BUS100 NVCC Images of Potentiality & How Do They Relate to The Elements and Steps in Community Planning

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Humanities

BUS100

Northern Virginia Community College

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Hi there, I have listed 6 different questions. The word count does not matter (Maybe have 5 sentences). Please just answer each question entirely and include one reference APA style for each question. I have included lecture notes. You can use this as a resource. :)

1.What are images of potentiality and how do they relate to the elements and steps in community planning?

2. Refer to the following excerpt from Lecture 1:

"For example, a school counselor may notice that many students in his school depend on free breakfast and lunch at school as a significant source of food throughout the school year. This counselor may reason that these same students are likely to be without such meals over the summer. This would lead the counselor to assess the situation, look for resources for feeding the children over the summer, and create a plan for applying these resources to meet the need."

Based on this excerpt, what difficulties might arise in the planning process due to groupthink, lack of interest, and other obstacles? What actions should the counselor take to avoid these difficulties?

3. Most community counseling programs are staffed by a combination of employees and volunteers. What are some of the challenges a community counselor might face when coordinating the efforts of these two groups? What are the practices and skills that should be used to address these challenges?

4. Fundraising is one important source of income to support a community counseling program. What other sources of income are available and how can they be accessed?

5. In order for a community counselor to effectively meet the needs of a community, the counselor must be familiar with the resources and assets in that community. What types of assets are present in your community and what role might they play in meeting your community's needs?

6. How can referrals be useful in community counseling? What steps should community organizations take to insure that the referral system is effective?

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PCN-643 Lecture 5 Introduction Planning is critical to community counseling. In order to plan successfully, it is important to understand the levels of planning, as well as the steps of effective planning. It is also important to anticipate and know how to respond to potential obstacles. Levels of Community Planning Community counseling cannot be effective without planning. Planning gives direction and structure to the desired community change. An effective plan for community change must include goals, objectives and activities. Goals are general descriptions of what you want to achieve in your community. Goals have a broad, long-term focus (Homan, 2011). For example, in Module 1, the school counselor identified a goal of providing meals to students during the summer months. By contrast, objectives are specific strategies and steps that are employed to reach the goals. Objectives differ from goals in that they are specific, measurable, and time limited (Homan, 2011). Returning to the school meal example from Module 1, the school counselor could identify a variety of objectives related to the goal described above. Here is an example of one possible objective for the program. “By the end of the first week of the spring semester, a six person committee will be formed which includes representation from parents, school administration and community business owners.” This objective includes clearly measurable components such as who is involved, what will be accomplished and when it will happen. Several specific objectives will be needed in order to accomplish the goal described above. The objectives must be supported by a variety of activities. These activities have specific steps that must be taken to accomplish a given objective (Homan, 2011). Returning to the school meal plan example, the counselor should identify what needs to be done to form a committee by the end of the first week of the spring semester. Appropriate activities for this objective may include planning an informational meeting, identifying a meeting place, sending invitations to parents, visiting community businesses to invite business owners, and discussing committee participation with school administrators. Steps in Community Planning In order for community change to be effective, those involved must understand the goals, objectives and activities and how they are to be met. For this reason, a concrete, written plan is very important. To this end, the community counselor should follow a series of steps such as those provided by Flores (2003): • Identify Goals and Objectives. As discussed above, goals and objectives are central to a successful program. While the community counselor may establish tentative goals and objectives, it is important to involve community members in the establishment of the final goals and objectives for the program. This empowers community members and increases the likelihood that they will support the activities needed to effect community change (Homan, 2011). • Develop Evaluation Strategies. The effectiveness of community change is measured by evaluation processes. The information gathered from evaluation allows the counselor to determine what is effective and what needs to be adjusted in future programming. To that end, two types of evaluation are needed. Formative evaluation measures the effectiveness of parts of the community change efforts as they occur. Summative evaluation measures the result of the community change efforts. • Identify Priority Programs and Approaches. In this step, the specific program(s) to be implemented is selected. While this may involve developing a program from scratch, that is not always necessary. Those planning community change must remember that there are resources and programs that already exist in the community. Finding ways to utilize and enhance these programs may be a more efficient approach to addressing community needs. • Develop Program and Participation Outcomes. After the programs have been planned and selected, the community counselor should determine measurable outcomes. This is a concrete measure of how the program will meet the specific objectives and goals previously identified. This addresses the question of how program participants (individuals, groups or the community) will be changed as a result of participation. • Create an Action Plan. The action plan includes manageable steps to accomplish the goals and objectives of community change. The action plan should address four questions. o Action Steps: What will be done? o Responsible Parties: Who will do it? o Schedule: When will it be done? o Evidence: How will we know that it is done? • Develop a Plan for Collecting Evaluation Data. As discussed above, evaluation is key to successful community change. Having previously identified strategies for formative and summative evaluations, the community counselor should develop a specific plan for executing the evaluation. In order to gather data in an efficient and objective manner, evaluation should be conducted by in-house evaluators (those associated with the program) as well as outside evaluators (consultants or others not directly connected to the program). • Write a Multiyear Plan. Most community needs are ongoing. Therefore, the programs that address the community needs must be designed to meet them on a continual basis. The multiyear plan describes how the program will meet the community needs on a long-term basis. Obstacles to Community Planning As the counselor works to implement change in the community, obstacles are bound to arise. It is imperative that the counselor anticipates these obstacles and comes up with strategies to address them. Homan (2011) identifies some common obstacles to effective community change: • Future Changes. The community that the counselor serves is likely to change over time. While some of these changes are unpredictable, others can be anticipated and plans can be made accordingly. For example, it is likely that expenses will increase during each year of a program. Funding plans and budgeting should occur with these increases in mind. • Lack of Skills. As discussed in previous modules, counselors have many of the skills needed to effect community change, as do members of the community. Capitalizing on the skills of community members is another reason to include them in the programs and plans for community change. (See the previous lectures for a variety of other reasons.) It may also be appropriate to recruit the assistance of those outside of the community when special skills are needed. However, the counselor should be careful that an alleged lack of skills is not used as an excuse to avoid the task at hand. • Lack of Interest. For many people, the process of planning is perceived as boring and tedious. The counselor must actively combat disinterest as well as that found among others involved in the planning process. • Desire for Immediate Action. Community change is usually related to an issue that is of emotional and practical significance to those involved. Therefore, they are often excited to get started. Thus they may want to skip assessment and planning and get straight to action. Others have a tendency to use planning as a way to avoid action. The counselor’s goal is to strike a balance between these two extremes. Using the planning steps described above, the counselor can insure that appropriate plans are put in place and acted upon within a reasonable timeframe. • Failure to Include People in Planning. Some leaders make all the plans without including those who will execute and/or be impacted by the community change. This is sometimes done without ever consulting key constituents. In other cases, the leader may ask key constituents for ideas but fail to include any of them. In both cases, there is less likely to be community acceptance and support for the plan. Therefore, the counselor must actively involve members of the community in the planning process. • Groupthink. Groupthink is a social phenomenon that may occur when a group of people is cohesive, isolated, and has a directive leader. The community counselor should be aware of the symptoms of groupthink including: o The illusion that the group is invulnerable o The illusion that the group is morally superior o Pressure toward conformity o Self-censorship (members do not speak up against group ideas) o The illusion of unanimity (Myers, 2013) Upon observing such symptoms, the counselor should act to eliminate this limited way of thinking. One possibility is to invite “outsiders” to attend planning meetings. Because they are not part of the close knit planning group, they are more likely to challenge the group’s thoughts and ideas. Conclusion Before community change can be implemented, a solid plan must be in place. A good plan includes goals, objectives, and activities and is developed in a systematic way. An effective community counselor will be familiar with the steps in developing a plan and be prepared to address the obstacles that may arise. References Flores, R. J. (2003). Targeted community action planning toolkit. The Office of Juvenile Justice. Homan, M. S. (2011). Promoting community change: Making it happen in the real world (5th ed.) Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole. Myers, D. G. (2013). Social psychology (11th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. PCN-643 Lecture 1 Introduction This course explores an important aspect of counseling, community counseling. In order to understand the practice of this type of counseling, one must first understand some related terms and theories. By exploring the meaning of communities, and various theoretical elements of change, a counselor can better understand how to effect change in appropriate settings. Community Resources, Needs, and Problems Community can be defined as a group of people distinguished from others by differentiating factors and connected to one another by common factors. Whenever people find themselves together in such groups, many things work well and function to meet the needs of those in the group. The resources in the community are often central to the effective functioning of the community. Nonetheless unmet needs and problems are bound to arise. These community needs and problems create a necessity for community change. Community change is the process of addressing community needs and finding ways to eliminate community problems (Homan, 2011). Community problems are not individual problems. Thus, the counselor should not attempt to solve problems individually without additional support, nor should the counselor approach community counseling as individual counseling. In this type of counseling, the client is not an individual, a family, or a group. The client is the community as a whole (Fulbright-Anderson & Auspos, 2006). Given that the client is the community and not an individual, the focus and goals of community counseling are different from those the counselor is most familiar. Community counseling should focus on goals that help improve the community (Homan, 2011). Six common goals are: • Community development. The community counselor can help connect people with available resources that enhance the lives of the community members. • Neighborhood empowerment. The community counselor can take steps to help those in the community recognize and utilize their right to manage resources and outcomes in their community. • Community problem solving. The community counselor can bring together different individuals and groups within a community to work toward the common goal of addressing a specific problem. • Community support systems. The community counselor can facilitate the development of relationships between individuals and groups in the community to decrease the sense of isolation some may experience. • Community education. The community counselor can connect community members with sources of information to enhance the quality of individual and community life. • Broad-based community organization. The community counselor can facilitate the establishment of an organization that allows community members to work together in addressing current and future needs (Homan 2011). For example, a school counselor may notice that many students in his school depend on free breakfast and lunch at school as a significant source of food throughout the school year. This counselor may reason that these same students are likely to be without such meals over the summer. This would lead the counselor to assess the situation, look for resources for feeding the children over the summer, and create a plan for applying these resources to meet the need. The counselor should include parents, teachers, and community members in this process. The counselor should help organize these individuals into a group that will not only address this issue, but advocate for the needs of the children on an ongoing basis. The counselor should connect these individuals with businesses, governmental agencies, and private agencies that have an interest in meeting the needs of children. The counselor should also connect these individuals with sources of information and training related to topics such as nutrition, child development, and grant writing. In so doing, he would accomplish the six goals mentioned above. Theories of Community Counseling Theories are important in the practice of community counseling. They provide the basis, the structure, and the plan by which community-based action is directed. As such, it is important that a counselor have a fundamental understanding of specific theories relevant to community change. Systems theory states that any entity (animal, person, neighborhood, etc.) needs continual input of energy and resources. The system then uses these resources to maintain balance, to be productive, and to survive (Laszlo & Krippner, 1998). This system is subject to the impact of a variety of forces both inside and outside of the system. The significance of this impact can be explained by chaos theory. Chaos theory states that a small change can have a large impact on a system (Danforth, 2013). This is sometimes referred to as the “butterfly effect.” The idea is that something as simple as a butterfly flapping its wings can have a significant impact on an environmental system (Lorenz, 2001). Similarly, there are a variety of factors that can impact the communities in which counselors work. It is imperative that the counselor is aware of these factors and consider how attempts at community change will interact with them (Homan, 2011). In addition to systems theory and chaos theory, there are additional theories specific to community counseling. “These include theories of power, organization, action, culture, and change” (Homan, 2011, 47): • Power is the ability to motivate people to act in a manner that is consistent with a desired outcome (Wrong, 2004). Legitimate power is not controlling, manipulating, or dominating others. • Power is most effective when combined with organization. While passion and commitment are important motivators, they will not lead to the most effective change unless power is appropriately directed and organized around specific issues (Staples, 2004). • Once power has been appropriately organized and directed, meaningful action can begin. Actions that promote effective community change are those that activate and empower members of the community (Fulbright-Anderson & Auspos, 2006). Needs assessment, budgeting, management skills, and other actions are essential in accomplishing community change. • In order for action to have a meaningful impact in a community, it must occur in the context of the community culture. The values, perceptions, rituals, and practices of community members define what is meaningful and worthwhile to them (Homan, 2011). Thus, it is imperative that the counselor be familiar with and respectful of the community culture when proposing and implementing community change. • Change is an ongoing process that will occur in a community with or without the intervention of community counseling. However, power, organization, and action appropriately directed in the context of a community’s culture can lead to the changes that a community needs and desires (Homan, 2011). This is the primary goal of community counseling. Conclusion This course explores community counseling and its role in effecting community change. By understanding the needs and resources of a community, the counselor can help develop a plan for change and growth in the community. Seeing the community as a dynamic system and acknowledging its culture the counselor can employ power, organization, and action to effect change. References Fulbright, K., & Auspos, P. (2006). Aspen Roundtable on Community Change. Community change: Theories, practice, and evidence. Washington, D.C.: Aspen Institute. Homan, M. S. (2011). Promoting community change: Making it happen in the real world (5th ed.). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole. Laszlo, A., & Krippner, S. (1998). Systems Theories: Their origins, foundations and development. In J. J. (Ed.), Systems theories and a priori aspects of perception (pp. 47-74). Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Elsevier. Lorenz, E. (2001). The butterfly effect. In R. Abraham, & Y. Ueda (eds.), The chaos avant-garde: Memories of the early days of chaos theory (pp. 91-94). Hackensack, NJ: World Scientific. Staples, L. (2004). Roots to power: A manual for grassroots organizing (2nd ed.). Westport, CT: Praeger. Wrong, D. (2004). Power: It's forms, bases and uses (3rd ed.). New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction. PCN-643 Lecture 6 Introduction Resources in community counseling can be divided into three general categories. Human resources, money, and community assets are all important in the successful planning and implementation of programs for community change. Learning the skills for effectively utilizing these resources is essential to successful community counseling. Human Resources The most valuable resources in community counseling are people. As discussed in the Module 3 lecture, the community counselor will be dealing with people in at least three segments of the community. The benefit community, the action community, and the response community are made up of people who have an interest in the program being implemented. The goal of the community counselor is to recruit individuals from these segments of the community to work for, volunteer for, and/or provide support for the program at hand. Once recruited, these people must be managed in a way that motivates them to give their best to the program (Homan, 2011). In order to get people involved in a community program as employees, volunteers, or supporters, Homan (2011) recommends that the community counselor takes four steps: • Contact People. There are a variety of ways to contact people. While advertisements, mailings, and electronic media are mechanisms that allow for mass communication, they may not be the best choice. Individual communication is often more effective in getting people to understand the significance of the program at hand and developing an interest. The counselor should network with those around him and should encourage current employees and volunteers to do the same. • Give People a Reason to Join. Once the counselor has connected with potential employees, volunteers, and supporters, it is imperative to secure their interest in the community change program. This can be accomplished by showing them that the program is important, well planned, and of interest. Imagine that each person is asking the question, “Why is this important to me?” and give an answer. • Ask for Participation. Once interest has been secured, a request for participation should be made. Making clear, specific requests that are related to the individual’s skill set and resources will increase the likelihood of receiving a positive response. • Maintain Involvement. Once participation is secured, it is imperative to work closely with employees, volunteers, and supporters to maintain commitment and involvement. An intentional effort to make people feel welcome is important. The counselor should also be sure to give people a task and clear directions for completion of the task. As employees, volunteers, and supporters become more effective in their roles, it is appropriate to increase responsibility. However, do not forget that people have the right to say, “No.” Fundraising for Community Programs Community change efforts cannot be effective without money. While there are a variety of sources of funds, accessing them can be challenging. Therefore, it is imperative that the community counselor learn the fundamentals of fundraising and grant writing. Much like the community change program as a whole, the fundraising effort must be organized and well-planned. The first step in successfully planning fundraising efforts is to establish a team (Dustin, 2013). Each member of the team should have clearly defined roles that facilitate the fundraising process. The executive director of the organization should provide the leadership needed to direct and guide the team (Dustin, 2013). The community organization for which funds are being raised is likely to have a board of directors. (If the community counselor is establishing a new organization, it will be necessary to recruit a board of directors.) The board of directors should “govern the organization and ensure its ultimate success“ (Dustin, 2013, p. 17). As such, the board of directors has an important role in fundraising. The involvement of the board of directors in fundraising efforts gives these efforts credibility. Furthermore, board members often make donations and network with others who are willing to do so. The fundraising team will consist of various committees. Each committee should have a chairperson. This individual is responsible for recruiting, organizing, and managing committee members. The chairperson is also responsible for establishing and maintaining connections with potential donors. Finally, the chairperson reports the efforts and outcomes of the committee to the other chairs and to the team as a whole (Dustin, 2013). While the specific committees will vary from one organization to another, Poderis (2009 as cited in Dustin, 2013) suggests five committees based on the types of donations that are being sought. The recommended committees include major corporate and business donations, smaller corporate and business donations, foundations, major individual donations, and smaller individual donations. Committee members should be selected based on passion, expertise, and leadership skills related to the donation area. Committee chairs should have these characteristics as well as organization skills and the ability to run effective meetings (Dustin, 2013). Once the team is established, a fundraising plan must be put in place. Much like the plan for the program, this begins with the establishment of goals, objectives, and activities. Fundraising goals can be categorized as fixed or open. A fixed goal is a plan to raise a certain amount of money for a specific purpose. An open goal has no specific amount and the funds may be used for a variety of organizational needs (Dustin, 2013). After goals, objectives, and actions have been established, it is recommended that a gift chart be created. A gift chart is a visual aid that allows employees, volunteers, and donors to see the fundraising goals and objectives and the progress made toward their completion. It is divided into tiers showing the number of donors needed at each level to reach the overall goal. If the anticipation is that most donations will come from large business and large private donors, then the chart should include more tiers in the higher dollar amounts. If the anticipation is that most donations will come from smaller donors, more tiers in lower dollar amounts may be appropriate (Dustin, 2013). In addition to providing a visual representation of the fundraising efforts, it is important to let donors know why they should support your organization. The case statement is a “detailed written justification for the fundraising campaign” (Dustin, 2013, p.44). Finally, remember that fundraising is not free. It is important to determine fundraising costs ahead of time and take these into consideration as fundraising proceeds. Costs that are often associated with fundraising efforts include printing/duplication costs, refreshments, postage, travel, materials/equipment, communication costs, salaries/consultant fees, and registration fees. In addition to fundraising, community change efforts can benefit from grants, Grants are funds given, usually by government organizations, for a specific purpose. The process of obtaining grants involves writing and submitting a proposal/application in accordance with established guidelines. Grant writing is a specialized skill. Unless the community counselor has specific training in this area, it is highly recommended that a grant writer is hired (Dustin, 2013). While the cost may seem prohibitive, the benefit, obtaining grant funds, is likely to be worth it. Budgeting for Community Programs A budget is a plan for using funds. It should include a list of expenses and income and the balance between the two. Expenses include all of the ways in which the organization or program will spend money. Employee related expenses are often one of the biggest costs for an organization (Homan, 2011). This includes salaries and benefits. Other expenses include rent, utilities, office supplies, insurance, and the fundraising costs mentioned above. Income can be divided into two categories, revenue and support. Revenue is money that the organization earns and support is money given to the organization through contributions and grants (Hutton & Phillips, 2009). When writing a budget, it is important to anticipate and project changes in both expenses and income. If a counselor is not familiar with the budgeting process, it may be appropriate to hire a consultant. Other Community Assets In addition to human resources and funds, there are a variety of other assets that may prove helpful in community change efforts. As discussed in Module 3, it is important to become familiar with natural resources, commercial resources, educational resources, and communication resources in a community. As the planning and implementation of the community change program continues, the counselor must be aware of how these resources can be utilized. Furthermore, it is necessary to build a rapport with those in the community who control these resources so that they can be made available for use (Homan, 2011). Conclusion Community change can only be successful when resources are used effectively. The community counselor must use a variety of skills to recruit and maintain a team of employees and volunteers. In addition, the counselor should work with members of the organization to acquire funds and other resources and manage them appropriately. References Dustin, J. C. (2013). Grant writing and fundraising tool kit for human services. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. Homan, M. S. (2011). Promoting community change: Making it happen in the real world (5th ed.). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole. Hutton, S., & Phillips, F. (2009). Nonprofit Kit for Dummies (3rd ed.) Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
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Running Head: COMMUNITY PLANNING

1

Community planning
Name
Instructor
Course
Date

COMMUNITY PLANNING

2

Community planning
1. What are images of potentiality and how do they relate to the elements and steps in
community planning?
The images of potentiality is a problem solving technique. The technique focuses on attaining
a specific goal through working towards them. This technique is preferred as opposed to
ignoring the problem and getting away from it. It is an essential technique as it would the
user to integrate the right strategies in an atmosphere that is nonjudgmental. The images of
potentiality relate to the elements and steps in community planning as it requires that there
are adequate strategies that are adhered to in various levels of community planning. The
images of potentiality align with the effective planning that is relative to community planning
as this requires that the potential obstacles are addressed.
2. Refer to the following excerpt from Lecture 1:
"For example, a school counselor may notice that many students in his school depend on free
breakfast and lunch at school as a significant source of food throughout ...


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