Addictions in Society

Purpose:
This assignment invites students to explore an area of addiction and to review the current organizations, governmental and/or non-governmental agencies responding to this issue. Students may choose an area of addiction that interests them. This is a research assignment which will require exploring both addiction and community resources. Some of the research may be academic in nature i.e. articles/textbooks and some may be more popular e.g. reliable websites and governmental/community agencies/organizations.

Tasks:

1. Begin by choosing a population of interest and/or an ‘addiction’ and provide a rationale for your interest. (5 marks)
o Populations of interest may include: adolescents, women, people experiencing homelessness, Indigenous communities etc.
o Addictions may include: alcohol, caffeine, gaming, shopping, opioids, gambling etc.
2. Define the population and/or the addiction selected; discuss the current Canadian statistics on the prevalence of the issue; any key factors and/or concerns related to this issue – including but not limited to social determinants of health, economic and/or social costs, intersections with other populations and/or addictions etc. (10 marks)
3. List 3 Canadian organization/agencies designed to respond to the issue. Describe the mandate and history of each organization including its funding base (e.g. is it for profit or not for profit? Etc.), its location, who it serves etc. (5 marks)
4. Describe the ways in which the organizations respond to your chosen population/addiction (e.g. is it educational? treatment focussed? does it subscribe to an abstinence or a harm reduction model etc.) (5 marks)
5. Of the 3 agencies/organizations listed above, choose one and referring back to what you have learned in this social work class to date, what gaps in services do you note and/or what other critiques of the organization would you offer in terms of how the needs of your chosen population are met? The following points may act as a guide but feel free to address areas you note.
o Describe how the organization measures its impact.
o Does the organization appear in the media? If so, how?
o Is the organization involved in any partnerships? If so, with whom?
o How accessible and inclusive is the organization?
o Does the organization do advocacy work? If so, how?
o What areas of improvement would you identify? (7 marks)

6. Conclude your report with a one paragraph summary of what you have learned from this assignment. (3 marks)
• Prepare a 7-8 page report (not including title page or references) for submission
• Upload the assignment on the course site using Turnitin.

The Details:

o The 7-9 page assignment is worth 35 per cent of the course mark.
o Pages should be numbered.
o Use double-spacing between lines.
o Use one-inch page margins
o Use 12-point Arial or Times New Roman font.
o References should be in APA style.
o There should be a title page with:
o Your name
o Student number
o Date of submission,
o Instructor’s name
o Course name and number
o The title for the paper
o Remember: The title page and references do not count in the page limit.
o You may use headings.
o You may use first person.
o Directions for submitting the assignment via Turnitin will be posted on the course site before the due date.
o A late penalty of two marks per day will be applied unless an extension is granted prior to the due date.

Marks will be awarded for:
o How well you research the population and/or addiction you have chosen to explore
o How clearly you are able to articulate your understanding of the issues
o How effectively you explain, analyse and comment on the organizations you have chosen to include
o How clearly you organize and communicate your ideas in writing.

Since this is an academic assignment, and not just an ‘opinion piece,’ it is essential to cite your sources in the body of the paper in APA format; also, be sure to provide a bibliography or list of references at the end of the report. Remember if you are using the work and/or ideas of others, it is crucial to cite your sources! A good tip is to ask yourself ‘how do I know this to be true?’ and then cite your source.