Final Project: Part 3: Applying Research to a Case Study (Evidence-Based Practice)
COUN6626: Research
Methodology
and Program Evaluation
Final Project Worksheet
Walden University
DIRECTIONS: As you proceed through this Final Project Worksheet, please carefully attend to each of the bullets within each section. Remember to include your specialization below.
If you are a CMHC student or a MCFC student you may select any of the case studies and the client(s) you are interested in working with.
If you are a School Counseling student, there are two case studies that address students in the school environment. Please choose either Case Study 1 or Case Study 2.
Be sure to choose one that you are passionate about and that will help inform your future work as a counselor!
Please identify your specialization by placing a “X” in the appropriate space:
CMHC _________
MCFC__________
SC____X_____
PART 1: APPLYING RSEARCH TO A CASE STUDY
Please identify which case study you will use by placing a “X” in the appropriate space:
Case Study 1 _
X
__
Chloe, an 8-year-old African American female, has been brought to counseling by her foster mother. Cloe was removed from her biological mother’s home after reports of physical and sexual abuse were substantiated by an investigation by the Department of Human Services. Law enforcement became involved after reports that Chloe’s biological mother was allowing adult men to sexually abuse Chloe for drugs. Initial concerns of this behavior started when Chloe was just 5 years old. It was only recently that these concerns were able to be substantiated, resulting in Chloe’s placement into foster care and the parental rights of her biological mother terminated.
Chloe currently lives in foster care and is available for adoption. Her foster mother indicates that she tends to withdraw from interpersonal interaction with adults. Chloe is a highly sensitive child and cries easily. The foster mother, Elaine, has noticed that Chloe is demonstrating distress anytime she is separated from her foster parents.
When Chloe is dropped off at school, daycare, or swimming lessons, she is tearful and chews her fingernails until they bleed. Her teachers indicate that the distress tends to resolve within about 30 minutes, but Chloe often isolates herself and will not participate in any learning or social activities until after this time passes. As a result, Chloe’s teachers are concerned because she is falling behind in her schoolwork and she has difficulty socializing with her peers. Her teachers are worried about Chloe’s academic achievement as well as her social and emotional development.
School Counselors: Chloe’s teachers have reached out to you for interventions to help Chloe become successful in school.
Identify the client of focus by providing some basic information (e.g., age, gender, ethnicity, grade level, etc.):
The client that I will focus on in the case study is Chloe. She is an 8-year-old African American child, who is currently in foster care. She is in the third grade and often attends daycare following.
Describe the presenting problem and the mental health concern you will address in your work with the identified client or student:
Chole’s presenting problems according to her foster parents and teachers are as follows:
· Withdrawal from interpersonal interaction with adults
· Separation anxiety
· Falling behind in her schoolwork
· Difficulty socializing with her peers
Name the counseling intervention(s) that you will investigate for use with this client:
Chloe’s presenting symptoms can best be addressed by using the intervention child-centered play therapy (CCPT) because it presents a creative methodology to working with children. I also believe it will allow me to interact with Chloe in a developmentally and culturally sensitive manner that will ultimately enhance self-regulation and improve her social functioning creatively.
Articulating the research question. Research questions follow a specific formula. Here is some information to help you in designing your research question below.
Here is an example of a research question:
Is art therapy effective to improve communication in elderly people with dementia?
The format is as follows: Is (
name of intervention
) effective for treating (
name the population or category of your client
) diagnosed with (
mental health issue
)?
Include your Research Question here using the suggested format from above:
Is child-centered play therapy effective for treating children ages 8 and younger, who have been diagnosed with separation anxiety?
PART 2: APPLYING RESEARCH TO A CASE STUDY
Using the Walden Library, search the professional counseling databases to identify current, peer-reviewed research articles which investigate the intervention and mental health disorder you have chosen to research. List three article citations (in APA format with links to the articles) that you have identified for use in your Final Project. Each article should adhere to the following guidelines:
· Use only peer-reviewed article published in the last 10 years.
· Include at least one quantitative and one qualitative research design.
· Do NOT use a meta-analysis type article. Meta-analysis articles include results by combining and analyzing data from different studies conducted on similar research topics. These are not helpful for purposes of this assignment.
· Include the permalink for each article. See the Week 5 resources for a handout on how to do this!
ARTICLE 1
Citation:
Ensink, K., Borelli, J. L., Normandin, L., Target, M., & Fonagy, P. (2020. Childhood sexual abuse and attachment insecurity: Associations with child psychological difficulties. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 90(1), 115-124. https://doi-org.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/10.1037/ort0000407
Permalink
:
https://ezp.waldenulibrary.org/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=pdh&AN=2019-11859-001&site=eds-live&scope=site
Please identify your which type of journal article by placing a “X” in the appropriate
Quantitative _________
Qualitative ___
X
____
Mixed Methods_________
ARTICLE 2
Citation:
Jacob, M., Suveg, C., & Whitehead, M. (2014). Relations Between Emotional and Social Functioning in Children with Anxiety Disorders. Child Psychiatry & Human Development, 45(5), 519-532. https://doi-org.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/10.1007/s10578-013-0421-7
Permalink:
https://ezp.waldenulibrary.org/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=125492421&site=eds-live&scope=site
Please identify your which type of journal article by placing a “X” in the appropriate space:
Quantitative ___
X
____
Qualitative __________
Mixed Methods_________
ARTICLE 3
Citation:
Nasab, H. M., & Alipour, Z. M. (2015). The effectiveness of Sandplay. Therapy in reducing symptoms of separation anxiety in children 5 to 7 years old. Journal of Educational Sciences & Psychology, 5(1), 47-53.
Permalink:
https://ezp.waldenulibrary.org/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=113858592&site=eds-live&scope=site
Please identify your which type of journal article by placing a “X” in the appropriate space:
Quantitative _________
Qualitative ____
X
____
Mixed Methods_________
PART 3: APPLYING RESEARCH TO A CASE STUDY (Evidence-Based Practice)
Using the following information as a guide, develop a polished APA formatted paper for the final project.
A template is provided for the final project.
You
will submit the worksheet for Part 1 and Part 2. You will analyze three scholarly articles and apply the findings to your case study.
Annotated Bibliography
Write a brief introduction that identifies which case study, client, and mental health disorder you chose for your project. Identify the intervention you are investigating for use in evidence-based practice. For School Counseling students, identify the school-based intervention strategy you are investigating for use in evidence-based practice.
Research Question:
Insert your approved research question.
Search Strategy:
Describe the Boolean search strategies and key words you used to conduct your search. Be specific in reporting how you conducted your research.
Annotations
Article 1.
APA Article citation
Permalink
Write one or two substantive paragraphs and provide an overview of the article in your own words. Make sure to include the following elements:
Problem/Purpose
Research Question
Ethical and Cultural Considerations
Sampling
Methodology
Data/Analysis/Study Outcomes
Strengths and Limitations
Article 2.
APA Article citation
Permalink
Write one or two substantive paragraphs and provide an overview of the article. Make sure to include the following elements:
Problem/Purpose
Research Question
Ethical and Cultural Considerations
Sampling
Methodology
Data/Analysis/Study Outcomes
Strengths and Limitations
Article 3.
APA Article citation
Permalink
Write one or two substantive paragraphs and provide an overview of the article. Make sure to include the following elements:
Problem/Purpose
Research Question
Ethical and Cultural Considerations
Sampling
Methodology
Data/Analysis/Study Outcomes
Strengths and Limitations
Evidence-Based Practice
In this section, give an overall summary of the findings for all three articles you analyzed. Describe the general outcomes of what the studies found in terms of how well the intervention worked with the population you selected, and how well the intervention addressed the counseling issue or disorder you were exploring.
Answer your research question
. If the topics/populations in your articles were related but do not match your research question, explain how you drew your conclusions to answer the research question. Describe how this information applies to the client in your chosen case study. Give one specific example of a counseling application of the intervention using a scenario that includes your identified client from the case study.
Treatment Goals (CMHC, MCFC Only)
With consideration for the presenting problem of the client and your chosen intervention, write one preliminary treatment goal for your client.
Action Plan (SC Only)
With consideration for the mental health issue of the client, create an Action Plan of next steps a School Counselor could take once the issues are identified. Discuss three different actions to help the client as applied to the role of a school counselor.
Implementation strategies are critical to effectively address the needs of our students. Discuss the Mindset Standard(s) and Behavior Standard(s) students will demonstrate through classroom lessons, activities and/or individual/small group counseling. Please see
https://www.schoolcounselor.org/asca/media/asca/home/MindsetsBehaviors
Managing data is key. Consider how such competencies would be measured to assess student progress.
References
Cite all resources and use proper APA format.
Magic, M. (2017). Fascinating course resource that helps transform my opinions into scholarly
content. Journal for Brilliant Graduate Students, 98(12), 56–66.
© 2017 Walden University 1