AT2: Policy Brief HPSXX2

AT2: Policy Brief

Name:

Student number:

Due date:

Deakin University, School of Psychology

HPSXX2: Developmental Psychology (Child & Adolescent)

ISSUE COVER SHEET

Issue: Write approximately 50 words identifying the issue, and provide a brief overview of why the issue is important to address. This subsection should summarise key information from your Purpose section of the Policy Brief below. Note: No references are required anywhere in the ICS. Overall, try to keep the Issue Cover Sheet to one full page only. Background: Here, write an approximately 100-150 word summary of the what & how and who explained in your Background section of the Brief.

Comment: Here, write an approximately 50 word summary of the Key Issues section from your Brief.

Recommendations: Here, write an approximately 50 word summary of the recommendations you provide in your Recommendations section. This should be a very broad, high-level overview of the recommendations.

Name:

Date:

Readers: e.g., Minister for Treaty and First Peoples, Victorian Government/Minister for Indigenous Australians, Australian Government/Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, NT

The Title of a Policy Brief Goes Here

Purpose

Here, write a small paragraph (approximately 60-70 words) to introduce the Brief (why you are writing this Brief and what it will achieve). It is important to include: a definition of any key terms, a sense of urgency to act (supporting evidence from references or statistics might be helpful here), and conclude with a sentence providing the overall aim/intention/purpose of the Brief. Note: References are recommended where using factual statements in this section. Grey literature is permissible.

Background

Here, write 2-3 sentences to orient the reader (approximately 50 words), broadly explaining the big-picture impact of the topic, using scientific literature to support any factual statements.

What and How: Here, write approximately 450 words outlining the childs social, emotional,cognitive, and one other aspect of development of your choosing (e.g., language, moral or motordevelopment, risk of ADHD or ASD). Examining outcomes in-depth is preferred over providing a shallow list of numerous outcomes. Please note the importance of explaining how problems occur. An example: for the topic of childhood obesity, a Policy Brief might identify that obesity in childhood can cause depression (an emotional outcome), due to an impact on self-esteem, such that obesity cases childrens self-esteem to plummet, which in turn results in increasing symptoms of depression. The information in italics serves to explain how obesity causes depression (this example is brief and your how will need further unpacking). Outcome subheadings may be useful for formatting this subsection. Note: Scientific references are required for this section and no grey literature is permitted here.

Who: Provide approximately 250 words identifying the individuals (i.e., sub-groups) at particular risk of either: being exposed to youth incarceration; or the negative developmental outcomes caused by youth incarceration. Please provide 2 sub-groups at increased risk. For example, for the topic: Chronic Pain in Adolescents, research shows that girls are at particular risk of increased pain and psychological symptoms. Therefore, a Policy Brief might explain here that female adolescents have a higher risk than males of developing these symptoms and comprise an at risk group of adolescents. You will need to consult the scientific literature to examine research on who is at particular risk for your topic. Again, explaining two key at-risk sub-groups in depth is preferred to providing a shallow explanation of numerous sub-groups. Subheadings are helpful in formatting this subsection. Please phrase this section sensitively. Note: Scientific references are required for this section and no grey literature is permitted.

Key Issues

There are risks of what could happen to the community or the Government if no action is taken. Here, you should write approximately 250 words outlining the key risks to the State Government and/or the community if no action is taken. It is important for the Minister to be aware of these key risks before deciding on a course of action. Your risks should reflect your insight into the real-world concerns of your topic. A good Policy Brief will explain 2 3 key risks, identifying how exactly each one is a risk for the Minister or for the community. Note: References are recommended in this section, to bolster your explanations of exactly how/why something is a risk. Grey literature is permitted.

Recommendations

Here, you need to identify 2 clear and specific recommendations for the Minister on what to do about youth incarceration (approx. 350 words). Please focus on strengths-based approaches. You can either take a preventative (reducing exposure to youth incarceration); or treatment approach (what to do to help children who are already affected).

You may use subheadings to clearly convey each recommendation. Each recommendation must be actionable by the Minister, logical to occur in Australia and must flow from the evidence you have presented in the rest of your Brief. Recommendations can comprise either your own solutions to the issue (based on the scientific evidence you have been reading and have presented), or existing ideas you have identified from the literature that you might tweak or modify to make them most fitting for the population examined in your Brief.

A good Policy Brief will explain each recommendation specifically and succinctly, providing detail as to paint a picture of what exactly the initiative/program/policy will look like in reality.

Policy writers need to give thought to: what exactly will be included in the program, how often it will run, who will design and/or fund the program, who will work within the program day-to-day, who the program will target, etc. The recommendations you present should reflect your insight into the real-world issues of your topic. Note: References may be used, but are not required for this section. Grey literature is permitted.

For HPS772 students only: after your recommendations, you will also include a Program Evaluation subsection, where you critique of an existing program (approx. 250 words). You may use a subheading for this subsection, or just present it as the final paragraph in the Recommendations section (whichever you feel is clear and flows to the reader). The program you select should be used or modified. You must provide a critique of its strengths and limitations, along with an overall recommendation regarding suitability. Note: References may be used, but are not required for this section. Grey literature is permitted.