Psy410 wk 5 Individual Paper
University of Phoenix Material
Decision Tree
This required Portfolio assignment will give
you experience observing and interacting with people outside
of the
classroom. It has been designed to provide you with the
opportunity
to develop skills, synthesize knowledge, and integrate
learning in a real world setting. Thisassignment accomplishes
that
goal by challenging you to:
·
Identify resources that are available in your
home community
·
Contact individuals in your community who
serve as early responders in emergency or crisis situations
·
Create a Decision Tree tool that could be used
in times of crisis to respond efficiently to a specific
emergency situation
The purpose of this assignment is to provide
you with the knowledge necessary for creating a Decision Tree
linking community
resources during emergencies and in times of crisis. Decision
Trees are used to
quickly identify the resources available in your community
and to establish a
protocol for contacting these resources when making decisions
and referrals on
behalf of clients.
Human service workers need to know who to
contact and what protocols to follow in
case of emergencies (ICE). When working with the public,
workers often
encounter a variety of circumstances where interventions on
behalf of clients
become necessary and need to happen quickly. The Decision
Tree should help in
quickly answering the question of what
to do next.
Below is a list of potential
services, organizations, agencies, and contacts that may be
available in your
community. Also consider that you may need to contact family,
schools, churches,
and other resources that seem reasonable at the time.
·
Domestic Violence Hotline/Shelter
·
Rape Crisis Hotline/Shelter
·
Special Needs shelters
·
Pet friendly shelters
·
Crisis Team/Facility – mental health
·
Crisis Team/Facility – substance abuse
·
Child Protective Services
·
Emergency Medical Evaluation Team
·
Emergency Transportation
·
Adult/Elderly Protective Services
·
Suicide hotline
·
WICK – baby formula provider
·
Emergency Pharmacy
·
Food Bank/Pantry
·
First Responders – Police, Fire, Medical –
(Ambulance, FACT Team,)
·
Disaster Preparedness Department/Hotline
·
Storm Management
·
Humane Society
·
Translation agencies/volunteer translators
·
Guardian Advocates
·
Victim Advocates
·
Red Cross
·
Salvation Army
·
Meals on Wheels
Create a Decision Tree in an
Excel format or using Microsoft SmartArt (see example on last
page). This
project is designed for practical application. The Decision
Tree can be used in
real-life situations and should be designed so that it can be
used for various
service interventions. In addition to your Decision Tree,
include the contact
information for each site and documentation of your
interviews.
You will conduct a study of the community
resources for the field of Human Services. If you are
majoring in a different
discipline (i.e., I/O or Criminal Justice) you may choose to
create a Decision
Tree according to your discipline of study.
Step 1: Identify a potential crisis or
emergency where you would have to intervene on behalf of a
client. For example,
a client tells you that she is afraid to go home due to abuse
she has been
suffering in the home.
Step 2: Identify organizations, shelters,
social service agencies, and first responders in your
community that could be
potential referral sources for this situation.
Step 3: Identify the contact person or
department for each of these resources. Be sure to include
phone numbers,
emails, faxes, and addresses for each.
Step 4: Contact in person or by phone each
resource on your list and ask the questions below. Be sure to
document each
response. Document any important additional information you
glean during your
information-gathering calls or visits. Be sure to document
all of your attempts
to reach each agency and organization.
·
What is the best way to access the
organization’s services?
·
Is this the best number to call?
·
What are the extents of the services offered?
·
What are the criteria for clients to receive
these services? Who is eligible?
·
How does the organization provide continuity
of care to clients? What additional services will be
available or offered to
clients once they become involved with this organization?
·
Will you be able to have contact with your
clients once they are involved with this
service/organization?
·
What is the organization’s policy on client
follow-up?
·
What role do you or your agency play in
responding to emergencies?
Step 5: Once you have made contact with at
least seven resources, organize a chart of these resources in
a hierarchal
order so that you will best be able to respond to the
emergency situation that
you are investigating. You will have to develop a plan of
action and put the
first step you need to take at the top with each of the next
steps in order of
how you would carry out the plan of action. You should have
at least three
tiers of contacts in your Decision Tree.
Step 6:
Documentation – be sure to include a place on your
spreadsheet or graph where
you can include any required follow–up documentation and
notes. You may also
put this information in a separate document.
This chart is an example (may not
be included in the actual exercise). Excel or SmartArt can be
used – using Word
>Insert>SmartArt Graphics
Other samples, services and questions:
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