Community-based program design: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 13:14, 2 May 2017

Revision as of 13:29, 2 May 2017

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== History ==

{{Further|Deinstitutionalization}}

Community practice in social work is linked with the historical roots of the [[History of social work|profession's beginning]] in the United States. More specifically, the history of community-based social work has evolved from the COS, and the settlement house movements. However, during the earlier half of the 20th century, much of this work focused on institutionalization. Not until the 1960s did the shift from institutions to communities increase the emphasis on community-based program design. This is known as the era of [[deinstitutionalization]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://www.pearsonhighered.com/program/Tausig-Sociology-of-Mental-Illness-A-2nd-Edition/PGM118073.html|title=A sociology of mental illness|last=Tausig|first2first=Mark|last2=Janet|first2=Michello|last3=Sree|first3=Subedi|date=2004|publisher=Pearson|isbn=9780131114784|oclc=636608234}}</ref> Community-based organizations and community-based programs burgeoned during this period. The poor conditions of mental health institutions and an increasing amount of research that illustrated the benefits of maintaining the relationships of the individuals served within the community surfaced to further the growth of community-based programs.

Although social work has been historically defined by these institutionalized and deinstitutionalized periods, informal community design programs have always existed. In fact, informal community-based programs predate human service applications of this approach.<ref name="Delgado" /> In 1999, Melvin Delgado, a professor at the [[Boston University School of Social Work]] illustrated this point by quoting Harper (1990) regarding African-Americans' provision of health care in the community, stating: <blockquote>Blacks have always cared for the sick at home, yet it was never labeled 'home care.' Blacks have been dying at home and receiving care in the process, yet it was never called 'hospice care.' Blacks have relieved each other from the caring and curing processes, yet it was never seen as 'respite care.' Blacks have cared for each other in their homes, in their neighborhoods, and throughout their communities, yet it was never referred to as 'volunteerism.'<ref>Harper, B.C.O. (1990). Blacks and the health care delivery system: Challenges and prospects, Social work practice with black families. White Plains, NY.</ref> </blockquote>

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=== Advantages ===

Benefits of community-based program design include gaining insight into the social context of an issue or problem, mutual learning experiences between consumer and provider, broadening understanding of professional roles and responsibilities within the community, interaction with professionals from other disciplines, and opportunities for [[community-based participatory research]] projects.<ref name="Advantage">{{Cite journal|last=Mudarikwa|first=Ruvimbo Sharon|last2=Mcdonnell|first2=Jacqueline A.|last3=Whyte|first3=Susan|last4=Villanueva|first4=Elmer|last5=Hill|first5=Robyn A.|last6=Hart|first6=William|last7=Nestel|first7=Debra|date=2010-12-01|title=Community-based practice program in a rural medical school: Benefits and challenges|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.3109/0142159X.2010.509417|journal=Medical Teacher|volume=32|issue=12|pages=990–996|doi=10.3109/0142159X.2010.509417|issn=0142-159X|pages=990-996}}</ref> Increased [[sustainability]] is an advantage of community-based program design. The program sustainability is ensured by the identification of solutions to problems based on existing resources accessible to all community members. Also, the involvement of local community leaders and local volunteers reinforce the sustainability of the impact of the program.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=M|first=Sternin|last2=J|first2=Sternin|last3=D|first3=Marsh|date=1998|title=Designing a community-based nutrition program using the hearth model and the positive deviance approach: A field guide.|url=http://www.positivedeviance.org/pdf/manuals/fieldguide.pdf|language=en}}</ref> Other advantages of community-based program design are collaborative participation, enriching diversity, serving clients in their community, and Addressing and meeting the needs of the community.

=== Challenges ===

Some challenges of community-based program design are the limited availability of resources, propensity for high levels of staff turnover, the reliance upon unpaid volunteers, participant retention, and the evaluation of a dynamic task environment.<ref name="Disadvantage">{{Cite journal|last=O'Neil|first=Margaret E.|last2=Fragala-Pinkham|first2=Maria|last3=Ideishi|first3=Roger I.|last4=Ideishi|first4=Siobhan K.|date=2012-05-01|title=Community-based programs for children and youth: our experiences in design, implementation, and evaluation|url=https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22483374|journal=Physical & Occupational Therapy in Pediatrics|volume=32|issue=2|pages=111–119|doi=10.3109/01942638.2012.668089|issn=1541-3144|pmid=22483374|pages=111-119}}</ref> For the same reasons that sustainability is an advantage of this approach, utilizing limited available resources is a challenge. Based on [[free market]] principals and resource scarcity, programs often operate below [[pareto efficiency]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://cup.columbia.edu/book/economics-for-social-workers/9780231116879|title=Economics for social workers : the application of economic theory to social policy and the human services|last=Lewis|first=Michael Anthony|last2=Karl|first2=Widerquist|date=2002|publisher=Columbia University Press|isbn=9780231116862|oclc=47805132}}</ref> Limited resources result in high levels of staff turnover and reliance upon unpaid volunteers.

== Program design tools ==