Amy, a generalist social worker in a Mid-Atlantic State, works with girls in the criminal justice system charged with status offenses including truancy, curfew violations, and running away. Through her work, Amy discovered that each year a disproportionate number of status offenses are brought against girls. Amy wonders why this occurs and what she can do to better understand this trend. Consider how Amy can use the change process to learn about the needs of the girls she works with and how that information could be used to change gender-responsive choices of the criminal justice system.
Moving through the Planned Change Process and using critical thinking skills, work with your partner to go (1) identify the actors in the change process, and (2) move through the following stages, thinking what components would be necessary to move through the phase (who/what needs to be engaged, what kind of information is needed, how would the information be acquired, what details are required for the process, etc.)
Intake and Engagement
Whom would it be important for Amy to engage with during the first stage of the change process? Consider both people who can help her to effect change and those who can help her have a more accurate scope of the problem.
Data Collection and Assessment
What needs to be studied? What data would need to be collected? What needs to be changed? What can be changed? How can change occur?
Planning and Contracting
What will the objectives be? What type of strategies/interventions can be used? Who will need to do what? What roadblocks might Amy encounter in her efforts to both define and address this problem?