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Analyze the risk factors based on the results of a needs assessment and other supporting data. What are the risk factors for the selected problem? Are these risk factors modifiable with behavior change? What can community members do to prevent this problem?

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Topic for Epidemiological Research

Designing an intervention can be challenging, as it is important to gather information about the selected topic and community of interest. Selecting a research topic is critical, especially when there are so many topics that seem important to study. A community needs assessment is a great way to begin creating an intervention, by first understanding the health problems within a community that need the most assistance.

For this assignment, you will perform a community needs assessment, demonstrating your understanding of the scope and magnitude of health problems within a community, and develop a fact sheet that could be used to share your needs assessment findings with community members.

Instructions
Complete this assignment in two parts.

Part 1: Needs Assessment

Select a public health problem or condition from a community of interest that is supported by data.
Apply evidence-based data to highlight the severity of an identified epidemiological issue in the community.
Analyze the risk factors based on the results of a needs assessment and other supporting data.
What are the risk factors for the selected problem?
Are these risk factors modifiable with behavior change?
What can community members do to prevent this problem?
Use the Needs Assessment Template, linked in the resources. Your needs assessment should be 3–5 pages in length.

Describe your selected population, and provide the relevant demographic data.
List three public health problems identified from the needs assessment.
Select the problem or condition you will be addressing, based on the data presented.
Identify who bears the burden of the selected problem or condition.
Identify five risk factors associated with the selected problem or condition.
Discuss disease trends of the past five years.
Needs Assessment Requirements

The requirements outlined below correspond to the grading criteria in the Topic for Epidemiological Research Scoring Guide, so be sure to address each point. Read the performance-level descriptions for each criterion to see how your work will be assessed.

Apply evidence-based data to highlight the severity of an identified epidemiological issue in the community.
Identify the risk factors associated with the community health problem or condition, based on the results of your needs assessment and other supporting data.

Communicate public health information in a way that encourages behavior change to help improve the health and well-being of a targeted population group.

In this instance, imagine that you will be communicating with community members in hopes that they would be willing to take action related to the issue identified.

Part 2: Fact Sheet

Select a target audience and develop a public health fact sheet, with which to share your findings. Design your fact sheet in a manner that encourages behavior change at some level from members of your targeted community.

What population is affected?
What is the age, gender, race, socioeconomic status, et cetera of the target population?
What percent of the U.S. population is affected?
What are the risk factors associated with this problem?
What can people do to prevent this problem? Are there resources to address it?

Define a problem statement which reflects the challenge facing Mark as he planned for the opening of the new center. Why was Mark’s initial forecast of call volume so far off?  What could have been the reasons for this? What could Mark have done differently to improve his initial forecast?

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Forecasting using template provide with excel

Project Instructions

Instructions

In order to complete the assignment, first read the case write-up for the “Cutting Edge” case.  Then, answer the questions listed below for each part of the case.  The Part 1 questions refer to the 2 years leading up to the opening of the new call center.  Part 2 questions refer to the first 13 weeks of operation after opening the call center.  Part 3 questions refer to the first 18 months of operating the call center.

Conduct necessary calculations and visualizations to answer the questions.  Your Part 3 questions require you to use Excel for your solutions.  Copy your Excel solution(s) and paste them into the Part 3 questions of your Word document.  That way you only need submit one Word file.

Prepare a report, which includes your answers to the assignment questions.  Your answers must be entered directly into this Word document (Project Instructions) below each question.  Insert each answer below each question on this document and use as much space as needed.

Grading

A total of 100 percentage points is possible for this assignment.  This includes the point values which are assigned to each question (point values are noted next to each question below) plus 10 points which are earned based on following the prescribed assignment format, and the proper writing style and APA format.  The percentage points earned on this assignment will be multiplied by 20 to obtain the assignment grade.

 

Part 1 (15 points):

Question 1a (5 points): Define a problem statement which reflects the challenge facing Mark as he planned for the opening of the new center.

Question 1b (5 points): Why was Mark’s initial forecast of call volume so far off?  What could have been the reasons for this?

Question 1c (5 points): What could Mark have done differently to improve his initial forecast?

 

Part 2 (25 points):

In answering the Part 2 questions, you should download and refer to Student Data File No. 1 which contains the historical data that was used in preparing the forecast results that are reported in Part 2 of the case write-up document.  Note that you do not have to prepare any forecasts in answering this question.  Hint: it will be helpful for you to review a time-series plot of the 13 weeks of data contained on Student Data File No. 1.

Question 2a (4 points): Describe the details of the Last Value method used by Harry and explain its accuracy (MAD value) in comparison with the accuracy of the other methods.

Question 2b (4 points): Describe the details of the Averaging method used by Harry and explain its accuracy (MAD value) in comparison with the accuracy of the other methods.

Question 2c (4points): Describe the details of the Moving Average (5 days) method used by Harry and explain its accuracy (MAD value) in comparison with the accuracy of the other methods.

Question 2d (4points): Describe the details of the Exponential Smoothing (alpha = 0.1) method used by Harry and explain its accuracy (MAD value) in comparison with the accuracy of the other methods.

Question 2e (4 points): Describe the details of the Exponential Smoothing (alpha = 0.7) method used by Harry and explain its accuracy (MAD value) in comparison with the accuracy of the other methods.

Question 2f (5 points): Based on the analysis above, provide your recommendations to Mark on daily call volume forecasting to improve the scheduling of the call enter staff.

 

Part 3 (50 points): (copy your Excel solutions and paste them into the Word document as a picture).

In answering the Part 3 questions, you should download and refer to Student Data File No. 2 which contains the historical data that you will need to answer the questions.

 

Question 3a (10 points):

Prepare a forecast of call volume for July 2015 by applying Exponential Smoothing (with alpha = 0.5) to the prior 18 months of data.  Use the appropriate Excel template from the Hillier text to prepare your forecast and assume that initial call volume is 24,000.  Show your forecast below and attach the completed Excel template.

Call Volume Forecast for July 2015 (Exponential Smoothing, alpha=0.5):

 

Question 3b (10 points):

Apply Linear Regression to predict call volume from head count using the appropriate Excel template.  Assume the headcount in July is 80000.   Using this headcount number, show your forecast below and attach the completed Excel template.

Call Volume Forecast for July 2015 (Causal Forecasting based on head count of 80,000):

 

Question 3c (10 points):

Calculate the Mean absolute deviation value of the Exponential Smoothing model (Question 3a) and the Average Estimation Error of the Linear Regression model (Question 3b).  Explain the difference between these two values.

Mean absolute deviation of Exponential Smoothing model, alpha=0.5:

Average Estimation Error for Causal Forecasting model based on headcount:

Explanation of the difference in values:

 

Question 3d (20 points):

Considering your answers to Questions 3a, 3b and 3c and all the factors that have been described above, prepare your best forecast for July 2015.  Show your forecast value below and explain and justify how you came up with this forecast.   Finally, provide your recommendations to Mark on how to modify forecasting process and improve its accuracy.

Call Volume Forecast for July 2015 (My forecast):

 

Explanation and Justification of Your Method:

 

Your Recommendations:

Critically assess the utility of Neural Networks in a modern financial environment.

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The utility of Neural Networks in a modern financial environment

Critically assess the utility of Neural Networks in a modern financial environment.

 

In Sense and Sensibility, Austen depicts several ambitious and greedy individuals. How are human relationships, including the notion of marriage, impacted by the frantic pursuit of social status and wealth?

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Sense and Sensibility book by Jane Austen

Essay 1 (Austen, Sense and Sensibility)

Select one of the two topics below and write a two, full-page essay. Support your discussion with at least one quotation (or paraphrase) from the primary source (novel itself). NO secondary (outside) sources may be used for this first
assignment. The focus is on your ideas!

1. In Sense and Sensibility, Austen depicts several ambitious and greedy individuals. How are human relationships, including the notion of marriage, impacted by the frantic pursuit of social status and wealth?

2. Both Willoughby and Colonel Brandon are privileged men but also constrained by their social position as landed gentry. What explains their vastly different treatment of women, especially Marianne Dashwood?

Who are the stakeholders you will seek to act as sponsors to support you in the implementation of a problem solution? Provide specific reasons why these stakeholders are key to implementing a solution.

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Stakeholder Analysis

Assessment Description
The purpose of this assignment is to identify key stakeholders within your organization who are affected by, have influence over, or have an interest in solving the problem you are attempting to address with your action research project.

Stakeholder analysis requires you to examine a number of variables in relation to each individual or group you have identified. Use the “Stakeholder Brainstorming” resource provided as a tool to assist you in completing the “Stakeholder Analysis” Excel spreadsheet.

In the analysis, list titles and groups of stakeholders. Do not list names of specific individuals. It is important to note the role each stakeholder has in the problem and in solving the problem. Determine whether or not the individual or group has a negative, indifferent, positive, or very positive predisposition about the problem.

Within the “Stakeholder Analysis” spreadsheet, there is a tab labeled “Current-State Matrix.” Study the terminology related to influence and support and think about how each block describes the feelings a stakeholder may have about the problem and proposed solution. For example, there may be a group or individual that has a high degree of support with regard to solving the problem. If you know such person or group also has a high level of influence in how the problem is solved, it is important to think about how you will approach this person or group in terms of seeking information and presenting potential solutions. Taking time to rank the level of influence and support for each stakeholder is critical as you proceed, because it may have a large role in determining whether or not specific problem solutions can be implemented.

Take the time necessary to conduct research that will help you determine possible stakeholder reactions and issues related to potential solutions. Think about the motivation, drivers, and expectations of exchange for each stakeholder, the problem, and the proposed solutions. Finally, consider the role of the stakeholder, including when the stakeholder needs to be involved in the change effort, any stakeholder management activities, and stakeholder deliverables and timelines. If a stakeholder will ultimately end up having a designated role in implementing the solution, the ability to articulate the role, scope, and timeframe will be of utmost importance.

Complete the “Stakeholder Analysis” spreadsheet and submit it to the instructor along with a 500-word summary of your findings. In the summary, discuss the following:

Summarize stakeholder attitudes about the identified problem and support your summary with specific data from your collection tool.
Summarize stakeholder attitudes or experiences related to previously implemented problem solutions and support your summary with specific data from your collection tool.

Summarize stakeholder ideas for potential solutions and support your summary with specific data from your collection tool.
Who are the stakeholders you will seek to act as sponsors to support you in the implementation of a problem solution? Provide specific reasons why these stakeholders are key to implementing a solution.
Who are the stakeholders that will likely be directly affected by solving the problem? Provide specific ways these stakeholders could be directly affected by solving the problem.

Who are the stakeholders who could pose potential roadblocks to solving the problem? Provide specific reasons why these stakeholders could pose potential roadblocks and what those roadblocks could be.

Explain three things you would like your children to learn about the Bahamian society regards women or men.

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Bahamian society

Explain three things you would like your children to learn about the Bahamian society regards women or men.

How was social media related to Nasty Gal’s business model? To what extent was Nasty Gal a “social” business? What people, organization, and technology problems were responsible for Nasty Gal’s failure as a business? Could Nasty Gal have avoided bankruptcy?

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A Nasty Ending for Nasty Gal

BAM225

Information Management “Read “Business Problem-Solving Case: A Nasty Ending for Nasty Gal” on pages 387-388 of your text and answer the following:

How was social media related to Nasty Gal’s business model? To what extent was Nasty Gal a “social” business? What people, organization, and technology problems were responsible for Nasty Gal’s failure as a business? Could Nasty Gal have avoided bankruptcy? Explain your answer.

Analyze Walmart and Amazon.com using the competitive forces and value chain models. Compare Walmart and Amazon’s business models and business strategies. What role does information technology play in each of these businesses? How is it helping them refine their business strategies?

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Walmart Versus Amazon and the Future of Retail

BAM225 – Info Mgmt

Read “Business Problem-Solving Case: Walmart Versus Amazon and the Future of Retail” on pages 110-112 of your text and answer the following:

Analyze Walmart and Amazon.com using the competitive forces and value chain models. Then, compare Walmart and Amazon’s business models and business strategies. What role does information technology play in each of these businesses? How is it helping them refine their business strategies?

Appraise the key legislative drivers in relation to sustainable building, low carbon design and energy efficiency of buildings. Undertake energy and carbon assessments using standard metrics and software and analyse the results of such assessments.

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Environmental Science and Services

This coursework addresses the module learning outcomes. Namely, by the end of the module the successful student will be able to:

1. Appraise the key legislative drivers in relation to sustainable building, low carbon design and energy efficiency of buildings. (KU)

2. Undertake energy and carbon assessments using standard metrics and software and analyse the results of such assessments. (KU)

3. Evaluate the function and design of building services for a simple building, relating to sustainability and human comfort. (KU)

word count of 1000 words max and should include text, drawings and calculations. Note. Drawings, tables and calculations will not count towards your 1000 word count.

coursework requires you to propose 2 enhancements to the house which improve its energy performance characteristics by reducing its operational energy demand.

Your 2 enhancements must be as follows:-

1. To improve the fabric of the building, supported by u-value calculations

2. To improve the heating of the building

You will evidence the improvements to the building through comparing the building performance of the house you are given, with the one which incorporates your enhancements.

Your report is to be presented with the following supporting information (as a minimum):-

1. A title page. – Not included in word count

2. A contents page. – Not included in word count 3.A clear introduction setting out the performance characteristics of the house before your suggested enhancements. This could commentary on information such as:

a. the building’s use

b. it’s existing construction

c. the site and location

4.Proposalsand rationale behind your 2 chosen enhancements including demonstrating how they are compatible with the building’s existing or proposed use, construction and location.

5.Supporting drawings and calculations should be of relevant technical details complete with explanatory notes.

6.The report should be professionally presented, organised in a logical manner. It should be easy to follow and to identify the main points.

7.The graphic material should add value, not confuse or have a neutral effect.

8.A conclusion, providing a clear summary of your proposals.

9.A list of references. Not included in word count.

10.The text is to be written with correct spelling, grammar and punctuation.

 

What rates and levels of STS will be found among social work students? What contribution will the research variables make in explaining the STS variance among social work students? Does the interaction between supervision satisfaction and mastery make a unique contribution to STS?

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Critical appraisal

Social work students and secondary traumatic stress—the contribution of personal, professional and environmental factors

In recent years, there has been an increased recognition of the negative implications for therapists who work with trauma victims. Figley (1995) proposed the term ‘Secondary Traumatic Stress’ (STS), which refers to a situation in which traumatic events affect not only the victims them- selves but also the people in their environment. According to the number of studies, different kinds of therapist populations have shown varying degrees of STS (Adams et al., 2006; Ben-Porat and Itzhaky, 2009; Weitcamp et al., 2014; Tavormina and Clossey, 2017; Quinn et al., 2019). However, only a few studies have examined the existence of STS among social work students. Social work students are at risk of developing emotional distress due to their young age and lack of experience and skills (Litvack et al., 2010). For this reason, raising student awareness of the risks involved in working with trauma victims is the ethical obligation of the academic
institutions that train them (Sommer, 2008). In an attempt to map the factors that contribute to STS, many studies
have pointed to the personal, alongside the environmental, factors in a therapist’s life (Hensel et al., 2015). In that vein, this study aimed to examine the rate of STS among social work students and the contribution of background variables (age, gender and past trauma), personal resources (mastery and self-differentiation) and environmental resources (supervision satisfaction and peer support) to STS.

STS and social work students
Figley (1995) proposed that therapists who are exposed to descriptions of traumatic experiences relayed by clients who have been directly exposed may, like the clients themselves, also suffer from posttraumatic symptoms. According to Figley (1995), therapists can be ‘infected’ by atrauma victim and can experience a range of posttraumatic symptoms
similar to those experienced by their clients, such as intrusive thoughts about the (clients’) traumatic event, avoiding traumatic content, feeling emotionally numb and experiencing increased irritability. Indeed, in the most recent edition of the American guide to psychiatric diagnosis (APA, 2013), the definition of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) now
includes what is known as criterion A, described as ‘indirect exposure to aversive details of the trauma, usually in the course of professional duties’. During the course of their field placements, social work students come into contact with a variety of traumatised populations, including children at risk, abused women and adolescents in distress. They are also exposed to traumatic material via discussions and case studies that are presented in the classroom (Butler et al., 2017). In addition, the motivation to be- come a social worker, which often includes values such as making the world a better place, as well as the wish (perhaps) to heal a personal wound, may put social work students at greater risk of denial of the emotional price that the profession exacts (Lev-Wiesel, 2003). The existence of this phenomenon (to one degree or another) among social work students has been revealed previously (Knight, 2010; Zosky, 2013; Shannon et al., 2014; Butler et al., 2017). However, due to the scar- city of such studies regarding the factors that contribute to this phenom-
enon among social work students specifically, there is a need to continue investigating them: that is, the factors that affect STS among social work students, including personal and environmental resources.

Personal resources
Mastery refers to the extent to which people typically feel in control of their lives and the extent to which they perceive that their lives are under their control rather than being a matter of fate (Duffy, 2010). Pearlman and Saakvitne (1995) suggested that a sense of mastery, for trauma therapists, is manifested in the therapists’ ability to separate between their personal and professional lives, to make decisions independently, to limit caseload and to acquire sufficient resources. Studies among social work students have indicated the importance of mastery to beliefs about their abilities (Mackie and Anderson, 2011). Studies that have examined the correlation between mastery and STS reveal a mixed picture. On the one hand, studies conducted among family violence workers and social workers after 11 September 2001 found a
negative correlation between mastery and STS (Adams et al., 2006; BenPorat and Itzhaky, 2009). On the other hand, Weiss-Dagan et al. (2016) did not reveal any correlation between these variables among social workers. Self-differentiation, a concept that was developed by Bowen (1978), refers to the extent to which individuals see their feelings, thoughts and activities as being their own and not the others. This concept resembles the idea of emotional maturity. One’s level of self-differentiation in a therapeutic framework would imply a therapist’s ability to separate between him/herself and the client while also having empathy towards the client, an important element of self-regulation (Wilson and Lindy, 1999). With regard to social work students, Ben Shlomo et al. (2012) noted that those students who had a high degree of self-differentiation were likely to be more successful in displaying flexible responses in stressful situations and in their field work. Indeed, a study conducted among social workers in hospitals found a significant negative correlation between the social worker’s ability to emotionally separate from the clients and STS (Badger et al., 2008). In addition, among social workers working with a variety of different populations in Israel, it was found that the lower the level of self-differentiation, the higher the level of STS (FinziDottan and Berckovitch-Kormosh, 2016).

Environmental resources
It is clear that when students are required to treat trauma victims, supervision is of the utmost importance (Carello and Butler, 2014). Supervision can normalise the students’ feelings and offer them support and information about the nature of traumatic responses, as well as the tools to face distress (Walker, 2004). Despite the importance of supervision, the research findings regarding its contribution to STS are equivocal. For example, a negative correlation was found between supervision and STS among therapists working with populations such as abused children and terror victims (Walker, 2004; Cohen et al., 2006). On the other hand, studies conducted among therapists working in the areas of family violence, sexual assault victims and mental health did not find a correlation between these two variables (Dworkin et al., 2016; Ivicic and Motta, 2017; Rizkalla et al., 2017). In addition, Quinn et al. (2019) found a significant negative correlation between the supervisory relationship and STS, but did not find a significant correlation between supervision frequency and this variable. To the best of our knowledge, an empirical analysis of the correlation between supervision satisfaction and STS among social work students has not yet been conducted. However, there is one study that indicated a significant negative correlation between the supervisory working alliance and STS among counsellors-in-training (Toren, 2008). In addition, the unique contributions made by a student’s supervision and a student’s personal resources to his/her STS have not been examined, especially in regard to the student’s level of mastery, a resource which plays a special role in an individual’s ability to cope with trauma and distress. Colleague support refers to the therapist’s personal and psychological needs for inclusion and empathy. Collegial support also offers therapists
a framework for sharing professional dilemmas and a forum for exchanging knowledge and resources. Colleague support plays a particularly important role in preventing a therapist’s STS. Having colleagues who
identify with the therapist help normalise the therapist’s feelings (Munroe et al., 1995). Peer support, likewise, is an essential component of social work students’ education and it is for this reason that student often study together in small groups. There are in fact studies indicating that there is a correlation between colleagues’ support and STS among different therapist populations (Iliffe and Steed, 2000; Ben-Porat and Itzhaky, 2009). As for students, in a study conducted among student paramedics, it was found that inadequate support from peers contributed significantly to their negative feelings (Lowery and Stokes, 2005).

Research questions
In accordance with the preceding literature review, the following research questions were posed:
1. What rates and levels of STS will be found among social work students?
2. What contribution will the research variables make in explaining the STS variance among social work students?
3. Does the interaction between supervision satisfaction and mastery make a unique contribution to STS?