Access to Special Education Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Access to Special Education - Case Study Example While there are numerous approaches which have been adopted in combating HIV/AIDS, it has become essential to enhance the general knowledge of the population regarding the disease. In Zimbabwe, 15% of the population in the country have been infected by the disease (UNAIDS, 2012). This is worrying statistic which requires immediate action for the country to achieve the MDG goal number 6 of the United Nations. While the country has made significant progress and resulted in reduction of people infected with the disease, there is still a challenge in developing a long term solution. The programmes adopted within the country to fight the epidemic are commonly spearheaded by the National AIDS Council (NAC), non- governmental organisations, and Intergovernmental organisations, academic and religious organizations. These organizations have achieved a significant impact in the fight against HIV/ AIDS within the country. An education programme focusing of the young people will be implemented seeking to integrate education on HIV/AIDS within the school curriculum. Both private and public schools are believed to have the capability and significant influence on the information spread among the young generations within the population. The integration of and education programme for AIDS will be critical in ensuring the young people understand the nature of the epidemic and specific actions which they can take in prevention of the disease. Specific emphasis on prevention will be focused on the adolescents and early adulthood when the people become sexually active. The scope of the content presented within this programme will be determined locally in order to ensure consistency with the community and parental values of the society. Community participation in the projects will be critical in the programme because of some controversial issues which regard social values and norms of the people. The disease

Prevention and Crisis Intervention Essay Example for Free

Prevention and Crisis Intervention Essay A crisis can be a terrible burden on any individual that has or is suffering through one; a crisis can leave a person with a great deal of anxiety and stress. As a crisis intervention worker it is my responsibility to at least try to help those that come into my office. Most that do come to me are going through a crisis of some kind or another and need to work through it. To help them work through their crisis I find that the ABC Model of Crisis Intervention is a great asset. The ABC Model of Crisis Intervention is an effective approach because I can provide temporary immediate relief. A crisis can be difficult to define but there are three essential parts for a worker to look for while working with a client to define if they are in or have been in a crisis. These parts are 1) a precipitating event; 2) a perception of the event that causes subjective distress; and 3) the failure of a person’s usual coping methods which causes a person experiencing the precipitating event to function at a lower level than before the event (Kanel, 2007). I should also make sure to use this three parted definition of a crisis only as guidelines, a crisis should be identified for each client on an individual basis. The reason I find the ABC Model of Crisis Intervention so useful is because it provides me with the guidelines to help the client overcome their crisis. The ABC Model can also be broken down into three stages: (A) Building rapport; (B) Identifying the problem; and (C) Coping (Kanel, 2007). My goal is to help the clients change their perceptions of the crisis and assimilate the precipitating event into their daily lives. By doing so we can ensure that they keep and/ or gain ego strength and eliminate the possibility that they will become crisis prone. Today I will be working with a new client named Jill who has come to me seeking help as so many other clients have. Jill informs me that she works long hours and is tired by the time she gets home. She goes on to say that she is usually too tired for intercourse and that because of her lack of sexual responsiveness her husband gets angry. Jill states that he sometimes gets so angry that he does things to her that provokes fear in her. She is even afraid that her husband will find out that she has come to me today for help. The very first thing I did when Jill came into my office was to start the first stage of the ABC Model of Crisis Intervention. This stage, stage A, is about building rapport and can be considered the foundation of the therapeutic encounter (Kanel, 2007). First off I informed Jill of her confidentiality so that I may start to gain her trust. I need to gain her trust so that I may be able to help her help herself. Once she does start to feel rapport and begin to trust me then she will become more open to me, allowing the interview to proceed. I tried to be careful with my attending skills so that I could convey to Jill that I was actually listening to her and w as here for her. I used the SOLER method to manage my nonverbal behavior so that I presented a receptive presence. SOLER refers to: (S) Squaring off; (O) Open posture; (L) Leaning in; (E) Eye contact; (R) Relaxed (Cameron, 2008). By that I mean that I sat Square with Jill while keeping an Open posture and Leaning in slightly; I also kept Eye contact and held a Relaxed natural posture. Using the SOLER method alone is not enough so I also was careful with my facial expressions, hand gestures and other body movements as well. Even after being careful on how I act myself I was also careful to observe Jill’s nonverbal communication. Another main aspect was my listening skill; I listened to everything she said and how she said it. The demonstration of attending, observing and listening skills has an impact on effective reflective verbal responses (Cameron, 2008). Paraphrasing, questioning, reflection and summarization are all important aspects that cannot be performed properly without the skills I m entioned. After I had established rapport with Jill and ensured that we had a reciprocal relationship I was then able to move on to the next phase. Stage B of the ABC Model of Crisis Intervention is mainly focused around identifying the problem. This can be considered the most crucial aspect of the ABC Model for providing therapeutic interaction. Identifying the precipitating event is important but exploring the client’s perceptions and cognitions are even more important. If I was to actually help Jill then I had to find out her thoughts and feelings revolving around the situation. I already know that Jill is scared of her husband and that he does stuff to her when she does not respond the way he wants sexually. But now that I have gained Jill’s trust and we have moved into the B phase I can now get more specific. I decided to start out with some open-ended questions so that I was able to guide the conversation but also let her take over talking. After the opening question I posed I was then able to tie all of my other questions to what Jill had just said. My reasoning for this is because when a question is posed effectively essential information can be better gathered (Kanel, 2008). In addition to posing my questions the best I could I also made sure to paraphrase throughout the interview. Paraphrasing is very useful because it helps me clarify what my clients have said. It is smart to clarify so that not only you know that you understand what the client has said but also so that they know you understand. I find it vital that the client knows that I really do hear what they are saying and that I want to understand. Clients can feel comfortable knowing that someone is there for them and can be encouraged to continue on. Not only is paraphrasing important but reflection is also valuable no matter what part of the interview process you are in. I had to let Jill know that I understand that she is scared and that I was willing to help her work through her feelings. Jill needed to tell someone that she was scared and knowing that I validated that feeling made her feel more powerful. By being able to express their own feelings clients are then more able to manage those feelings and express them in a more positive manner (Kanel, 2007). Knowing that I was there to hear what she had to say and to accept her feelings Jill was able to feel more comfortable talking. The reason that all of that is so important is because we need to identify the client’s perception of the event. The perception of the event is by far the most crucial because it can be most easily and quickly altered (Kanel, 2007). By knowing how the Jill sees the situation and knowing how she feels I can then reframe. Reframing is aimed to change the internal cognitive experience of the client once the current cognitions are known (Kanel, 2007). Instead of letting her believe she is weak for being scared I reframed Jill’s situation that she is strong for seeking my help today. Reframing is considered part of therapeutic interaction, which helped me aid Jill, as with my other clients, in thinking differently about the situation. I used validation and support statements as well, informing Jill that it was okay for her to be scared and that she is not alone. Further I used educational statements because providing factual information is vital in every crisis (Kanel, 2007). Lastly with the therapeutic interactions I tried use empowering statements so that I could encourage Jill. My main goal was to inform Jill that she is not powerless but that she does have control in her life. Another important aspect that I conducted throughout the B phase was making ethical checks. I had to find out if Jill was vulnerable to suicide and also if she has any homicidal tendencies toward her husband. I also had to discuss with Jill if she has been diagnosed with any mental or emotional problems. Finding out any medications that she was currently taking was my next step. I had to check for substance use and/ or abuse as well, which I did so by using my questioning and probing abilities. The last part of the B phase is summarization which was helpful in allowing me to sum up the interview thus far. The key purpose of summarization is to help the client pull their thoughts together (Kanel, 2007). I also had to make sure that I understood everything Jill said correctly and to clarify anything misinterpretations. Summarizing also helped me make a smooth transition into the next phase of the ABC Model. I was able to gather together everything that Jill and I have discussed and start in on the coping. Coping is the C stage of the ABC Model of Crisis Intervention and is the last step of the process. I started out by asking Jill how she has been dealing with the whole situation thus far. I informed Jill that I needed to know everything that she has been doing whether it has been helpful or not. I had to let her know that crying, sleeping, talking, and even e ating can be considered coping. Jill explained to me more about the situation and what she has done to try to make herself feel better. While Jill was informing me of past and current coping methods I was careful to make mental lists of what seemed to work and what did not. Eliciting unhealthy attempts at coping was especially valuable for Jill. The reason for this is because she was became aware of her behavior she was then more open to alternative methods. I knew that Jill would be more likely to follow through with a plan she has developed herself (Kanel, 2007). This is when I decided to encouraged Jill to start thinking of new and better coping methods. After Jill expressed her own ideas I decided I would then propose some suggestions of other ways of coping. My first suggestion was to contact the authorities about the things her husband does to her. I informed her that there are multiple support groups available to her no matter her choices on. I also let Jill know that if she wanted to try to work things out then marital therapy could be an option for them. Jill was very attentive when I listed different places that could help her and her husband if they wanted to try. Alternatively I suggested different shelters and agencies that she could seek out if she so wished to. With all of the suggested places I offered I was sure to present them in written form as well for her convenience. Clients that feel overwhelmed are more likely to follow through with a referral when it is presented in written form with choices, addresses, phone numbers and fees (Kanel, 2007). I also thought that Jill could do well some bibliotherapy and Reel therapy; I suggested a handful of books and movies that she may be able to relate to. Lastly I suggested that Jill keep a journal and write in it as often as possible and that she may share it with me if she wishes. By now the session was coming to a close and I started to summarize everything we have discussed including the coping methods. I knew that Jill was scared but I informed her that I would like her to commit to trying some new coping methods. When Jill agreed that she would do so I then asked her to be sure to follow up with me at some point. I wanted to help Jill and I really do hope the best for her. But unfortunately the choice of bettering her situation lies in her own hands and she must make the ultimate choice. References Cameron, H. (2008). The Counseling Interview: A Guide for Helping Professions. New York, NY: Palgrave MacMillian. Kanel, K. (2007). A Guideline to Crisis Intervention (3rd ed.). Belmont, CA: Thomas Brooks/Cole.

Precision Teaching: Theories, Implementation and Research

Precision Teaching: Theories, Implementation and Research Tiffany Elmore Introduction to Precision Teaching Precision Teaching (PT) has been applied in many settings and has been greatly successful in increasing learning performance in learners with a wide-range of abilities (White, 1986). It is an approach that measures whether an instructional method is successful in achieving learning goals. It focuses on directly observable behavior, monitors the frequency of the behavior performed in time and analyzes the behavior on a uniform visual display called a Standard Celeration Chart (SCC). Precision Teaching does not determine what curricula should be taught but offers a systematic approach as to the instructional tactics to apply (White, 1986). It bases the curriculum on the child’s performance, in other words, the learner knows best (Lindsley, 1971). The learner’s progress demonstrates whether the program is appropriate for the learner or if changes need to be made to the program. In order to gauge a learner’s progress, the target behavior must directly observable. For example, reading a book aloud can be directly observed to determine the reader’s skill level of the words and comprehension. However, there has been some recent support for using Precision Teaching on inner behaviors. Although, it has been shown to be effective in reducing feelings of depression (Kubina et al., 2006), it is widely used on observable behavior. In Precision Teaching, a learner’s performance is based on behavior frequency which is the average number of responses during each minute of the assessment period (White, 1986). Behavioral fluency is that combination of accuracy plus speed of responding that enables learners to function efficiently and effectively in their natural environments (Binder, 1996). Accuracy alone is not the best gauge of learning progression as it may show skewed improvement in performance. Essentially, by only assessing the accuracy of a learner’s response, an improvement in the learner’s performance is not truly reflected because the responses may be correct but the lack of speed in providing those responses also demonstrates a lack of mastery. Frequency is measured by counts per minute. The speed of a learner’s performance of responding and the accuracy of the responses indicates the learner has either mastered the material, in other words, achieved fluency, or the progress has stalled and the instructional program must be altered. Fluency applies three learning outcomes associated with fluent behavior: Retention, endurance and application (Binder, 1993, 1996 as cited by Kubina, Morrison Lee, 2002). Retention is the ability to perform the behavior after the intervention is terminated. Without retention, the learner loses the ability to perform the behavior. Endurance is the ability to perform a behavior at a specified level over a duration of time (Binder, unpublished doctoral dissertation; Binder, 1996, Binder, Haughton Van Eyk, 1990 as cited by Kubina, Morrison Lee, 2002). For learners who lack endurance may find it difficult to perform behaviors within a 30-second or 1-minute intervals and may ultimately stop performing the desired behaviors. Application is applying some element of a behavior to the entire behavior. For example, if the learner has difficulty in basic writing techniques then the application of increasing fluency in writing spelling words quickly cannot be achieved. The progress of a learner is recorded on a visual display called a Standard Celeration Chart (SCC). The chart is called a standard celeration chart since it always depicts rate of change or progress in a standard manner, regardless of the initial frequency of the behavior (White, 1986). The SCC utilizes a ratio scale which means that all changes in performance will be measured in equal ratios regardless of where they are marked on the chart. The change in frequency from 1 to 2 is the same ratio as 50 to 100 on the SCC. The charts shows whether there is an acceleration, deceleration or no change in behavior. When a behavior frequency doubles, or moves from 1 to 2, it is considered a â€Å"times 2† acceleration. Likewise, when a behavior is halved, or moves from 2 to 1, it is considered a â€Å"divided by 2† deceleration (Lindsley, 1990a). Implementation of Precision Teaching Five steps are involved in the implementation of Precision Teaching: (1) select a task, (2) set an aim (3) count and teach, (4) develop a learning picture and (5) decide what to do (McGreevy, 1983). The first step of implementation is selecting a task for the learner to learn. A task has five parts: (1) a movement that can be counted often each day, (2) a counting period, (3) a correct/incorrect pair, (4) a learning channel set, and (5) a movement that is â€Å"hard to do† (p. II-1). A movement is an observable, physical movement, something that the learner is doing. To make sure the movement occurs often, the learner should have 8-10 learning opportunities per day (p. II-5). If the movement is too hard, then the movement can be changed to a slice back, a step back or a tool movement and, conversely if a movement is too easy it can changed to a leap up movement (p. II-11). A slice back is a smaller movement of the original movement. A step back is an easier movement than the o riginal movement. A tool movement is the prerequisite body movement required to perform the original movement. A leap up movement is a movement that is harder to perform than the original movement. A counting period is amount of time spent each day counting the movement (p. II-12). The period should be long enough so the movement can occur at least 8-10 times. The counting period should not be so long that it proves difficult to count the movement. However, adjustments can be made if the counting period is too long or too short to count the movement. Similarly, Kubina and Yurich (2012) incorporated these two parts into their analysis PT. They suggested that the first step of PT is pinpointing. Pinpointing applies focusing observable behavior and measuring behavior based on frequency. Consider the Dean Man rule that states if a dead man can do it then it is not behavior. The idea is that any directly observable behavior should involve some physical movement. For example, instead of observing a child sitting still in a chair, the teacher can observe the number of times the child gets out the chair. A correct/incorrect pair involves counting the correct movements and incorrect movements (McGreevy, 1983, p. II-15). Instead of focusing on eliminating a movement without adding a replacement movement. For example, rather than decreasing screaming, it best for the learner to increase talking in softer voice. A learning channel set outlines the input channel (received) and output channel (sent). The input can vary from hearing, touching, seeing, smelling, etc and output can include saying, writing, doing, pointing, etc. The learning channel sets â€Å"tells [others] how we are teaching a task† and â€Å"reminds us that are many ways for a [learner] to learn the same movement (McGreevy, 1983, p. II-18). Lastly, the movement must be hard to for the learner to perform (p. II-20). The objective is to learn a new task rather than working on previously learned tasks. By selecting tasks that are hard to do, the learner, provided with ample learning opportunities, will hopefully achieve more corrects and fewer corrects over time and ultimately reach or come close to the aim. The next step in implementing precision teaching is to set an aim (p. III-2). The aim is final chosen objective of the performance likely achieved by a high frequency of correct responses and low to zero frequency of incorrect responses. It is critical that learners learn to perform correct movements in a prompt, smooth and decisive manner. If the learner is having difficulty reaching aim, it may be necessary to change the way the movement is taught, change the learning channel or change the movement as indicated above as a step back, slick back or tool movement. The third step in implementing precision teaching is to count and teach (p. IV-1). This steps requires counting the correct and incorrect responses and teaching the task to the student (p. IV-1). A movement is learned when the learner knows what the correct and incorrect responses are. Each task will be counted and taught daily until the learner reaches aim or the learning picture reflects a need for change. The fourth step in implementing precision teaching is to develop a learning picture. Utilizing the Standard Celeration Chart, the charts displays the correct and incorrect responses provided daily by the learner (p. V-1). The trends of the chart develop the learning picture. The learning picture shows how quickly the responses are increasing or decreasing and predicts whether the learner will achieve aim. The final step in implementing precision teaching is to decide what to do (p. VI-1). Once a learning picture has been revealed, a decision can be made as to whether to continue the current program or make a change. If the learner is not learning or not learning quickly enough, it may be necessary to make changes to the movement (i.e. a slice back), the counting period (i.e. increase 10 seconds to 20 seconds), the learning channel set (i.e. see-write to see-say), the aim (i.e can be lowered), or how the task is taught (i.e. lessons, untimed practice). Precision Teaching in Research Precision Teaching has been applied in a variety of settings and environments. It has proven useful in improving fluency in learners of all ages and all learning abilities. Precision Teaching has been implemented in professional environments as well as classroom settings. In 2002, Binder analyzed the fluency performance in a customer call center. After attending a FluencyBuilding workshops, the manager and supervisors of customer service call center decided to modify their traditional new hire training program. They focused on increasing fluency of the core fundamentals required to perform the job well. Within the fluency-based training, trainees were given lecture and tested on lecture material with a 2-minute quiz (see-mark), a 3-minute hear or see-say providing verbal responses to questions in addition to other fluency-based activities. Daily fluency goals for each exercise were set and each trainees’ performance was monitored against those goals. Trainees recorded their ow n performance and reported their performance to the training coaches. As a result of the fluency-based training, correct performances tripled each week and all participants performed within the fluent range. The participants mastered the core material much faster than in previous training programs and thus reduced the required training during from three weeks to two weeks. New hire trainees were much more fluent in the fundamental skills and knowledge than their veteran counterparts. The dramatic improvements within this program demonstrate that fluency-based programs to be successful in education, training and coaching programs involving all ages of participants within various skill sets. Precision Teaching applied within a classroom setting has proven to increase reading ability, maths skills, and improving academic interventions overall. Chiesa and Robertson (2000) utilized Precision Teaching and fluency-based training to enhance maths skills in five primary school children. The students were selected because their maths skills were not improving at the same pace as their peers. They were in jeopardy of being referred to a remedial program. The training program focused on one observable behavior, the division of two-digit numbers by one-digit. Pre-tests were taken on both multiplication and division skills to determine each student’s skill level. The students were taught how to use digital timers, plot scores and understand learning pictures on the SCC. The students were responsible for completing their maths practice sheets without teacher instruction or assistance. The five students sat together as a group during the maths period and had a personal folder t hat contained the practice sheets, answer key and charts. They completed their practice sheets within a one-minute time probe, each completed sheet was marked by a peer and the correct and error scores were recorded on the SCC. Each week one of the researchers met with the students during maths period while the teacher was working with the rest of the class. The researcher reviewed each student’s progress and determined what changes would be taken. Students that met the aim, moved on to the next level, those who did not meet the aim were provided with skills that were further reduced, or sliced back until they were able to improve to a satisfactory level. At the conclusion of the 12-week training program, the PT group had significantly improved their fluency in the maths skills task. Their responses ranged from 10 to 15 correct in one-minute which was an increase of 10 to 15 responses per minute before the program was implemented. The PT group surpassed all but one of the students in the entire class on the maths skills task. The results show that children performing at a low academic level can improve their learning significantly through Precision Teaching and fluency training. The training program did not require any more time than the allotted maths period and did not provide more instructional assistance or interaction from the teacher. This shows that PT can be beneficial and effective in the mainstream classroom and offers an alternative to expensive and time-consuming academic programs. Precision Teaching has proven to be effective in improving skills in participants with intellectual disabilities as well (Kubina, Morrison Lee, 2002). Schirmer et al. (2007) examined the effectiveness of precision teaching on teaching storytelling to child with autism. The child began working on a hear information-say story program for 10 minutes per day in order to increase the frequency of syllables used. The teacher would describe a scenario to the child and the child would create a story based on the information provided to him. After goals of increased syllable use were met, the teacher moved on a timed practice where the number of correct syllables produced in one minute was recorded. The number of corrects syllables produced increased from 21 per minute to 90 per minute in 5 days. In the last phase, the teacher changed the child’s learning channel from hear-say to see-say. The child was given a photograph and would create a story based on the photograph. Although there was an initial drop in the frequency of correct responses, the child reached the set aim very quickly. Precision Teaching and Practical Application As previous studies have shown, Precision Teaching can be applied in various learning environments with learners of diverse learning abilities. It is an instructional approach that can be applied to any established program or curricula. The main directive guiding success of the learner’s performance IS the learner. Fluency is key to the learner’s progress and any deficits in learning can be easy ascertained with the Standard Celeration Chart. This visual display allows the teacher to easily determine the learner’s progress and either continue with the program on course or make adjustments to program that are most beneficial to the learner. The SCC also helps teacher to predict future progress as to whether the learner will achieve aim or the number of incorrect responses will reach 0. Studies have shown that Precision Teaching can be used in conjunction with other instructional programs and can be effectively applied in both professional and classroom settings wi thout requiring additional time to perform the program in the workplace or classroom. Precision Teaching daily timings are recorded on the SCC but no other data is required. Also, it does not require management or teachers to provide additional instruction outside of the program or curricula already in place. Its versatility in practical application makes Precision Teaching a favorable approach to utilize. References Chiesa, M., Robertson, A. (2000). Precision teaching and fluency training: Making maths easier for students and teachers. Educational Psychology in Practice, 16(3), 297–310. Kubina, R. M., Morrison, R., and Lee, D. L. (2002). Benefits of Adding Precision Teaching to Behavioral Interventions for Students with Autism. Behavioral Interventions, 17, 233-246. Lindsley, O. R. (1971). From Skinner to precision teaching: The child knows best. In J. B. Jordan L. S. Robbins (Eds.), Lets try doing something else kind of thing (pp. 1-11). Arlington, VA: The Council for Exceptional Children. Lindsley, O. R. (1990) Precision teaching: By teachers for children.Teaching Exceptional Children, 22, 10-15. McGreevy, P. (1983).Teaching and learning in plain English(2nd. ed.). Kansas City, MO: Plain English Publications. Schirmer, K., Almon-Morris, H., Fabrizio, M. A., Abrahamson, B. and Chevalier, K. (2007). Using Precision Teaching to Teach Story Telling to a Young Child with Autism. Journal of Precision Teaching and Celeration, 23, 23-26. White, O. R. (1986). Precision TeachingPrecision learning.Exceptional Children, 25, 522-534.

Essay --

Rebecca Pierce Professor Engbers ENGL 230 13 December 2013 Creative Portfolio Author Statements Free Verse Poem Free verse is a type of poetry in which is referred to as poetry that does not have any consistent meter patterns, rhyme scheme or rhythm scheme, or any other type of pattern applied. There is no specific length that is has to be either. One would tend to view free verse poetry as if it were someone speaking. By having a free verse poem, it allows the reader to have a better understanding of what the poem is about. The various structures that a poem can take on sometimes can take away and distract from the meaning and intention of the poem. In this poem, there isn’t much imagery for the imagery would take away from the meaning of the poem. As an author, it is important to use figurative language to create sentences that show and not tell. Within this poem, there is an attempt to capture and convey meaning through the emotion that is presented in the phrases. There was a hope that there would be a strong impression left with the reader as well. While the poem reflects many as pects of free verse poetry is displayed, it isn’t the best that could have been done. More metaphors and similes could have been used to better create the phrases. Also, while there was an attempt to make it like spoken words, there still seems to be a rhythm taste to it. There were many changes that were made to poem from the help of peer reviews to try and remove that rhythm aspect that it had but with all those changes, it didn’t seem to disappear. Sonnet Sonnets are yet another form of poetry that is out there. A sonnet usually consists of fourteen lines and have iambic pentameter. There are many different rhyme schemes in which these... ...nto it as well. â€Å"Come over here, Buddy We are going on an adventure!† Excited she ran after me. It was as if she could actually understand me. I took one final look into my hideout before I shut the door, for wherever I was going or headed, I surely wasn’t going to be returning. Even though I spent most of my time down there being afraid of dying, it was the only safe place I could go and I will miss that place. It had been my home for so long, and probably was where I would have been spending the rest of my short lived life if I hadn’t felt this sense of uneasiness. I sighed deeply, and began shutting the door. â€Å"Calm down, Buddy†, I muttered as he was barking at something. He had a tendency to bark at objects and things that actually never existed, so I didn’t think twice about it. However when I turned around, I laid my eyes on something, or rather yet someone.

Executive Financial Plan Summary Essay

I want to take this opportunity to thank you for reaching out to me. One of the first steps towards financial clarity and meeting your financial goals is to reach out to specialists who can identify your needs and financial position. I am pleased to help you get started on your journey and look forward to seeing you meet your goals! Throughout this document, I will be using various numbers and concepts under the assumption that they represent your financial position. In truth, these numbers are meant to be fluid and may change with time depending on the course of events in your life. Reviewing the document carefully to understand the underlying concepts and financial patterns is necessary given that change is constant. Resources Available: The best place to start is by reviewing the attached cash flow summary. This is a tool which can help you both visualize and quantify your goals. Items that are included on the cash flow include investments you are making, debt payments, and unallocated cash flows as an example. Additionally, I have tracked the costs or savings associated with each of my recommendations in the cash flow summary as well. The summary should allow you to see an action plan for achieving your goals while keeping yourself within your budget. Issue 1: Emergency Funds While you have a good start on accumulating sufficient emergency reserves, your current amount would last 3.4 months without covering any additional out of pocket expenses for medical insurance in case of a job loss or medical expenses in case of an illness. Recommendation: Increase emergency reserves this year to at least 4 months of reserves which requires an additional $5,000 deposited this year. Move funds from the taxable money market to the Colorado municipal money market which has a better after tax return. Additionally, any tax refunds (estimated to be about $500 after changing withholdings) or â€Å"found money† should be dedicated to this goal, increasing it up to $33,000 over the next few years. Advantages: Increases your ability to handle any emergencies that come along. Using the municipal money market is more efficient with a better after tax return than your current money market. As long as one of you is working, this would cover six months of unemployment. Disadvantages: Funds invested in safe liquid assets earn less than those that have higher risk. Alternative: Use Roth IRA to begin accumulating more emergency reserves beyond the current $25,000 because you can withdraw your principle anytime without penalty and the funds are protected from creditors. In that case, we would not count earnings toward your emergency reserves but principle only. Issue 2: Paying off credit card debt as soon as possible. Paying off credit card debt starting now will free up money to accomplish other goals. Currently you are in a position where you can pay off debt immediately if you utilize current cash flows. This will save on interest payments and allow you to allocate cash flow to other goals. Recommendation: Pay off your $6,158 of credit card debt immediately using the re-allocable savings, tax withholding, and estate distribution. These additional cash flows of $20,300 should be more than enough to cover the credit card debt. Advantages: You will stop interest from accumulating on your credit cards, which frees up cash flow for other purposes in the future. Your $6,000 of per year expenses previously allocated to credit card debt is now freed up for other financial goals. With your credit card debt off of your credit report, your credit score will improve. With the increase in credit score, you may qualify for better debt financing rates in the future. An example of this would be if you refinance your home. Current lending rates (fixed) are lower than your current mortgage rate of 6.88%. Disadvantages: This is a significant upfront cost as far as cash flow is concerned. The additional resources could be used towards other goals in the short term. Depending on the actions you take, you may not have a need for more affordable lending rates. Issue 4: Homeowner’s Coverage Your current homeowner’s coverage is adequate from a baseline perspective, but I believe some minor improvements can be made to your coverage. With the cash flow we currently have available, minor tweaks can be made to your policy to ensure that you are covered under the most strenuous of circumstances and can have peace of mind regarding your home. Recommendation A: My first is that you increase your base coverage by $10,000; this will cover you for the full value of your home as you currently are covered for only 96% of its value. Advantages: The advantage of increasing your homeowner’s coverage on your dwelling from $310,000 to $320,000 is that you will receive the full replacement cost of your home in the event of a catastrophe. Increasing your homeowner’s coverage is also quite cheap; the additional cost is only $35 per year. Disadvantages: The additional homeowner’s coverage is cheap, but modest in its advantages. The $35 you are spending on these could easily go elsewhere. Recommendation B: My second recommendation is you take an inventory of your personal property. Advantages: A personal property inventory will ensure you know the value of your possessions in the event of a catastrophe. Appraisals of high-value items such as your jewelry, wedding ring, antiques, and guns will be beneficial not only for your personal property inventory but also for your personal benefit; you can have an appraisal on hand in case you want to sell something, for instance. Disadvantages: The personal property inventory will require regular appraisals if you are to keep up with maintaining it on a consistent basis. Appraisals for personal property are oftentimes costly. This is actually only a problem if you get a large number of items appraised. Recommendation C: My third recommendation is you add an inflation rider to  your policy. Advantages: The benefit of the inflation rider is that it increases your base policy by the amount needed to keep it on par with yearly inflation. It will automatically increase both coverage and the premium. It is also cheap at only $20 per year. Disadvantages: Similar to the increase in homeowners coverage, modest in its advantages. The $20 could go elsewhere. Issue 5: Automobile Coverage You have not had a review of your automobile coverage for four years. Looking at changes to your automobile policy can help us see areas where you are more at risk from financial loss. We currently see that improvement can be made to your base policy as well as how your deductible is structured. These issues and recommendations are ultimately to be addressed with your insurance agent; I am merely providing a perspective. Recommendation A: I recommend that you raise your current base policy to double its current amount. Along with this, you will also raise your uninsured motorist’s coverage to match the amounts of the base policy. Advantages: The primary benefit of raising the base policy to double its current amount is you concurrently raise your uninsured motorist’s coverage to match. Your current uninsured motorist’s coverage is lower than your base policy; raising the uninsured motorist’s coverage provides substantially more financial protection in the event of bodily injury or the potential loss of one of you as a breadwinner. Disadvantages: The cost of doubling your base policy is quite substantial compared to the alternatives. The total cost is of doubling the base policy is $120. Recommendation B: I recommend that you raise your comprehensive and uninsured motorist’s coverage deductibles from $500 to $1,000 each. Advantages: Raising your deductible’s from $500 to $1,000 each will provide you with $250 of cash flow yearly which can be used towards your other financial goals. These changes to your coverage are designed to maximize cash flow coming in while adapting to the financial needs that arise from certain risks. In sum total our recommendations result in positive cash flow for you while maximizing the benefit you gain from insurance claims. Disadvantage: In the event you do have to file an insurance claim, your insurance deductible for both comprehensive and uninsured motorists is going up to $1,000 from the previous $500. Alternatives: You could leave your base policy alone but double your uninsured motorist’s coverage by paying only $40 instead of $120. This will free up cash flow of $80 compared to my recommendation for meeting your other financial goals. Your total bodily injury and property damage will remain the same. The uninsured motorist’s coverage will double. This still gives you greater financial protection in the case of a loss of income compared to leaving uninsured motorist’s coverage alone. Issue 6: Umbrella Coverage You are not adequately protected from liability with your umbrella coverage. As an example, you have risks related to the ownership of your jet skis, snowmobiles, and horses. In the event you are sued for damage to either property or persons, you could be liable for anywhere between 5-15 times your annual income or even the sum total of your net worth. At your current level of coverage of $500,000, your financial security is at a high risk for being jeopardized in the event of a legal meltdown as well. Your current coverage premiums are above the average rates. None of the property previously mentioned is listed on your homeowner’s insurance policy either. Recommendations: Switch your umbrella policy from your current carrier to the same carrier as your homeowner’s policy. Under your new policy increase your total coverage from $500,000 to $1,500,000. Advantages: Combining these policies under one company will confer you a monetary benefit of $25 per year in savings. We have calculated your recommended coverage quote by multiplying your yearly gross wages of $150,000 by a multiple of 10. This multiple is considered because you are established with a home, cars, retirement, and educational needs. A young couple with few assets would use a multiple of 5 whereas a larger family with more assets might use a multiple of 15. Your situation calls for something in the middle. Your deductibles for the umbrella policy will integrate with the existing policy  limits. Disadvantages: The cost of the $1,500,000 is $200. This is $75 more than what you are paying with your previous policy. In the event you get rid of some higher risk items, such as your snowmobiles and jet skis, your coverage might need reevaluating as it would be too high relative to risk factors. You mentioned your personal items are low in value so retiring them soon would be an example of needing to discuss with your agent options regarding risk. Alternatives: Instead of raising your policy level to $1,500,000, raise it to $1,000,000 only. The primary benefit of this is the cost savings from a cash flow standpoint. You are already adding your snowmobile and fishing boat to your homeowner’s policy for $300 annually. While the additional cost savings is modest, it simply affords a little bit more cash to be used for your other financial goals. Issue: Disability Coverage You lack an adequate budgetary plan in the event either one of you becomes disabled. At your ages, you have roughly a 21% chance that either one of you will unemployed for longer than three months as a result of disability. The impact of a disability with either one of you would be disastrous to your financial goals. The most important goals that would be compromised include your retirement and saving for your son’s education. Buying a car for your son, jet skis, and traveling, these luxuries would have to be reconsidered and more likely would be impossible. As a result of your disability you would further have additional health insurance premiums to pay; other out of pocket costs related to your disability not currently included in your budget would be necessary to account for. Both of your long term disability plans factor in inflation. If Jim becomes disabled in the long term, a sharp drop in income occurs almost immediately and until retirement. If Anne becomes disabled, your income remains relatively the same until retirement. A question you should further consider is what happens at retirement? Your target income in retirement is $211,436. If Jim becomes disabled, your projected income in retirement is $83,285; this is 39% of your projected income. If Anne becomes disabled, your total income in retirement will be  around $97,000; this is 46% of your projected goal. Understanding the realities of a potential disability for either one of you and putting a plan in place is primary. Recommendation: 1) Purchase a $1,743 monthly benefit individual policy to age 67 with an inflation rider of 3% on Jim. Purchase a rider premium with this policy. The total premium cost will be $829. 2) Purchase an additional 10-year benefit with a 365-day elimination to supplement Nancy’s income. The total premium cost will be $433. 3) Add a rider premium to your mortgage.

Essay Sample on Health and Social Care

Essay Sample on Health and Social Care Health and Social Care Guidelines: Q1 The health and safety policy for the hospital with patients who are disabled and partially sighted shows that most of the needs have been met. Legislation on such hospitals requires the institution to consider the needs of the patients in terms of the difficulties they have in moving. By ensuring that the patients’ visits are conducted on appointment, they have time to prepare themselves for the visit and organize what they need for the visit. The hospital has well organized visiting days that consider the difficulties of each set of patients in the allocation of time for visiting. The floor plan of the clinic allows for easy movement for the patients by having only one floor with all the required facilities. The many consulting rooms enable the patient consultation process to take place faster thus reducing the time spent in the clinic waiting. However, the location of the sole treatment room at the back of the clinic may be inefficient in design. This is because it is further away than the other room and requires more time to get there for the patients. Q2 Management roles in the construction and implementation of the Happy Haven health and safety plan should be placed on the medical specialists and the care workers in the hospital. The care workers have the responsibility to formulate the health and safety plan with input from the medical specialists. The Handicaps Welfare Association (HWA) staff should also be involved in the formulation of the policy. This is because they are aware of the special needs of the disabled patients that are handled in the clinic. Implementation of the policy would also require input from the different staff members in the clinic. The care workers and the HWA staff are most strategically placed to ensure implementation of the plan (Carnwell Buchanan, 2005). These workers should ensure that the different needs of the patients are met according to the guidelines. Since they are trained in caring for the special needs of the patients, their input in the plan would enable them to implement it effectively and meet their care needs. The management of the clinic should provide oversight on the project in order to ensure that all the guidelines are followed. In relation to assistance of the patients, the care givers should have responsibility because it coincides with their core duties in the clinic. Q3 Potential dilemmas, incidents and hazards have to be accommodated in the clinic in order to enable effective response. The clinic allows different patients to consult and have treatment outside their regular appointment days. This means the patients can go to the clinic whenever they have a health emergency irrespective of their last visit or appointment. In relation to the hazards and incidences that may be presented by visitors, the clinic has a sufficient number of employees to handle them effectively and quickly. Having many consulting rooms with all necessary equipment also enhances the ability of the clinic to handle these incidences. One issue that requires attention is the lack of overnight care and weekend treatment for the patients. Although the patients are expected to visit their GPs during the weekend, the hospital should provide emergency treatment in case of emergency (Atwal, 2009). There should be medical professionals that remain at the clinic overnight and over the weekends to ensure that emergency needs for the patients are met as they arise. Q4 Risk assessment for the clinic in relation to the legislation should consider the priorities of the health clinic. The clinic handles patients with walking disabilities and others with sight disabilities. The disabilities of the patients have been considered in the formulation of health policies. The physical disabilities of the patients have been considered with the construction of the clinic with only one floor that contains all the necessary facilities (Pattison Pill, 2004). This reduces the risk of physical harm for the patients resulting from falls or difficulty in climbing stairs. By providing all necessary facilities in one floor, the clinic reduces the likelihood of falls making it safer for the patients. However, the absence of overnight healthcare for the clinic presents a risk. This is because it means emergency medical issues occurring at night cannot be handled with priority. The clinic also does not provide treatment during the weekends because the patients are expecte d to visit their GPs or the local hospital trust emergency department. The clinic considered the special needs of the patients in the construction of many consultation rooms that are adequately equipped. These consultation rooms increase the pace of providing medical care to the patients in cases of emergency. Q5 The clinic has taken steps in taking care of the patients and ensuring that their special needs do not reduce the level of care given to them. However, some of the strategies applied in the clinic are not effective because they leave the patients exposed to difficult situations. The main issue is the provision of care and treatment for the patients during the weekends and at night. The hospital should formulate a plan for ensuring that care and treatment are provided for the patients at all times. The management of the clinic should formulate a work structure that provides for at least one care taker and health professional to be on duty every night. This would ensure that the patients are capable of receiving medical care even at night when emergencies might occur. The clinic should also have a work structure that provides a team of at least one care giver and medical professional during the weekend. This would be effective in ensuring that the patients are provided with medical car e at all times. The appointments system used in providing consultation and organizing the visiting days for the clients is effective. It considers the number of patients in the different categories and the severity of their conditions in arranging the appointments. This system also ensures that all patients are catered effectively for their conditions (Davies Wallace, 2009). The small area for the children is essential for providing comfort to children that visit the clinic with the patients. The area should be equipped with the necessary toys to encourage the children to stay there and avoid distracting the patients or activities in the clinic. Q6 Happy Haven has a very large number of patients with disabilities thus it requires focusing attention on improving care and providing assistance services to them. The clinic has patients with varied ages ranging from 18 years to 80 years. The clinic provides medical care to 50 physically disabled patients that have difficulty walking who are seen twice per week, it has twenty physically challenged patients who are seen occasionally, and twenty poorly sighted patients. This large number of patients stretches the resources available for the patients and the management has to be proactive to ensure that hazards do not occur as a result. The HSA staff should focus on implementation of a work structure that improves the efficiency of patient consultations by reducing the time spent on each visit to the clinic. The attitudes and severity of the patients’ conditions should be considered in the provision of care to them. Other issues such as age of the patients should be use in arrang ing their consultations. The potential hazards emanating from the large number of patients can be handled by increasing the number of care givers and nurses in the clinic. The nurses can help in conducting consultations in cases of emergencies. Q7 Health and safety can create a happy and efficient environment by ensuring that the patients get the necessary health care in the institution. The legislations on health and safety ensure that the environment is suitable for the patients considering their health conditions and the difficulties they face. This means issues such as movement are eased for them thus making their visit to the clinic more efficient. The difficulties faced by the patients are also used in determining the appointments and consultation hours for the patients. This enables the institution to optimize the time and frequency of appointments in order to provide adequate care for the patients. Efficiency of the institution is increased by organizing resource allocation based on the needs of the clients. This means the institution organizes its resources to provide the best care for the patients in line with the legislation. Health and safety regulations also improve the environment in the institution by reducing t he number of hazards and accidents that occur (The Open University, 2009). By reducing the number of accidents and hazards, the hospital avoids unnecessary expenses and improves the environment for the patients. This is beneficial for both the patients and the institution because it ensures that resources usage is optimized and the health of patients is improved. Q8 Specific aspects of health and safety are essential in improving the efficiency of healthcare institutions and the welfare of the staff and clients. These health and safety guidelines enable the institution to provide necessary medical care for the clients based on their needs and difficulties. This means the medical needs of the clients take center stage in the formulation of strategies and policies for the institution. The design of the institution is made to increase its efficiency in providing medical care for the clients. This means the facilities and equipment are placed in the most efficient locations thus reducing the time required by the clients in accessing healthcare. Through these guidelines, an institution allocates duties and responsibilities to the staff in a way that ensures they achieve their potential in providing for the needs of their clients. By providing shifts based on expertise of the staff members and needs of the clients, an institution increases the ability of the staff to provide care for the patients thus increasing its efficiency (Beauchamp Duplantie, 2010). Q9 With an appropriate health and social care policy, the health institution follows the set guidelines in providing care and allocating resources. Judgment is an essential aspect of the formulation and implementation of an effective health and social care policy. By having an effective health and social care policy, the judgment on health and safety of the clients is enhanced. This is because the policy has to consider the current situation in the institution and determine the aspects that require changes to improve the institution. Efficiency and improved welfare for the clients and the staff are achieved by understanding the different aspects of the institution (Gould, 2011). These aspects enable the institution to allocate resources effectively and reduce hazards and dangerous incidents that might occur. Q10 Non compliance of health and safety legislation affects the well being of the clients and staff because the environment is not conducive for effective care. The clients do not receive the most effective care for their conditions and the staff members are not allocated based on their skills. This results in a situation where the patients get medical care that does not meet their needs and the staff members are not efficient in their provision of services to the clients. Finances of the institution are also affected negatively by noncompliance. This is because the institution spends resources in taking care of hazards and delayed care that would not have happened with compliance to the guidelines (Swinkels, et al, 2002). The institution does not have an efficient method of allocating the resources thus resulting in losses that emanate from inefficient allocation of staff and other resources. Inefficiency in running the institution also results from the lack of compliance (Davies, Bullm an, Finlay, 2000). This arises from poor allocation of the available resources to the current needs of the clients. Q11 In a health and social care setting, the health and safety practice on the clients and staff are meant to ensure that the needs of the clients are met with the most effective allocation of staff and other resources. By placing the health and care needs of the clients’ central in health practice, I provided the necessary care for the patients in a home for the aged. This home provided care and medical attention for the aged clients, most of whom required assistance in meeting their most basic needs. These clients required routine health checkups with some of them suffering from health conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, and hypertension (National Occupational Standards, 2006). The facility had two floors and each floor had all the necessary resources such as consultation rooms, treatment rooms and recreational areas. There was a garden for those who did not have much difficulty with movement. Compliance with the health and safety practices required the clie nts to have care givers on call in case of emergencies at all times. Visitors had to be vetted as a way of reducing incidences and hazards. Q12 Different sources of information are used to assess and implement legislation in health and safety. These sources include the health and social care act, which highlights the code of practice for adult social care and health. The department of health provides other guidelines on the provision of public health. Information for the guidelines is also sourced from other organizations such as the quality care commission, the health protection agency, and the national patient safety agency. The national institute for health and clinical excellence also provides information on how to improve care for the different categories of patients in healthcare and social institutions. The different organizations provide information on different aspects of healthcare. By having information from the varied sources, the institutions formulate a plan that considers all issues and provides the most effective care for the patients. Q13 In a health and social care setting, the health and safety guidelines have to be adhered to effectively. As a resident nurse in a health clinic that provided care and treatment for clients with hearing disabilities and others with sight difficulties, it was challenging to make the environment suitable for the two different categories of clients. The plan for health and safety meant that the institution had to be equipped with railings for support and guidance for the blind patients. The deaf and those with hearting difficulties required a sign language technician in the reception and other areas in order to ensure that they got effective care. Their visits were based on appointments with the blind patients coming on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Friday. The others with hearing problems would come in on the other days except for Sunday. There was a nurse, an NWA staff member and a doctor on call on weekends and during the night. The plan was effective but the number of sign language specia lists was not sufficient. Q14 Monitoring is essential in the implementation of any plan. It enables the implementing authority to observe compliance and determine whether the staff members understand the plan. Monitoring ensures that the all stakeholders understand their responsibilities and the implementing authority has the opportunity to change the plan in case of inefficiencies (Nzira Williams, 2009). After implementing a plan for the first time, some of the assumptions made are inaccurate and have to be reviewed to improve the formulation and implementation of the plan in future. Monitoring provides an opportunity to get feedback on different aspects of the plan and their effect on the clients and staff (Department of Health, 2009). Q15 Health and social care practices are monitored by observing the level of care provided to the clients and whether their needs are being met. The rate of recurrence for some conditions can also show the efficiency of care provided to the clients. Expenses are another aspect of the care that can be used in monitoring the policies. This is because they influence the ability of the institution to provide care. The comfort level achieved by the patients is another aspect of monitoring the care that is provided by a health and social care institution (Clark deSilva, 2005). Review is necessary in policy implementation because it provides insight into the inefficiencies resulting from the policy. By reviewing the policies, the authority can change the different strategies to improve care provided (National Health Service, 2010). Improved policies are necessary because they increase the efficiency of care given to the clients. Q16 Problems arising from implementing health and social care policies can be addressed by determining their root causes. This is essential because it enables the determination of core aspects of the policy or practice that have to be changed. Using the health and social care act, the health aspects of the clients has to be central in the policy formulation (Department of Health, 2009). This means the policy makers should consider the reasons why the policy is not implemented effectively and determine strategies that should be changed according to the health and social care act. This provides guidelines on the type of care that should be provided in the social care setting and what is necessary. By understanding the act, the institution can determine how best to improve care and ensure efficiency.