Deck 6: Needs Assessments

Question 1

Marguerite is planning to evaluate a safety alliance program for the first time since it opened in 2006. In the early stage of planning, she realizes that the process may involve multiple activities, all of which can be overwhelming and cumbersome, especially for someone rather new to the evaluation process. According to the logic model, which of the following activities would be involved in evaluation planning?

A) Determining clients' problems
B) Determining unmet needs
C) Determining causes of the problem
D) All of the above

Answer 1

D

Question 2

A social worker employed at Company XYZ wishes to analyze Program CDE and in doing so, she examines the sequence of steps in the program's development, beginning with the needs of prospective clients and ending with anticipated client outcomes. She is most likely using which evaluation model?

A) Dialectical Model
B) Qualitative Model
C) Logic Model
D) Needs Assessment Model

Answer 2

C

Question 3

A substance abuse agency wishes to conduct a needs assessment to identify the needs of a target group. In this case, the target group is females using substance between the ages of 25 and 34. The tool used to obtain the information is a questionnaire. What may be a limit of using a questionnaire with any target group of individuals?

A) The reader believes the instructions to be simplistic
B) The reader believes the questionnaire is too complicated
C) The questionnaire was distributed at a local soup kitchen during lunch
D) The questionnaire is only 10 questions in length

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Responses to open-ended questions can provide information for constructing evaluation goals and objectives. This information tends to be exploratory as in-depth details can be provided on any given topic. Of the following questions, which one is the best example of an open-ended question?

A) Do you have any goals?
B) Would you prefer to attend a therapy group in the morning or in the afternoon?
C) Would you rather attend group on Monday or Thursday?
D) What would be your hesitation in attending a group?

Question 5

Angela's goal is to gain an understanding of the needs of those with past substance abuse and/or dependence histories and the barriers these individuals face in obtaining housing in the community. She begins to conduct interviews but finds that speaking to individuals in the general community is not allowing her to obtain the information that she needs. She decides to interview experts in the community, including treatment providers and administrators in behavioral health settings . What type of interview is Angela now conducting?

A) Leading
B) Identification of problem
C) Observation
D) Informant

Question 6

Social work researchers are conducting a public forum to discuss the topics of mental health and cancer treatment. They have posted signs and added information to a community's website to announce the meeting site and location, encouraging anyone with interest to attend. Based on this information, what will be characteristic of the issues discussed during the forum?

A) The issues will have a moderate or manageable amount of implications for the community
B) The issues will have broad implications for communities across the country
C) The issues will have implications for the community
D) The issues will be ethical

Question 7

In a rural community there appears, on the surface, to be an increase in the number of homeless individuals residing in the area. A number of social work professionals believe a new program is needed to assist the individuals. According to the text, what may be some of the most challenging barrier(s) to starting a new program?

A) Choosing a name for the agency
B) Garnering support from influential stakeholders
C) The location, cost, and fees to start a program
D) Elements of the physical environment including utilities and space

Question 8

Jasmine, a program supervisor, wants to evaluate the adequacy of an existing program. She and a group of professional research colleagues prudently visit and evaluate the program in terms of relevance to the identified needs of the target group served. According to the text, what specific information would the evaluators be interested in obtaining?

A) Relevance of the interventions to clients
B) Demographic characteristics of the individuals served
C) A & B
D) None of the above

Question 9

Needs assessments provide helpful information about the programming needs of a certain client population. To a lesser extent, they can also be used to improve social work practices by gathering clients' perceptions of their current and perceived future needs. What other information can needs assessments provide for practice evaluations?

A) Accessibility barriers
B) Funding sources
C) Empirical evidence
D) Political climate

Question 10

Richard is conducting a needs assessment for referrals interested in a family preservation program. He proceeds to explore the data that already exists on the topic, reviewing documents from social service agencies and governmental studies What method is Richard using?

A) Consulting experts
B) Conducting interviews
C) Administering a questionnaire
D) Documenting needs with existing data