Assignment: Creating a Single-System (Subject) Design Study

The steps at the heart of single-system(subject) research are part of the everyday practice of social work.Each day social workers implement interventions to meet clients’ needsand monitor results. However, conducting proper single-system (subject)research entails far more than these simple day-to-day practices. Propersingle-system research requires a high degree of knowledge andcommitment. Social workers must fully understand the purpose ofsingle-system (subject) research and the variations of single-system(subject) design. They must develop a hypothesis based upon research andselect the right design for testing it. They must ensure thereliability and validity of the data to be collected and know how toproperly analyze and evaluate that data. This assignment asks you torise to the challenge of creating a proposal for a single-subjectresearch study.

To prepare for thisAssignment, imagine that you are the social worker assigned to work withPaula Cortez (see the case study, “Social Work Research: SingleSubject” in this week’s resources). After an initial assessment of hersocial, medical, and psychiatric problems, you develop a plan forintervention. You also develop a plan to monitor progress in your workwith her using measures that can be evaluated in a single-systemresearch design. As a scholar practitioner, you rely on research to helpplan your intervention and your evaluation plan.

Completethe Cortez Family interactive media in this week’s resources. Conduct aliterature search related to the chronic issues related to HIV/AIDS andbipolar mental disorder. Search for additional research related toassessing outcomes and theoretical frameworks appropriate for thisclient. For example, your search could include terms such asmotivational interviewing and outcomes and goal-oriented practice andoutcomes. You might also look at the NREPP database identified in Week1, to search for interventions related to mental health and physicalhealth.

By Day 7

Submit a 5- to 7-pageproposal/research plan for single-system (subject) evaluation for yourwork with Paula Cortez. Identify the problems that you will target andthe outcomes you will measure, select an appropriate intervention orinterventions (including length of time), and identify an appropriateevaluation plan.

Include a description of:

• The problem(s) that are the focus of treatment
• The intervention approach, including length of time, so that it can be replicated
  • A summary of the literature that you reviewed that led you to select this intervention approach
• The purpose for conducting a single-system (subject) research evaluation
• The measures for evaluating the outcomes and observing change including:
  • Evidence from your literature search about the nature of the measures
  • The validity and reliability of the measures
  • How baseline measures will be obtained
  • How often follow-up measures will be administered
• The criteria that you would use to determine whether the intervention is effective
• How the periodic measurements could assist you in your ongoing work with Paula