Deck 3: Needs Assessment: Theoretical Considerations

Question 1

When determining need for a program, it is important for the planner to have a strategy for measuring existing conditions against which of the following:

A) need from five years ago.
B) an expert opinion from research.
C) a standard accepted by the community.
D) a national organization that specializes in the type of program.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

The theorist Ponsioen, explained that a community's first responsibility is to do which of the following:

A) meet basic survival needs of its members.
B) guarantee the safety of its members.
C) all services needed for its youth to realize their potential.
D) universal education K-12.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Every psychology student who has studied "Maslow's Hierarchy of Need" can identify his concept that needs are hierarchical-people determine their need from the bottom up-and the lower level need must be met before:

A) a community's need can be satisfied.
B) needs in the community meet the standard set by the community.
C) there are additional resources can address the higher level need defined by Maslow.
D) the next level of need can be addressed.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

The British have applied Poseidon's theory to the development of which of the following:

A) a national, universal primary care system.
B) kindergarten for 3-year-old children graduation.
C) to improve the use of technology to save more lives.
D) a super-fast railway system available to all citizens.
Development of their universal health care system

Question 5

In the United States, "Maslow's Hierarchy of Need" was applied in program planning for domestic violence by first ensuring the abuse victim has:

A) an Order of Protection, an attorney for representation, a divorce.
B) an emergency contact number to call the shelter or police if they are abused again.
C) food, housing, medical care.
D) a cell phone to be able to call for help in an emergency.

Question 6

In program planning, once problems have been identified and defined, they need to be translated into need and all of the following EXCEPT:

A) services.
B) programs.
C) interventions.
D) budget.

Question 7

Needs are usually expressed in social, economic or health-related terms and are often:

A) determined by statistics of the area.
B) identified by a number of different organizations.
C) qualitative statements.
D) large problems that need to be broken into smaller needs.

Question 8

Quantification of need in planning means that we will group individuals with the same problems together so they can be:

A) used in the rationale for service.
B) translated into needs.
C) determined the resources needed for service.
D) counted in a defined geographic area.

Question 9

Need is a normative process shaped by all of the following environments EXCEPT which of the following:

A) demographic.
B) social.
C) political.
D) economic.

Question 10

Poseidon and Maslow described levels of need and the development of priorities based on all of the following EXCEPT:

A) who identifies the need and who defines it.
B) need is elastic and relative.
C) people only seek services only if they believe services are available.
D) raised expectation lead to greater demand.

Question 11

A needs assessment estimates both current need, as well as future need if all of the following do not change EXCEPT:

A) attitudes.
B) conditions.
C) values.
D) population density.

Question 12

Which of the following does NOT influence elasticity:

A) standard of living.
B) sociopolitical environment.
C) expectations of those needing services.
D) availability of resources and technology.

Question 13

Bradshaw identified four distinct approaches of measurement of need: perceived, relative, normative, and which of the following:

A) standardized data.
B) expressed.
C) needs assessment.
D) survey.

Question 14

In measuring normative need, the ratio and the _____ are compared:

A) percent.
B) number of people with the condition divided the total population.
C) gap between the number of organizations and the number required.
D) standard.

Question 15

Need as perceived by the potential consumer of the service provides planners with information that will be useful in designing a:

A) more responsive system of service.
B) an estimate of demand.
C) data to include in a report.
D) stable system over time.

Question 16

Which of the following is NOT a way of measuring perceived need?

A) Ask open-ended questions
B) Choose from a pre-selected list
C) Ask the person to tell you their answer from 1 to 10
D) Ask the person to write a short paragraph about their answer

Question 17

In expressed need, the variables include all of the following EXCEPT:

A) attempts to obtain a service.
B) demand statistics.
C) whether the service is available.
D) the percent of those that have been able to receive service after an attempt.

Question 18

An example of relative need would be which of the following:

A) the number of homeless in one community.
B) the number of people who say they are homeless.
C) the number of homeless in shelters in one community compared to another similar community.
D) the number of people who sign a petition to remove the homeless from the community.

Question 19

There are three key words in the definition of "evidence-based program". Which of the following is NOT one of those three key words.

A) an article published in a scientific journal.
B) measurable.
C) ability to demonstrate results.
D) successful outcomes.

Question 20

The principle of channeling resources to a specific area uses identification of which of the following:

A) depends on the capacity of organizations to offer the service.
B) at-risk populations.
C) a good demonstration of need.
D) an economically deprived community.

Question 21

Needs Assessment consists of establishing standards of need and devising a way of counting the number who fall below that standard.

Question 22

Current methods for collecting data and availability of data are two problems in Needs Assessment.

Question 23

"Vulnerability" means that the family is very close to the poverty line.

Question 24

The concept of 'need', used by program planners, means identifying the problem and the group with the problem.

Question 25

Title XX advanced our thinking and practice by asserting that need has both qualitative and quantitative dimensions.

Question 26

Domestic violence did not exist until the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Question 27

When the value of providing services to families was acknowledged, the bulk of resources were allocated to caring for these children in institutions-an unintended consequence of more institutionalizations because families were not provided adequate resources to care for them at home.

Question 28

Public attitudes and expectations are constantly shifting.

Question 29

When defining the categories of need, perceived need means the individual has actually attempted to obtain a service-if the attempt has been made, the need is considered to be met.

Question 30

It is necessary to measure need in all four dimensions.

Question 31

The first dimension of need is expressed in social, economic or health-related terms and often are qualitative statements. The second dimension of need is _____________________.

Question 32

People are more likely to seek services when they believe that they are likely to
_____________.

Question 33

Title XX of the Amendments to the Social Security Act included legislation that defined ______________ as any identifiable condition which limits a person or individual, or a family member in meeting his or her full potential.

Question 34

In 1960, Congress expanded services of the Social Security Act to include services to the elderly-beyond income maintenance and health care-to include ________________.

Question 35

Relative need gives priority to population groups or geographic areas in ______________.

Question 36

In 1924, one of the first "official" definitions of need was introduced by the federal government in social service block grants. Title XX of the Amendments of the Social Security Act required each state, in order to receive federal funds, initiate a planning process that included the assessment of need. If you were in charge of developing the needs assessment plan for your state, how would you use the four categories of need to complete the planning process-and give an example of a need in each category that might be identified during the planning process.

Question 37

"It is almost impossible to accurately estimate the numbers affected by the population so we might develop meaningful policies or programs and then identify what services should be provided-according to the four dimensions of need." Discuss this statement and list at least three questions that you would ask as a program planner when searching for data to use in the planning process.

Question 38

Actual demand on existing social service agencies and what potential need might be, useful information to review long-term goals and capital budgets and provide a useful "early warning system" regarding potential changes in need. Discuss how management might use each of these points and give an example of each.