Medical Social Work Research Paper: Due Sunday, October 3 at 10 PM CST (250 pts)

The purpose of this assignment is to familiarize students with unique issues related to health social work in specialized practice areas.

This assignment is a 10-12 page paper (not including references and title page) on the chosen topic. By Sunday, August 29 at 10 PM CST, students report the topic of choice to me via email at awilliams@lsu.edu.

For your paper, be sure to pay attention to the following (This should be used as an outline for the paper; all items must be addressed to receive full credit. See below for the actual grading grid for this assignment) You may use headings for each section in your paper :

1) Overview of the medical issues and medical treatment regimes related to the practice area

2) Overview of the psychosocial issues related to the practice area related to the illness and treatment regime

3) The role of social work in the practice area • Established roles: what is the state of social work practice in the area? Is there a social work “gold standard” for practice in this area? Is there a professional organization of social workers in this area? What is the role of the social worker on the care teams working in this area? Empirical evidence of social work intervention in the practice area, if applicable • Suggested/possible roles for social work in this practice area

4) Discuss the psychosocial issues and social work practice information related to the practice area as they specifically relate to: culture, ethnicity, religion, gender, age, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status

5) What are the social work ethical issues related to the practice area?

Also, keep in mind:
1) The paper should be an in-depth exploration of the chosen practice area

2) It is expected that papers will follow American Psychological Association (APA) format for cited references and style.

3) It is expected that papers will have accurate spelling and grammar. Please proofread thoroughly and use spell-check. The paper should be double spaced, 12 point font, with one inch margins.

4) Please feel free to schedule time to meet me if you would like assistance with conceptualizing and preparing the assignment.

Resources for the assignment should include our text The Handbook of Health Social Work, as well as medical journals (especially ones in the practice area you have chosen), as well as journals such as: Health & Social Work; Social Work in Health Care; Social Science & Medicine.

You will need to use at least ten (10) different and current journal articles for your paper to receive full credit. Articles cannot be more than 10 years old.

Grading Specifics for This Paper:

10-12 pages not including title page and reference page, double-spaced with 1-inch margins on all sides, (APA) format, accurate spelling and grammar, proofread thoroughly and use spell-check. (30 pts)

Overview of the medical issues and medical treatment regimes related to the practice area ( 30 pts)

Overview of the psychosocial issues related to the practice area, using at least ten (10) different journal articles in the paper (50 pts)

The role of social work in the practice area Established roles: what is the state of social work practice in the area? Is there a social work “gold standard” for practice in this area? Is there a professional organization of social workers in this area? What is the role of the social worker on the care teams working in this area? Empirical evidence of social work intervention in the practice area, if applicable Suggested/possible roles for social work in this practice area (50 pts)

Cultural Competency Section: Discuss the psychosocial issues and social work practice information related to the practice area as they specifically relate to each of these: 1.culture, 2.ethnicity, 3. religion, 4. gender, 5. age, 6. sexual orientation, and 7. socioeconomic status (10 each, 70 pts total). You must specifically touch on each of these 7 areas to receive full credit.