Community Organization

*PLEASE GO TO THIS COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION WEBSITE: *

Message from the instructor: This week you are asked to visit a community organization and write a synopsis of your visit.

Select ONE population of interest: families living below the poverty level

INSTRUCTIONS:

Visiting and evaluating community organizations such as senior centers or homeless shelters is crucial for social workers as it provides firsthand insight into the living conditions and challenges faced by vulnerable populations. By assessing the facility’s design, services, and policies, social workers can better understand the effectiveness of interventions and advocate for improvements that enhance accessibility and address client needs. This experience also allows social workers to collaboratively identify strengths within the community organization and recommend changes that align services more effectively with the diverse needs and interests of the population served.

Instructions: Select ONE population of interest: families living below the poverty level.

Based on your selected population of interest, visit ONE of the following community organizations: homeless shelter. After you leave, write down your observations and impressions. Then, prepare a 1,000-1200-word report based on your visit. In your report, address each of the questions (listed below) associated with the selected site you visited.

• Describe the facility in detail, including if it is well-designed as a living space to accommodate this type of client/service.
• Explain what services, programs, and activities are available.
• Explain how helpful these benefits and services are to addressing the needs of the targeted population.
• Describe the availability of and access to services and the impact of a local, state, and federal level policy on service accessibility and delivery needs.
• Explain if the facility’s policies and requirements are appropriate, given the research on the topic.
• Describe the needs, strengths and assets of the community organization you visited.
• Describe the programmatic requirements they have in place, including if there are any barriers to service delivery or any waitlists.
• Explain if you think the center meets the needs and interests of the intended service population.
• Recommend changes that could be implemented to better meet needs and interests.
• Explain how services are designed to build on the strengths and assets of the service population.

Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.

This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.

You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. A link to the LopesWrite technical support articles is located in Class Resources if you need assistance.

This assignment is aligned to the following Social Work Competencies:

6: Engage with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities (System Level: Organizations)

7: Assess Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities