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 population experiences the health care system.

Required Resources

Required Text

1. 1. Burkholder, D. M., & Nash, N. B.  (2013). Special populations in health care.  San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.

1. • Chapter 10: Where do we go from Here?
     • This final chapter provides a summative overview of the future of health care and vulnerable populations.

Articles

1. Bruner, P., Davey, M. P., & Waite, R. (2011). Culturally sensitive collaborative care models: Exploration of a community-based health center.  Family Systems & Health, 29(3), 155-170. doi: 10.1037/a0025025
   • The full-text version of this article can be accessed through the PsycARTICLES database in the Ashford University Library.
2. Schor, E. L., Berenson, J., Shih, A., Collins, S. R., Schoe, C., Riley, P., & Dermody, C.  (2011). Ensuring equity: A post-reform framework for achieving high performance health care for vulnerable populations.  Retrieved from http://www.commonwealthfund.org/Publications/Fund-Reports/2011/Oct/Ensuring-Equity.aspx

Recommended Resources

Article

1. Institute for Alternative Futures. (n.d.).  Vulnerability 2030.  Retrieved from http://www.altfutures.org/pubs/vuln2030/Vulnerability_2030.pdf

Websites

1. Creative Commons.  (http://creativecommons.org/)
2. Flickr.  (http://www.flickr.com/)

Discussions
To participate in the following discussions, go to this week’s Discussion link in the left navigation.

1. 1. Variations in Approaches to CareChoose 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.

      Guided Response: Review several of your classmates’ posts.  Provide a substantive response (minimum of 100 words) to at least two of your peers. How does your understanding of cultural inclusivity compare and/or contrast to that of your peers?

1. Making a DifferenceImagine 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 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.

   Guided Response: Review several of your classmates’ posts.  Provide a substantive response (minimum of 100 words) to at least two of your peers. What new things did you learn about another vulnerable population from your colleagues? Compare and contrast your proposed policy to those of your peers.

Final Project
To complete the following final project, go to this week’s Final Project link in the left navigation.

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 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
  • 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.