Introduction
A Social program is a program that is involved in uplifting and improving the lives of lower-income families. The basic aim of social programs is to improve the wellbeing of individuals and assist them in meeting basic needs. In addition, these programs aim at empowering and addressing the needs of the oppressed, the vulnerable, and people living in abject poverty (Chambers & Wedel, 2005). This is definitely an important role played by social programs, and people who take part in the programs find great satisfaction. This paper will discuss the development of a social program aimed at educating American citizens on issues related to HIV and the need for them to know their status.
Problem to be Addressed
The problem to be addressed in this social program is the prevalence of HIV in American society and how citizens can be educated about the disease. It is estimated that about 1.2 million individuals in the US live with the disease. The rate at which new infections have been increasing among Americans is alarming. Research by various organizations concerned about the health of Americans has shown that an estimated number of 50000 people in America get HIV every year. If the trend continues, this will mean that the future of the country will be at risk (CDC, 2011).
Timeline of the Project
- Week One: During the first week, minor research will be conducted regarding social policy and programs of human service. In addition, notes on topics to be covered would be prepared.
- Week Two: This will be the week for narrowing down the topic and conducting further research based on three reliable sources.
- Week Three: In this week, brainstorming and writing of notes based on the proposal ideas, the research, and the questions to be addressed in the proposal.
- Week Four: An outline for the proposed paper will be created.
- Week Five: Drafting of the paper will begin.
- Week Six: The sources will be inserted in the paper, and citations revised.
- Week Seven: Self-editing and proofreading of the draft, followed by corrections and changes will take place. The draft will be checked to ensure that it conforms to all the directions and that the requirements specified in the appendix have been followed.
- Week Eight: The paper will be edited by another person and the necessary changes made.
- Week Nine: The final project will be submitted.
Analysis
HIV Cause among Americans
HIV prevalence in America has been attributed to a number of factors. Some of the causes are well known to most Americans, while information about other causes is not yet clear. The first and greatest cause of HIV among Americans is irresponsible sex behavior. Despite the fact that most Americans have the knowledge that engaging in unprotected sex is a risky affair, some individuals continue with the behavior. The second cause of HIV among Americans is cases of drug users who use unsterilized syringes to inject themselves (Aandc, 2011).
Consequences of HIV Infections
HIV has serious consequences on American society. Firstly, as the infections increase, the disease places a heavy burden on the health sector, which is already facing serious challenges. There is an increased need for extra care for people living with HIV, as well as the disease taking a heavy toll on health workers. Secondly, the patients stay in the hospitals for long periods hence increasing the cost of taking care of them. Thirdly, the disease affects the economy of the country in that increase in mortality rates reduces the labor force. This causes the productivity of the country to decline. Fourthly, HIV forces the US government to increase its spending in order to address the challenges of the disease.
Ideologies Concerning the Problem
Gender ideologies and values in the US have placed women at a greater risk of contracting HIV. For instance, most male ideologies give all the financial resources to men and sexual control over women. Women are, therefore, viewed as objects that have no voice and people who should listen to what the men have to say regardless of their morality. These ideologies put women in a situation where they have to get approval for doing anything from men hence they even continue suffering without accessing medication.
Gainers of the Program
The people who are expected to gain from this social program are those who are either infected with HIV or at risk of getting infected. The majority of these groups of people do not have the financial means to access medication or good health services. They, therefore, become more vulnerable to other problems occasioned by poverty. Ideally, there is no anticipated loser in the social program because the community members are set to benefit from the services of the program.
Policy Elements
The mission of this program is to educate the citizens on issues related to HIV and show them the importance of knowing their status. The objectives of the program include offering free counseling to vulnerable groups, carrying out HIV testing, and listening to the concerns of the target people regarding HIV.
The program is beneficial to the target people who are vulnerable to HIV infections and those who are already infected with the disease. The educational services provided will enable the people to prevent themselves from being infected with the disease. For those who are already infected, they will get useful information on how they can take care of themselves and manage the disease. To ensure that the program serves its intended objective, there should be minimal eligibility rules. The only eligibility rule is that the individuals must be aged 15 years and above since this is the age at which most people become sexually active hence they should be educated about the risks of getting infected (Fraser & Richman, 2009).
The services to be rendered will be monitored by officers from the program who will be mandated to carry out the monitoring. This is because it is important to ensure that service delivery is done in a manner that will lead to the achievement of the set goals. This program will work on the theory that lack of adequate information on issues related to HIV is one of the factors that have been contributing to an increased number of HIV-related deaths.
Financing
Staff, training, and salary
For this social program to be successful, the availability of enough financial resources is crucial. The first component of the program that will require money is the staff members who are involved in the program. As earlier pointed out, this program aims at educating vulnerable American citizens on various issues of HIV, ranging from the need for knowing their statuses to the ways of avoiding infections and managing the infection once an individual is infected. For the successful dissemination of this information, the programs will require competent members of staff. The members of staff have to be equipped through training to enable them to educate the target groups in the most appropriate manner.
Supplies and Equipment
Supplies and equipment is another area of this program that will require financing. In the process of educating the citizens, specific equipment would be crucial for the program. For instance, since this is a program of educating the community on HIV, it would be prudent to conduct testing exercises for those who would be willing. As a result, there must be testing kits and other equipment necessary for the process. The equipment is, therefore, a component that should be budgeted for when looking for finances for the program.
Travel
Travelling costs would also be included in the budget. The program involves moving from one place to another, administering educational services. In most cases, those who require the services the most might be in places that are not easily accessible. Travel is important for the success of the program, and proper arrangements must be made to ensure that all the goals of the program are achieved. Transportation of the equipment will also be part of the travel arrangements that have to be budgeted for.
Rent/lease Payment for utilities
It is also important to budget for rent since the program will necessitate spending the nights in different places. The budget for rent should be dynamic as opposed to a static one since variations are likely to be experienced in different places. Apart from rent, there is also the budget for equipment that might be leased during the course of the program. For example, it might be necessary to lease well-conditioned vehicles to be used during the program to ensure that cases of some areas being left out due to transport problems are avoided.
Benefits and Services for Program Recipients
The success of the program lies in the fact that many citizens will get the right information about HIV and a change of attitude towards knowing their status. It is common for people to shy away from being tested for HIV, and one of the objectives of the program is to ensure that as many people as possible know their status. The program would budget for some amount of money to be used in a rewarding system that will encourage more people to get tested. Money should also be budgeted to offer additional medical services as part of the benefits that the recipients of the program will receive.
Paying for the Program
The money to cater for the program would be solicited from organizations that advocate for a more informed society on HIV issues. Since such organizations focus on dealing with the problem of HIV, they would be willing to fund a program that shares their core values. In addition, more funding would be solicited from the government through the ministry of health to ensure success of the program.
Staffing and Evaluation
This program will require competent and knowledgeable employees in the field of HIV to give accurate information to the target group. The employees must comply with the rules of the social program which include handling the citizens with respect, being friendly to them and being accountable to the administrative officers of the program. After the field work is over, it is important to evaluate the success of the program to determine whether or not the goals of the program have been achieved. The evaluation will be conducted by carrying out regular visits to the regions covered by the program to monitor the progress of the participants. For instance, the people who were targeted by the program would be given certain tasks to undertake as part of the evaluation process.
Conclusion
Social programs are important in many societies since they improve the lives of the target groups. This report has discussed the establishment of a social program that aims at providing educational services to vulnerable citizens in the United States. The country remains one of the countries recording high infections of HIV. As result, it is important to initiate a social program that would look at the issue and improve it.
References
Aandc. (2011). Social Development Programs. Web.
CDC. (2011). HIV in the United States. Web.
Chambers, D., & Wedel, K. (2005). Social Policy and Social Programs: A Method for the Practical Public Policy Analyst. New York: Allyn & Bacon/Pearson.
Fraser, M., & Richman, J. (2009). Intervention research:Developing Social Programs. New York: Oxford University Press.