Portfolio Project

In a 10-12 page policy paper, fully answer the follow questions:

Can your community (i.e., the state in which you live) meet the needs of mental health clients after probation or prison?

If not, provide solutions to make that possible. (Hint: your answer will not be "yes" to the first question.)

You are strongly encouraged to talk with members of the mental health and criminal justice communities to get a better sense as to what the needs are in your community.

A policy paper (or whitepaper) is one that proposes a specific answer or solution to a policy-relevant question or issue with the majority of its focus and analysis on the answers, rather than on the history or statement of the problem. Policy papers are presented to those who make decisions (a state senator, top government official, CEO, or the governor); therefore, you can presume your reader has some working knowledge of the problem to be addressed. Your resources are to be scholarly and supported by research, rather than textbooks, dictionaries, or common, run-of-the-mill newspapers or online websites.

In addition to all APA guidelines, the policy paper for this course should include the following:

A brief (1-2 page) history of the nationwide problem to be addressed;

A brief (2-3 paragraph) statement of the local problem to be addressed;

A short answer (2-3 paragraphs) that summarizes the in-depth analysis conducted later in the paper; and

An analysis section, which is, in essence, the rest of your paper (9-10 pages). This should be your detailed analysis of your solutions, supported by facts, data and other reliable, relevant resources. Please see the grading rubric's "Content and Analysis" section for details on the expectations regarding the analysis section.