For years, many working individuals in the United States have counted on Social Security as their primary retirement income. With the deductions from every paycheck to fund this future benefit, Americans looked forward to a comfortable retirement based on the assumption that these funds were being invested wisely. Is this a factual assumption, or is it another myth of the U.S. social welfare system? Relying on Social Security as a sole means of support in retirement is uncommon. As society’s ...

In the United States, there are many policies and programs in place to provide financial assistance to individuals in various ways. Some of these policies and programs include tax deductions for children, child care, mortgage interest, marital status, and/or student loans. These examples represent financial considerations the U.S. government provides to specific groups of people in society. While many individuals appreciate the benefits of the policies and programs indicated earlier, there ar...

Discussion 1: The Effects of Means-Tested Social Programs What is welfare? When you hear the word “welfare,” do you picture images of individuals who are facing hard times? While there is more than one type of social program available in the United States to those who need it, social welfare programs like TANF provide assistance to families in need through government tax revenues. Programs like these are often referred to as “public assistance” or “means-tested programs.” These programs have ...

You might think that social problems only affect those who suffer from the problem directly, but they actually have much broader impact. For example, the public education system shapes the educational experiences of those who are not a part of the private school system. The government provides policies and procedures necessary to develop the public education system and make recommendations on ways to engage youth. If the system does not adhere to these policies or engage the youth effectively, w...

Social policies can have a significant impact on individuals and families, as well as the organizations and agencies that implement the policies. In some cases, the policy, as written, appears comprehensive and effective. Yet, despite appearances, the policy might fail to be effective as a result of improper implementation, interpretation, and/or application of the policy. As a social worker, how might you reduce the potential negative impact faulty social policies might have on organizations an...

Social workers often are very aware of and informed about the needs of the specific populations with which they work. As a result, it is important that social workers get involved in the policy-creation process by sharing their experiences and perspectives with others, including policymakers. For this Discussion, select a population of particular interest to you. Then, select three to five policies (including two to three state-level and two to three federal-level policies) related to that po...

Often, policymakers develop policies in response to a recent societal problem or event. Whereas some societal problems, such as homelessness, unemployment, and poverty, require long-term policy development and refinement, society sometimes demands immediate policy implementation in response to events or problems that proved dangerous for society at large. For example, the U.S. terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, and the subsequent terrorist threats heightened airport security and created it...

Micro vs. Macro Practice The foundation of the social work profession is rooted in two levels of social assessment and reform. One is the individual, or micro, approach, which examines the needs of the individual living in poverty and explores how trained social work professionals could assist the individual in overcoming barriers to economic self-sufficiency. The other approach, which occurs simultaneously, is a macro, or larger environment, approach. This approach identifies and influences ch...

Reflect upon the Capstone Project and identify the contributions it has made to your professional development and attainment of career goals Solution: The SBAR Capstone Project presents innumerably on SBAR communication in healthcare. More importantly, the project offers skills while at the same time providing crucial information concerning nursing staff preparation for an SBAR framework. Through SBAR literature, project outcomes, ethical dilemmas, and the applicability of SBAR communicati...

How will your project advance nursing roles in the healthcare environment? Solution: According to Birmingham, Buffum, Blegen, and Lyndon (2015), healthcare institutions require an efficient communication framework to enhance care delivery and improve patient safety. In a healthcare setup, nurses play a vital role in ensuring a successful transfer of medical information through the SBAR framework. The SBAR communication project offers a crucial platform to evaluate and identify the best com...