Instructions:
Write a 2- to 3-page paper outlining a hypothetical needs assessment related to a support group program for caregivers of children with developmental delays.
Include the following:
- The resources needed to operate this service
- The program activities
- The desired outcomes
- A plan for gathering information about the population served
- Justifications for your plans and decisions
- A one-paragraph conclusion describing how you might conduct a follow-up to the needs assessment at the implementation stage of the program evaluation
Needs Assessment
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation
Course
Instructor’s Name
Date
Needs Assessment
Introduction
Public health ensures healthy generations across the life span. When establishing a public health program, the very first step is to conduct a needs assessment to help identify the type of needs required to achieve the project goals (Purnomo et al., 2020). A needs assessment can be conducted at all levels (at the community level or within a specific group of people) in society and across all vulnerable groups. For example, a needs assessment may be conducted for caregivers of children with developmental delays. In that regard, this paper presents a needs assessment related to a counseling and education program for caregivers of children with developmental delays.
Resources Needed to Carry Out the Program
The selected program for this support group is to provide caregivers with counseling and educational support. To perform this activity, specific resources must be put in place to ensure its success (Purnomo et al., 2020). These resources include people who will help the program become reality and any other materials or assistance required. Below are some of the resources:
- Health caregivers (nurses, physicians, and community social workers) act as educators.
- Counselors/psychologists.
- Financial resources to support the process.
- Handouts to explain to the support group members about the intention of the needs assessment program.
- Pens and notebooks for the members.
- Questionnaires
- Interview questions
Program Activities
The program will begin with an introduction session where both the support group members and the staff will get to know each other individually. After the introduction, the health workers will have a brief introduction of children’s developmental milestones, including causes and risk factors of developmental delays and disabilities as well as how to care for a child with developmental delays or disabilities (Wang et al., 2019). Then after a brief introduction of children’s developmental delays, the educators will gather relevant data to gauge the caregivers’ knowledge of caring for such children. Information will also be gathered about their mental and emotional health.
Desired Outcomes
- To access the needs of caregivers living with children suffering from developmental delays.
- To assess the caregivers’ knowledge regarding how to care for the children.
- To identify emotional and mental impacts of the developmental situations on caregivers.
A plan for gathering information
The information about the study population will be gathered using questionnaires and open-ended interviews. The information gathered using the two methods will be used to understand whether or not the caregivers require a training and counseling program (Wang et al., 2019). A questionnaire is a reliable research tool or the instrument used to gather information. Similarly, interviews are directed conversations with specific people for purposes of gathering particular information.
Justifications for the plans and decisions
The decision to gather conduct a needs assessment for this particular study group is very important. Most patients or caregivers have little information regarding developmental delays in children, making it difficult for them to live with such children (Wang et al., 2019). Through the training, caregivers will understand how to communicate with and assist their children in such situations. Also, discovering that a child has developmental delays can be overwhelming, especially, to the parent. Dealing with what people say and fallouts from extended family can be trying. Patients may also spend money seeking medical attention (Wang et al., 2019). All of these are associated with worries and anxiety, hence, emotional support is very important for caregivers.
Conclusion
Needs assessment is usually the first step when developing s community health program. This paper focused on a needs assessment related to a counseling and education program for caregivers of children with developmental delays. Health workers are an important resource during the program. Questionnaires and open-ended interview questions will be used to gather relevant information.
References
Wang, L., Liang, W., Zhang, S., Jonsson, L., Li, M., Yu, C., … & Rozelle, S. (2019). Are infant/toddler developmental delays a problem across rural China?. Journal of Comparative Economics, 47(2), 458-469. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jce.2019.02.003
Purnomo, P., Hufad, A., Wahyudin, U., Akhyadi, A. S., & Lutfiansyah, D. Y. (2020). Needs Assessment Knowledge from Facilitator of Community Empowerment Program in the Digital Era. Journal of Nonformal Education, 6(2), 130-138. http://dx.doi.org/10.15294/jne.v6i2.25309
Wang, V. C. X. (2019). Scholarly publishing and research methods across disciplines. IGI Global.