Week 4 Means-Tested Programs

Week 4 Means-Tested Programs

Required
• Popple, P. R., & Leighninger, L. (2015). The policy-based profession: An introduction to social welfare policy analysis for social workers. (6th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.
o Chapter 6, “Fighting poverty: Temporary Assistance to Needy Families” (pp. 101-138)
• Bentele, K. G., & Nicoli, L. T. (2012). Ending access as we know it: State welfare benefit coverage in the TANF era. Social Service Review, 86(2), 223–268.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
• Posiniewski, L. (2011). A unique approach to meeting the employment and training needs of food stamp recipients. Policy & Practice, 69(2), 14–15.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
• Plummer, S. -B., Makris, S., & Brocksen, S. (Eds.). (2014). Sessions: Case histories. Baltimore: MD: Laureate International Universities Publishing. [Vital Source e-reader].
o Part 1, “The Logan Family” (pp. 9–10)
Required
• Laureate Education (Producer). (2013). Sessions: Logan family Episode 4 of 42) [Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu
Required
• U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. (n.d.). Office of Planning, Research & Evaluation. Retrieved November 14, 2013, from http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/research

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Week 4 Means-Tested Programs

Introduction
Social workers in the United States need to be knowledgeable about the local, state, and federal programs available to assist clients. Often, obtaining this knowledge is difficult, as benefits and guidelines vary from one geographic area to another. However, being knowledgeable about poverty or means-tested public assistance programs, such as the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, provides you, as the social worker, with the ability to assist families with much needed resources. It also prepares you to become an effective advocate for changes in social welfare policies and procedures. What poverty or means-tested public assistance programs are available in your state or region? How do these programs influence the perception of the recipients in your society? If these types of policies are not available in your geographic region, how might you help clients who need assistance?
This week, you examine the appropriateness of means-tested programs in a social work case study based on your state or region’s welfare programs. You also analyze societal and personal perceptions of recipients who participate in means-tested public assistance programs and identify social worker’s responsibility for social policy and service advocacy.
Objectives
Students will:
• Analyze the availability of means-tested programs for a client in a social work case study
• Analyze state welfare policies
• Analyze long-term outcomes for choosing to parent in a social work case study
• Analyze potential changes to social policies for which to advocate
• Analyze the responsibility of social workers to identify service and advocate for policy change
• Analyze whether means-tested programs create dependency
• Analyze how perception of dependency might contribute to welfare program stigma
• Analyze how personal perceptions of recipients who participate in means-tested welfare programs might affect social work practice
• Analyze strategies for alleviating the stigma surrounding means-tested programs
• Apply strategies for adjusting perceptions of recipients who receive means-tested welfare
Required
• Popple, P. R., & Leighninger, L. (2015). The policy-based profession: An introduction to social welfare policy analysis for social workers. (6th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.
o Chapter 6, “Fighting poverty: Temporary Assistance to Needy Families” (pp. 101-138)
• Bentele, K. G., & Nicoli, L. T. (2012). Ending access as we know it: State welfare benefit coverage in the TANF era. Social Service Review, 86(2), 223–268.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
• Posiniewski, L. (2011). A unique approach to meeting the employment and training needs of food stamp recipients. Policy & Practice, 69(2), 14–15.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
• Plummer, S. -B., Makris, S., & Brocksen, S. (Eds.). (2014). Sessions: Case histories. Baltimore: MD: Laureate International Universities Publishing. [Vital Source e-reader].
o Part 1, “The Logan Family” (pp. 9–10)
Required
• Laureate Education (Producer). (2013). Sessions: Logan family Episode 4 of 42) [Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu
Required
• U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. (n.d.). Office of Planning, Research & Evaluation. Retrieved November 14, 2013, from http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/research
• Discussion 1: The Effects of Means-Tested Social Programs
What is welfare? When you hear the word “welfare,” do you picture images of individuals who are facing hard times? While there is more than one type of social program available in the United States to those who need it, social welfare programs like TANF provide assistance to families in need through government tax revenues. Programs like these are often referred to as “public assistance” or “means-tested programs.” These programs have eligibility criteria that are based on the individual’s or the family’s household income and assets. Do these types of programs exist in your state or region? If so, what are the criteria? If you encountered a client like Eboni Logan, from the Logan Family video, who soon will become a mother, how might you best assist her in obtaining benefits from these types of programs?
For this Discussion, review this week’s resources, including the Logan Family video case. Consider the means-tested programs that might be available to her in your state or region. Then, think about the likely long-term outcomes for Eboni and her child, if she chooses to parent. Finally, reflect on the state welfare policies that might help her manage the responsibilities of parenthood.
Post by Day 3 a brief explanation of the means-tested programs that might be available to Eboni. Be sure your answer is specific to the means-tested programs available in your state or region. Then, explain the potential long-term outcomes for Eboni and her child, if she chooses to parent. Finally, explain the state public assistance policies that might help Eboni manage the responsibilities of parenthood.
Support your post with specific references to the resources. Be sure to provide full APA citations for your references.
• Discussion 2: Welfare Programs
In the United States, there are many policies and programs in place to provide financial assistance to individuals in various ways. Some of these policies and programs include tax deductions for children, child care, mortgage interest, marital status, and/or student loans. These examples represent financial considerations the U.S. government provides to specific groups of people in society.
While many individuals appreciate the benefits of the policies and programs indicated earlier, there are many stereotypes associated with people who utilize certain public assistance programs like food stamps, subsidized housing, etc. It is important for social workers to understand the impact these stereotypes have on recipients of and service providers for such programs. Also, it is essential that you have the facts about social welfare policies in order to dispel the myths about recipients of assistance programs.
For this Discussion, review this week’s resources. Consider whether you think means-tested programs, such as the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and Supplemental Security Income (SSI), create dependency among its recipients. Then, think about how the potential perception of dependency might contribute to the stigma surrounding welfare programs. Finally, reflect on the perceptions you might have regarding individuals who receive means-tested welfare and how that perception might affect your work with clients.
Post by Day 4 an explanation of whether means-tested programs (TANF, SNAP, and SSI) create dependency. Then, explain how the potential perception of dependency might contribute to the stigma surrounding welfare programs. Finally, explain the perceptions you have regarding people who receive means-tested welfare and how that perception might affect your work with clients.
Support your post with specific references to the resources. Be sure to provide full APA citations for your references.