The Effects of Foster Care Placement on Young Children’s Mental Health

The final Research Project/ Portfolio assignment draws together learning from the B.S. in Human Services program and applies that learning to a practice situation. Throughout this course you have been working on the following components of this research project.

Directions:

1. Identify a theory or theoretical perspective that offers insight or explanation regarding your chosen issue or topic that you created in Week 2.
2. Apply the selected theory/theoretical perspective and conduct literature-based research on both your topic and on the results of your informational interview that you completed in Week 5. Incorporate into your final paper five to seven scholarly sources that have been published within the past five years and that are not assigned readings in this course.
3. In a ten- to fifteen-page paper (not counting the cover page, table of contents, and reference page, which you must include) present the results of your literature-based research and informational interview and offer conclusions. Explain how the issue and theory play out in practice and how your research and analysis will help you make decisions about your future in the human services field.

Your paper must include the following sections:

1. Cover page
2. Table of contents
3. An introduction that describes the paper and its intent and includes your research question
4. A literature review of at least five journal articles and/or books that pertain to your chosen topic
5. A review and discussion of the field research you conducted
6. An analysis section that applies the literature you reviewed to what you observed in practice through the interview you conducted
7. A conclusions section that draws the work together and discusses application of theory to practice
8. Reference page.