• Review your Course Announcements for possible information related to this week’s Discussion and Assignment.
• Review the Learning Resources on the roles of advocates and consultants in community needs assessments. Think about how advocates and consultants can offer unique insights about why the problem exists, propose alternatives for how the problem can be solved, help people align their thinking, and establish common ground.
• Reflect on the social problem that you chose for the Final Project. Based upon the Learning Resources this week, think about the roles that advocates and consultants would play in the community needs assessment.
BY DAY 4
Post a brief description of the social issue or problem that you chose for the Final Project. Then, explain the roles that advocates and consultants will play in the community needs assessment that you are planning for your Final Project. Be sure to include how these roles are similar to and different from each other and how they help to address the social problem.
The social problem I chose for the Final Project is discrimination towards LGBTQ+ individuals concerning equal housing, employment, and medical insurance. This issue has been around for some time but has only recently been addressed due to the increased visibility of the LGBTQ+ community. Discrimination against LGBTQ+ individuals is an issue that affects all aspects of life, including the ability to access employment, housing, and medical insurance. This problem is still prevalent in many parts of the world, and we must take a proactive stance in addressing it.
Alliance for Justice. (n.d.). What is advocacy? Definitions and examples. Links to an external site.https://mffh.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/AFJ_what-is-advocacy.pdf
McGill, L. T., Henry-Sanchez, B. L., Wolcheck, D., & Reibstein, S. (2015). Use of consultants by U.S. foundations: Results of a foundation center survey. Links to an external site.Foundation Review, 7(1), 6–18. https://go.openathens.net/redirector/waldenu.edu?url=https://doi.org/10.9707/1944-5660.1231
Stroh, D. P. (2015). Systems thinking for social change: A practical guide to solving complex problems, avoiding unintended consequences, and achieving lasting results. Chelsea Green Publishing.
o Chapter 7, “Facing Current Reality: Building Understanding Through System Mapping” (pp. 91–122)
o Chapter 8, “Facing Current Reality: Building Support by Bringing the System to Life” (pp. 123–136)
o Chapter 9, “Making an Explicit Choice” (pp. 137–146)
