Review and refine your potential program based on the feedback received in Discussion.

Consider which clients will be included in the program and why.

Review the methods for gathering information from clients and other stakeholders, including interviews, surveys, focus groups, etc. Determine which two methods would give you the most pertinent and reliable information to justify the development and implementation of your program.

• A brief description of the program to be developed
• Criteria for inclusion in the program (which clients and why)
• Justification for the proposed program. What two best methods would you use to gather credible information to support the need for your program (e.g., interview, surveys, focus groups, etc.). Why? Be sure to state from whom you would gather the information.

This discussion question response below

Problems, issues, or service gaps that are often experienced byclients

The majority of the people that come through the non-profit (addiction clinic / case management services) where I completed my fieldwork are ex-offenders who are working on their reintegration into society and have been struggling with drug addiction. Especially after extended incarcerations, clients sometimes have considerable gaps in their understanding of technology and financial skills. Due to difficulties in securing employment and making financially responsible decisions, it may be difficult for these individuals to build stability and become self-sufficient in society.

Specifically, emphasize what you observe that indicates clients need something beyond what the agency offers.

My program helps people find full-time jobs, save money, and move into half-homes to continue treatment. Online form completion may slow hiring for certain clients. Those with criminal records or illiteracy confront further challenges. Clients who need help completing out applications but are afraid to ask are the most common. The plant city has plenty of jobs. Once these consumers confess the issue and accept aid, they frequently find job quickly. Many long-term prisoners don't have phones or computers, making it hard for them to get aid. Inability to budget and save hinders communal integration. They typically have trouble obtaining accounts, developing credit, and managing debt. Several consumers report losing, stealing, or spending substantial sums of cash. Unaware of the alternatives, some use pre-paid money cards, which might have high monthly and transaction fees.

Explain why you believe the program is important to solve the problem, issue, or gap.

Having a room where people can get help setting up and learning the basics of using a smart phone could make it easier for clients to get in touch with and be reached by possible employers through phone calls and electronic communication. The client might learn how to make phone calls, set up an email account, and look for jobs online in a "training workshop" in technology. If this kind of course were offered, it might better meet the needs of current customers and bring in new ones who are too shy or embarrassed to ask for help directly. There were several search terms used, but no relevant research was found. According to research by Mielitz and colleagues, people who don't know much about money may find it harder to make good financial decisions, like avoiding predatory lending, using check-cashing or payday-loan services, and being unprepared for retirement and financial crises (2018). The Just-In-Time method gives ex-offenders the chance to learn the skills and knowledge they'll need to get back on their feet financially after they leave prison (Mielitz, 2018). Since this is the person is more likely to be able to keep taking care of themselves after the change. Even though a lot of my clients have been in jail, few of them have had financial education. Some programs try to teach life skills like budgeting as part of the curriculum, but this isn't always possible.

Think of a question you could ask about your need and to whom it applies.

A generic research question, as stated by Dudley (2020), sets the emphasis and aim of an assessment without being too wide or detailed. Using previous research and/or agency experiences, client and/or family feedback, and clarity, general study questions may highlight the significance of the problem and provide a reasonable number of particular questions/behaviors that can be examined within the time and resource limits (Dudley,2020). The agency's executive director and board would be asked the following question in an effort to begin formulating a strategy to assist education in areas like job-hunting expertise, technological literacy, and financial literacy for clients. If a life skills program was put in place, how would it change the clients' employment rates and financial habits while they were receiving services?