hello Everyone!
My name is Gloria Hammonds, and I'm excited about being in
this HUM 5100 with every one of you. This will be my second
time taking this class. My first attempt was not so good due to
employment issues, but I believe in myself, and self-change is
life-changing.
I reside in a town within North Carolina, not much to do in the
community I reside in, so I focus more time on school, and I
also love to cook. My favorite dish is Lazoniza, garlic bread,
and corn on the cob. I love animals in which I have two cats, 5
dogs. So, I guess I'm an animal lover. I have two children
grown, ages 25 and 20(boys), three grandchildren(one girl, she
graduated from pre-K on Friday 14 of this month, and two boys,

5. ages 2 and 1 month). I enjoy being a grandmother, love them
with all my heart.
I hope to learn more about Drug and Alcohol counselors or case
management. I believe that everyone deserves a chance to
improve their lives and to better themselves in life.
The most challenging for me about this course is coming up
with the wording for understandable and readable assignments
and easy to understand. I often find myself becoming frustrated
if I'm unable to come up with topics that are easy to understand.
And that makes me feel as I'm not reaching my full potential.
But, I'm going to keep striving for my goals.
The three courses in my program of study that I feel will help
with completing the research Proposal Project are collecting
data for the assignment, choosing the right population and
sampling to conduct the study, and coming up with background
information about the proposal.
In my prior course in MA, I believe human services might assist
my peers and ask the right closed-end and open-end questions
when completing the research proposal project assignment.
With the questions asked and closed-in questions, we will be
able to complete the assignment with good references and
questions in mind.
Planning Theory [WLO: 1] [CLOs: 1, 2, 3]
Guided Response:
Respond to at least three of your classmates’ posts
CARMEN’S POST:
Planning Theory

6. Select two of the planning theories (i.e., synoptic, incremental,
advocacy, transactive, or radical) which were discussed in
Comparative Approaches to Program Planning.
Planning theory is very essential for human service providers as
this help with decision making and problem solving. This
week’s reading provided a great insight on some planning
theories that can aid when attempting to advocate for programs,
implement new services and even working on pilot programs to
help stakeholders and policy makers understand the need of
these services. The two planning theories that best relates to my
current employer is advocacy and transactive. Advocacy is a
macro approach to address issues. Advocacy allows groups to
work together based on common interest, to help planners
develop effective decision-making (Netting et.al. (2008).
Working in groups with common interest help being in more
ideas and effective problem-solving skills as the groups can
brainstorm and strategize collectively. Transactive is another
effective planning theory that helps with decision-making. This
type of planning provides human service providers with in
person insight of your client. This is important because you are
able to gain insight on decisions made and how it affects the
client. This face-to-face engagement with your clients allows
you to learn what is effective and what needs to change.
How might the two selected theories relate or not relate to your
current or desired line of work in the human services realm?
Describe this relation or lack of relation in detail.
Currently, I am employed at CTSHealth as an IL Behavioral
Health State Director. Our mission is to empower individuals to
live independent lives in the community through person center
thinking and strength-based approach. Our target population are
individuals who struggle with unstable housing or homelessness
with dual disorders. Within this target population advocacy
plays a major role. Due to clients being vulnerable and lack of

7. knowledge of resources. Advocacy allows us to brainstorm,
strategized collectively to address problems and issues. For
example, in my current employer we have strength-based
meetings in which they are person centered whom discuss
problems that present our clients. We discuss the presenting
problem and brainstorm collectively in a team of eight to
address the problem through problem solving. We implement
the client’s strength to empower our client work on areas they
can improve, we utilize community resources to advocate and
link to services they might need. In addition, transactive comes
to play because we engage with our consumers face-to-face on a
regular basis. We are able to identify their needs, strengths, and
weaknesses to better assist them with their recovery goals.
Transactive allows us to utilize qualitative research in inquiring
on services through interviews, questions, and surveys in which
we can identify problem to problem solving effectively as a
team. A great example of these two-planning theories are having
a client who is struggling with homelessness and substance
abuse. Through transactive engaging with the client, face-to-
face orientation is able to identify triggers. This allows to have
a better understanding of the clients struggle and what has
worked well and what has not. Client can report that his triggers
is when he feels depressed and anxious due to lack of housing
which causes him to use cocaine. Through advocacy we develop
a staffing utilizing the strength base approach and collectively
present what is the clients presenting problem of his/her
strength. In this case the client is goal-oriented, developed good
communication skills, and artistic. As a group we are able to
identify strength and utilize to techniques to help the client with
interest in decreasing use of cocaine. Planner can develop a plan
to work on with client such as linking to a primary care doctor
to follow up on well-being, utilizing his artistic interest to link
with schools to help as a coping mechanism and identify natural
supports that can help client with interest in cutting down
cocaine use. These two planning theories go hand in hand and
are effective when working with groups and face-to face with

8. client to develop good problem-solving techniques and decision
making as it allows for more ideas to be shared (Mell et. al.
(2014). Having more individuals in the group and allowing
diversity brings more knowledge and ideas to better help our
clients.
References
Mell, J. N., Van Knippenberg, D., & Van Gink, W. P. (2014).
The Catalyst Effect: The Impact of Transactive Memory System
Structure on Team Performance.
Academy of Management Journal
,
57
(4), 1154–1173. https://doi-org.proxy-
library.ashford.edu/10.5465/amj.2012.0589
Netting, F. E., O’Conner, M. K., & Fauri, D. P. (2008).
Comparative approaches to program planning
.
Wiley.
GLORIA’S POST:
Planning Theories discussed in Comparative Approaches to
Program Planning
Advocacy Planning
Radical Planning
How might the two selected theories relate or not relate to your
current desire line of work in the human services realm?
According to "Ch1, Differences Between Lines and Circles

9. (Planning Theories), the ability or inability to implement a
decision is rarely taken into account in the process of decision
analysis"(Leedy, P.D. & Ormrod, J.E.(2019). Obeying and
compiling with decisions passed down, making sure that
decisions are being enforced is part of advocacy planning.
Along
with Advocacy Planning, Radical Planning would alien with
Juvenile Probation officer's ability to carry out policy and
program plans determined through community restrictions and
the current system. For Example, the Courts passed a
judgment of 1-year probation to John, who is 13-year-old.
John's probation officers must carry out all sanctions and
recommendations allowed from the courts. John gets into more
trouble; John's juvenile probation officer has to use radical
planning to advocate to impose restrictions within the juvenile
court system.
Within the Human Services realm, Juvenile Probation
Officers are considered to be the voice of Juveniles within the
Justice system. Probation officers use Advocacy Planning and
Radical Planning within the Justice System to carry out
sanctions handed out by court recommendations. Juvenile
probation officers, following compliance with requirements
from courts, focus on the community and ensure that youths will
apply the sanctions of court recommendation.

10. The negative impact from community providers could
jeopardize the youth's reform sanctions resulting in actions
being
address resulting in probation being revolt(Gale-Bentz,
Elizabeth, et al. (, 2019).
Describe this relation or lack of relation in detail (cite a
scholarly source in your discussion).
Becoming a Juvenile Probation Officer has been one of my
goals. Juvenile Pronation Officers use relations(a thing's
effect on) juvenile over all ability to comply with
regulations(Gale-Bentz, Elizabeth, et al. (2019). Probation
officers conduct
face-to-face interviews, gather information, documentation and
use Qualitative research when asking open-end questions.
The role of a juvenile probation officer within Human
services can become be challenging. With the justice system
today, juveniles may understand restrictions but continue to
commit crimes.
References
· Gale-Bentz, Elizabeth, et al. “Impact of Community-Based
Provider Reports on Juvenile Probation Officers’
Recommendations: Effects of Positive and Negative Framing on
Decision Making.”
Law and Human Behavior
, vol. 43, no. 2, Apr. 2019, pp. 193–204.
EBSCOhost
, doi:10.1037/lhb0000321.supp (Supplemental).

11. · Leedy, P. D. & Ormrod, J. E. (2019).
Practical research: Planning and design
(12th ed.).
Pearson.
THASHINA’S POST:
Planning Theory
Synoptic and incremental planning theories relate to my desired
line of work in the human services world. They accomplish it by
supporting both short and long-term plans because I understand
that dealing with humans, a form of structure and flexibility, is
necessary. Synoptic planning theory supports a step-by-step
plan or an expert framework guiding the process (Netting et al.,
2008). Human services require rationality, which the theory
embeds to generate successive stages. Furthermore, the
regulations and guidelines synoptic approaches introduce, allow
programs to progress accordingly. If a barrier or change
emerges, incremental planning theory can chip in and make the
necessary compromises to drive projects. Ansari et al. (2013)
similarly recognize both learning theories. While synoptic
accounts for rational decision making, incrementalism assesses
an organization’s decision-making approaches. Human services
present complexities better solved by planning strategies.
The possibilities of conflicting or competing ideas occurring in
the human service world are high. Although a synoptic approach
will keep the general plan going, these distractions might
disrupt its direction. Therefore, incremental planning fits in
from various angles, including bounded rationality, muddling
through, or logic (Ansari et al., 2013). Compromises are
necessary even for systematic approaches designed to follow a
step-by-step plan. For instance, when child support cases have
crashing ideas between legal and moral terms, the established

12. framework requires compromises to ensure that the program
supports young ones, favoring their overall development.
According to Netting et al. (2008), incrementalism occurs on a
short-term basis, such as implementing new ideas. In most
cases, the theory accounts for improvements, but in some cases,
decision-makers apply it to create time to negotiate with
individuals in power. For instance, social workers may
implement a short-term solution in the child support case while
delegating with the higher authorities for a long-term solution.
References
Ansari, F., Fathi, M., & Seidenberg, U. (2013). Combining
synoptic and incremental approaches for improving problem-
solving in maintenance planning, monitoring and controlling. In
9th Interdisciplinary Workshop on Intangibles, Intellectual
Capital and Extra-Financial Information
(pp. 26-27).
Netting, F. E., O'Connor, M. K., & Fauri, D. P. (2008).
Comparative approaches to program planning
. John Wiley & Sons.