Living with Anxiety Paper

Living with Anxiety Paper

RUNNING HEAD: Page # Living with anxiety: “I wish I could understand” Assignment #1 Grant Proposal. Student: Dayanni Cayon. Professor: Dr. Carlos Viera. PSYM 682- Counseling in Community Settings. Carlos Albizu University. RUNNING HEAD: Page # Short Description of the Project In this grant proposal, we aim to consolidate a mental health program that handles anxiety among middle school children in the community of West Kendall, FL. We are planning the program will serve 100 middle school students, and at least one of their parents. Anxiety disorder is the mental incapability of being unable to control fears and feelings of sadness and worries (McDowell et al., 2019). Anxiety disorder has rampantly been reported in children as societal conformity has pushed children to this disorder. At the same time, mental disorders have been focused on by the government and healthcare institutions (McDowell et al., 2019). Therefore, through this underestimation of anxiety disorder, we have decided to create a program where children suffering from anxiety can be treated and offered therapy to help unwind repeated flashbacks that may be causing the anxiety. The project is budgeted for a total cost of $75,000 with an estimated timeline of one year. This grant proposal is being presented on behalf of The Children’s Centre for Anxiety Eradication (CCAE), a non-profit organization determined to improve the mental health of children and adults across the U.S; moving on called the fiscal agent. The fiscal agent has a staff of mental health professionals all over the country, including counselors, social workers, and psychologists; therefore, we have experience running similar programs and a good reputation in the community. The proposal will be presented to the Annie E. Casey Foundation, as their main work is committed to building a brighter future for children who face significant obstacles on the road to adulthood. They stated that to help kids, we must invest in the parents who raise them and the neighborhoods where they live. Statement of Need and Project Significance This project meets the needs of middle school students who are struggling with anxiety. Anxiety is a common mental health problem and can lead to academic problems, social isolation, and other mental health problems, especially at that important age. Anxiety is also a risk factor for later mental health problems, such as depression and substance abuse. Our proposed project’s needs are for the whole community’s benefit. The need for healthy children is for the benefit of the community at large. The project can also handle the community’s needs for employment as it will create room for employment. The needs were identified using many available statistical data from health institutions, the World Health Organization (WHO), and the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) Annual Mental Health Report (McDowell et al., 2019). In addition, the community members also helped by identifying the needs as they have a well-detailed picture of the situation in the community. The project is crucial since it will help end the disparity between the children suffering from Anxiety Disorder when compared with adults suffering from the same problem. This project is unique as this will be the only program in this area focused on the mental health of middle school children that could suffer from this disorder, providing those children with different skills to manage anxiety. The project differs from the current practice as it has focused on children who may have been considered less troubled with an anxiety disorder (McDowell et al., 2019). This is different since the focus will be on helping the children suffering because of the impairments caused by this disorder. Plan of Operation/Scope of Work The grant proposal project aims to reduce anxiety in middle school children by allowing them to learn about various forms of anxiety and how they can manage it. The targeted audience is primarily those who have experienced anxiety and are now entering middle school. The program will be offered as a series of RUNNING HEAD: Page # classes during the school year, repeating once per week. At least one of the student’s parents will assist to the last meeting of each month. Each class will include lectures and videos about different types of anxiety and ways to manage it, as well as hands-on activities that teach participants how to identify their symptoms and deal with them effectively. In addition, there will also be opportunities for students to participate in one or more enrichment activities. These could include working on a project or helping each other with homework assignments provided by the instructor. Furthermore, several activities will be initiated to help participants meet the project’s objectives. These activities will include providing education and support to children and families, increasing awareness about anxiety, and working to provide enrichment services and resources about this disorder. The project will focus on three main objectives: to increase knowledge about anxiety, to evaluate its impact on middle school children’s lives, and to provide assessment tools for parents to learn more about their child’s anxiety (Lewis et al., (2011). The project also aims to use this information to create new mental health services for middle school students. The project will collaborate with other organizations to provide enrichment services, expertise, and resources. These organizations will include schools, mental health providers, and community organizations. Staffing, Key Personnel, and Adequacy of Resources. This program would be led by me. I have experience working with adolescents with anxiety disorders. In addition, I have a background in education, so I can teach students about anxiety symptoms, and how to handle them. I also know how to manage a classroom of middle schoolers well, which is essential for this project. The project will be run by three qualified therapists and two qualified psychoeducational staff members. The therapists will be responsible for the mental health aspect of the program, and the psychoeducational staff members will be responsible for the educational aspect of the program (Lewis et al., (2011). The project will be run in the selected schools, in specific areas that they will rent us. The schools are completely involved in this program to improve their student’s mental health. In addition, the schools are equipped with other necessary resources, including activity rooms with tables and chairs, classrooms, and libraries. We also have resources such as books and audiovisual content that could be used to help kids learn about anxiety disorders and how to cope with them. Budget for the Project The budget for this project is $75.000. This will cover the costs of lease space, activity requirements, staffing, key personnel, and all other project requirements and expenses, including labor, materials and supplies, technology, and equipment for the whole project. Evaluation of Project Success The objectives of this program are to provide mental health services to underserved populations in our community and to promote social justice. In addition, we will measure the success of our program by tracking the number of clients served, the satisfaction of the clients, and the outcomes of the programs. The project will use a combination of pre and post-tests, interviews, and testimonials to evaluate the success of the programs in addressing mental health issues within the community. The interviews will be used to assess the participants’ attitudes and beliefs about anxiety. The testimonials will be used to assess the participants’ experiences with the program. RUNNING HEAD: Page # References Lewis, J. A., Lewis, M. D., Daniels, J. A., & D’Andrea, M. J. (2010). Community Counselling: A multicultural-social justice perspective. Cengage Learning. McDowell, C. P., Dishman, R. K., Gordon, B. R., & Herring, M. P. (2019). Physical activity and anxiety: a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. American journal of preventive medicine, 57(4), 545–556. ASSIGNMENT 3 – THE PLAN OF OPERATIONS AND COLLABORATIONS, STAFFING AND ADEQUACY OF RESOURCES, BUDGET NARRATIVE, AND EVALUATION AND DISSEMINATION (16 Points) Assignment 3 incorporates several key sections of a grant proposal into one Assignment. The PLAN OF OPERATION AND COLLABORATIONS tells the story of what will happen in your project once funding is awarded. It is the most important section of the proposal because a reviewer must clearly understand all the activities, including how you will recruit participants (unless you have an audience already in place), how you plan to provide prevention or therapeutic services, and how the logistics will function every day of the project. Collaborations are provided by outside businesses and organizations that will contribute products (such as food or office supplies) and services (such as residential services or psychotherapy) to your participants at no cost. Therefore, Collaborations are seen as donations or as in-kind services to the project and are required by many grant funding organizations. The Staffing and Adequacy of Resources section will let the funding source know that you plan to hire the right people for the project and that you have office space and all that is needed to make the project a success. The Budget Narrative will explain the details of your costs and expenditures, and the Evaluation and Dissemination section will describe how you will measure success and then tell the world about it. Please submit this assignment as an attachment (not in the text box) and with a cover page with your name and the title and number of the assignment to the Assignments Tab of BB. This assignment’s sections that must be used as headers are: -The Plan of Operation -Collaborations -Staffing and Adequacy of Resources -Budget Narrative -Evaluation and Dissemination A minimum of 6 pages, double spaced, is required for this assignment. Use the headers above for each section within the Assignment so they are clearly identified. INFORMATION TO BE INCLUDED IN EACH SECTION: THE PLAN OF OPERATION and COLLABORATIONS (3 pages) • The Plan of Operation expands the objectives of your program, describing the specific activities for each objective (list them). • This section should be clear and easy to understand. • Here, you are telling the reviewer what will happen, step-by-step, in your project. • Include everything you need to do to make this a success, such as: 6 ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ • • • • how you plan to find the participants for the project where the project will be housed what are the services that will be provided how you will schedule appointments and provide follow-up what happens if a participant stops coming or drops out what types of counseling, and how (individual, couples, families, groups) will be provided ▪ if psychoeducational activities will be provided, who will conduct them and what type of information will be imparted Include “a day in the life” here, where you will describe a typical project day if funding is awarded. Here you also describe the setting, what happens when participants arrive, how they are served by the project (through therapy or other activities), what happens when they leave, what happens if they bring children, etc. Equal access for all, regardless of gender, religion, race or handicapping condition, should be discussed in this section. Discuss the expected outcomes once the Plan of Operation is successfully implemented. How are participants expected to change after they go through your program? COLLABORATIONS can include organizations that give you space for your program so that you don’t have to pay for it, provide food or snacks, provide therapeutic services or referrals, etc. Collaborations enrich your grant and increase your chances of getting funded. Collaborators may include schools, mental health centers, grocery stores or restaurants for snacks, recreational facilities, other programs that may be used for client referrals at no charge to the clients, etc. Collaborations are an important part of grant proposals, as funding sources expect you to have “partners” that believe in, and support, your project. Sometimes, the cost of the donations (such as the cost of food, or the cost of the space they are letting you use) from collaborations are referred to as “in kind” monies that are included in your budget in a section that may be titled “In Kind Donations”. STAFFING, ADEQUACY OF RESOURCES, AND BUDGET (1-2 Pages) o Describe “who does what” in terms of staff, therapists, etc. o Who supervises whom? What about credentials and licenses? o Are counselors supervised by psychologists or psychiatrists? o How are the duties of the clerical staff determined? Why are they necessary? o Who answers the phone to take referrals and speak to clients/patients? o What about “adequacy of resources”? Do you have “adequate” offices with parking spaces, computers, and all that is needed for the project? o Include a Budget Narrative (a couple of sentences explaining the purpose) for the following sections, with a dollar amount for each section: ▪ Staff (clerical and other) and Professional Personnel (mental health professionals and other professionals) ▪ Equipment (computers, copiers, printers, etc.) ▪ Supplies (office supplies, educational materials) 7 ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ Contractual (space rental, office cleaning, etc.) Other (marketing, advertising, duplication of flyers, postage, etc.). Can your “Collaborators” provide office space, food, or other services? If yes, list it in your budget so that the grant reviewer knows it will be donated. Note that the total amount of funds requested may not exceed $150,000. PROJECT EVALUATION AND DISSEMINATION (2 Pages) The Project Evaluation and Dissemination section of your proposal answers the question of “How will you measure success?” It is very important to funders because they may not want to fund a project where the measurement of success is ambiguous or unclear. That is why in your grant proposal you have to develop operational definitions for any behaviors or attitudes you plan to address. For example, if you will be increasing self-esteem, how will you measure this? How do you define self-esteem? How is it observed? How will you know if a participant’s self-esteem increased? In this section, you will once again repeat the project’s objectives and discuss, for each objective, how it will be measured. Mental health projects are especially challenging for funders because it is sometimes difficult to quantify increases in self-esteem or self-efficacy, decreases in suicidal ideation, increase in self-confidence so that abuse is no longer tolerated, etc. There are scales that can be purchased to measure change in mental disposition, but there are other ways to measure change as well. Some of these ways include the keeping of journals for self-awareness and selfevaluation, and having participants evaluate change at the end of the project. Portfolios may also be used and these can include testimonials, photographs, poems and songs, and personal interviews. In the case of children, interviewing parents and teachers, as well as the children themselves, can be effective. Observation is also used with children for programs which increase social skills, such as those available for children within the autism spectrum. The following are some suggestions, and questions to consider when writing your evaluation section: • How will project’s effectiveness and its success be evaluated? • Make sure you operationally defined terms such as “attitude” and “self-esteem”. • Describe in detail the type of data to be collected and at what point in the process it will be collected. • Keep in mind that some of these processes cost money and that they must be included in the budget. • Go back to the “expected outcomes” in the Plan of Operation and make sure you have addressed these in the evaluation section. 8 • • • • Use quantitative (numerical) data, if possible, and try to use scales and questionnaires that are quantitative Interviews, testimonials, pre and post surveys also acceptable forms of evaluating success. If necessary, a portfolio may also be acceptable, but only if there is no other way to evaluate success. This includes pictures, testimonials, schedules, agendas, etc. Include a short DISSEMINATION PLAN so that other individuals who wish to replicate the project can be informed. This can be through websites, newsletters, and conference presentations. You may need to include money for this in the budget to pay for printing or attending conferences. 9