The steps at the heart of single-subject research are part of the everyday practice of social work. Each day social workers implement interventions to meet clients’ needs and monitor results. However, conducting proper single-subject research entails far more than these simple day-to-day practices. Proper single-system research requires a high degree of knowledge and commitment. Social workers must fully understand the purpose and variations of the design. They must develop a hypothesis based upon research and select the right design for testing it. They must ensure the reliability and validity of the data to be collected and know how to properly analyze and evaluate that data. 
In this Assignment, you devise a plan to evaluate the evidence-based intervention that you are applying with your chosen client. In particular, you must prepare to monitor progress using measures that can be evaluated in a single-subject research design. You must also draw from the research literature to set the context and need for the study.
Submit a 4-page proposal/research plan for single-subject evaluation for your work with Tiffani. Identify the problem that you will target, the outcomes that you will measure, the evidence-based intervention, and the evaluation design. Include the following sections:

Introduction 
Literature Review
Methodology
Setting and Intervention
Expected Results
1
Single-Subject Design Study
Student Name
SOCW 6311
Instructor Name
Month XX, 20XX
2
Single-Subject Design Study
Introduction
This section should include the problem and the specific question being addressed.
Explain or rationalize why it is interesting or important to address the question.
Literature Review
Describe what is already known about the research question or problem being addressed.
Include at least two peer-reviewed research articles, outlining the research design, sample,
sample size, intervention, results, etc.
Methodology
Explain what techniques you plan to use to address the problem of interest and, where
possible, justify why your approach may be superior. Remember to write your paper using future
tense.
Typically, the Methodology section includes: (1) research design, (2) sample technique,
(3) sample size, (4) criteria for inclusion in the study, (5) recruitment process, (6) data collection,
(7) data analysis, and (8) validity and reliability. Because your focus here is single-subject
research, tailor your methodology to fit. In other words, adjust the parameters for your single
client.
Setting and Intervention
First, describe the setting where the single-subject study will occur (e.g., the agency,
community, etc.). If using an A-B-follow-up design, state clearly when and how you will collect
the information and specifically what you are measuring. Will you include a baseline, before the
intervention? In the intervention stage (B), specify what the intervention will be and how long it
will last before the follow-up stage for measuring outcomes or results. Discuss whether the
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intervention will cease (or not) so that you can measure the outcomes or results. Specify the
instruments to be used and the questions to be asked.
Expected Results
In this section, describe the anticipated results (study has not yet be conducted) and
possible limitations of your study, followed by a brief discussion about the potential impact of
the study on future research, practice, or policy.
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References
Tiffani Bradley
Identifying Data: Tiffani Bradley is a 16-year-old Caucasian female. She was raised in
a Christian family in Philadelphia, PA. She is of German descent. Tiffani’s family
consists of her father, Robert, 38 years old; her mother, Shondra, 33 years old, and
her sister, Diana, 13 years old. Tiffani currently resides in a group home, Teens First,
a brand new, court-mandated teen counseling program for adolescent victims of
sexual exploitation and human trafficking. Tiffani has been provided room and board
in the residential treatment facility for the past 3 months. Tiffani describes herself as
heterosexual.
Presenting Problem: Tiffani has a history of running away. She has been arrested on
three occasions for prostitution in the last 2 years. Tiffani has recently been court
ordered to reside in a group home with counseling. She has a continued desire to be
reunited with her pimp, Donald. After 3 months at Teens First, Tiffani said that she
had a strong desire to see her sister and her mother. She had not seen either of
them in over 2 years and missed them very much. Tiffani is confused about the path
to follow. She is not sure if she wants to return to her family and sibling or go back to
Donald.
Family Dynamics: Tiffani indicates that her family worked well together until 8 years
ago. She reports that around the age of 8, she remembered being awakened by
music and laughter in the early hours of the morning. When she went downstairs to
investigate, she saw her parents and her Uncle Nate passing a pipe back and forth
between them. She remembered asking them what they were doing and her mother
saying, “adult things” and putting her back in bed. Tiffani remembers this happening
on several occasions. Tiffani also recalls significant changes in the home’s
appearance. The home, which was never fancy, was always neat and tidy. During
this time, however, dust would gather around the house, dishes would pile up in the
sink, dirt would remain on the floor, and clothes would go for long periods of time
without being washed. Tiffani began cleaning her own clothes and making meals for
herself and her sister. Often there was not enough food to feed everyone, and Tiffani
and her sister would go to bed hungry. Tiffani believed she was responsible for
helping her mom so that her mom did not get so overwhelmed. She thought that if
she took care of the home and her sister, maybe that would help mom return to the
person she was before.
Sometimes Tiffani and her sister would come downstairs in the morning to find empty
beer cans and liquor bottles on the kitchen table along with a crack pipe. Her parents
would be in the bedroom, and Tiffani and her sister would leave the house and go to
school by themselves. The music and noise downstairs continued for the next 6
years, which escalated to screams and shouting and sounds of people fighting.
Tiffani remembers her mom one morning yelling at her dad to “get up and go to
work.” Tiffani and Diana saw their dad come out of the bedroom and slap their mom
so hard she was knocked down. Dad then went back into the bedroom. Tiffani
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remembers thinking that her mom was not doing what she was supposed to do in the
house, which is what probably angered her dad.
Shondra and Robert have been separated for a little over a year and have started
dating other people. Diana currently resides with her mother and Anthony, 31 years
old, who is her mother’s new boyfriend.
Educational History: Tiffani attends school at the group home, taking general
education classes for her general education development (GED) credential. Diana
attends Town Middle School and is in the 8th grade.
Employment History: Tiffani reports that her father was employed as a welding
apprentice and was waiting for the opportunity to join the union. Eight years ago, he
was laid off due to financial constraints at the company. He would pick up odd jobs
for the next 8 years but never had steady work after that. Her mother works as a
home health aide. Her work is part-time, and she has been unable to secure full-time
work.
Social History: Over the past 2 years, Tiffani has had limited contact with her family
members and has not been attending school. Tiffani did contact her sister Diana a
few times over the 2-year period and stated that she missed her very much. Tiffani
views Donald as her “husband” (although they were never married) and her only
friend. Previously, Donald sold Tiffani to a pimp, “John T.” Tiffani reports that she was
very upset Donald did this and that she wants to be reunited with him, missing him
very much. Tiffani indicates that she knows she can be a better “wife” to him. She
has tried to make contact with him by sending messages through other people, as
John T. did not allow her access to a phone. It appears that over the last 2 years,
Tiffani has had neither outside support nor interactions with anyone beyond Donald,
John T., and some other young women who were prostituting.
Mental Health History: On many occasions Tiffani recalls that when her mother was
not around, Uncle Nate would ask her to sit on his lap. Her father would sometimes
ask her to show them the dance that she had learned at school. When she danced,
her father and Nate would laugh and offer her pocket change. Sometimes, their
friend Jimmy joined them. One night, Tiffani was awakened by her uncle Nate and his
friend Jimmy. Her parents were apparently out, and they were the only adults in the
home. They asked her if she wanted to come downstairs and show them the new
dances she learned at school. Once downstairs Nate and Jimmy put some music on
and started to dance. They asked Tiffani to start dancing with them, which she did.
While they were dancing, Jimmy spilled some beer on her. Nate said she had to go to
the bathroom to clean up. Nate, Jimmy, and Tiffani all went to the bathroom. Nate
asked Tiffani to take her clothes off and get in the bath. Tiffani hesitated to do this,
but Nate insisted it was OK since he and Jimmy were family. Tiffani eventually
relented and began to wash up. Nate would tell her that she missed a spot and would
scrub the area with his hands. Incidents like this continued to occur with increasing
levels of molestation each time.
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The last time it happened, when Tiffani was 14, she pretended to be willing to dance
for them, but when she got downstairs, she ran out the front door of the house. Tiffani
vividly remembers the fear she felt the nights Nate and Jimmy touched her, and she
was convinced they would have raped her if she stayed in the house.
About halfway down the block, a car stopped. The man introduced himself as Donald,
and he indicated that he would take care of her and keep her safe when these things
happened. He then offered to be her boyfriend and took Tiffani to his apartment.
Donald insisted Tiffani drink beer. When Tiffani was drunk, Donald began kissing her,
and they had sex. Tiffani was also afraid that if she did not have sex, Donald would
not let her stay— she had nowhere else to go. For the next 3 days, Donald brought
her food and beer and had sex with her several more times. Donald told Tiffani that
she was not allowed to do anything without his permission. This included watching
TV, going to the bathroom, taking a shower, and eating and drinking. A few weeks
later, Donald bought Tiffani a dress, explaining to her that she was going to “find a
date” and get men to pay her to have sex. When Tiffani said she did not want to do
that, Donald hit her several times. Donald explained that if she didn’t do it, he would
get her sister Diana and make her do it instead. Out of fear for her sister, Tiffani
relented and did what Donald told her to do. She thought at this point her only
purpose in life was to be a sex object, listen, and obey—and then she would be able
to keep the relationships and love she so desired.
Legal History: Tiffani has been arrested three times for prostitution. Right before the
most recent charge, a new state policy was enacted to protect youth 16 years and
younger from prosecution and jail time for prostitution. The Safe Harbor for Exploited
Children Act allows the state to define Tiffani as a sexually exploited youth, and
therefore the state will not imprison her for prostitution. She was mandated to
services at the Teens First agency, unlike her prior arrests when she had been sent
to detention.
Alcohol and Drug Use History: Tiffani’s parents were social drinkers until about 8
years ago. At that time Uncle Nate introduced them to crack cocaine. Tiffani reports
using alcohol when Donald wanted her to since she wanted to please him, and she
thought this was the way she would be a good “wife.” She denies any other drug use.
Medical History: During intake, it was noted that Tiffani had multiple bruises and burn
marks on her legs and arms. She reported that Donald had slapped her when he felt
she did not behave and that John T. burned her with cigarettes. She had realized that
she did some things that would make them mad, and she tried her hardest to keep
them pleased even though she did not want to be with John T. Tiffani has been
treated for several sexually transmitted infections (STIs) at local clinics and is
currently on an antibiotic for a kidney infection. Although she was given condoms by
Donald and John T. for her “dates,” there were several “Johns” who refused to use
them.
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Strengths: Tiffani is resilient in learning how to survive the negative relationships she
has been involved with. She has as sense of protection for her sister and will sacrifice
herself to keep her sister safe.
Robert Bradley: father, 38 years old
Shondra Bradley: mother, 33 years old
Nate Bradley: uncle, 36 years old
Tiffani Bradley: daughter, 16 years old
Diana Bradley: daughter, 13 years old
Donald: Tiffani’s self-described husband and her former pimp
Anthony: Shondra’s live-in partner, 31 years old
John T.: Tiffani’s most recent pimp
5
1
Tiffani Bradley
SOCW 6311
Tiffani Bradley is a 16-year-old heterosexual Caucasian female referred to Teens First
after being arrested for prostitution. Teens First is a court-mandated teen counseling
program for adolescent survivors of sexual exploitation and human trafficking. At Teens
First, social workers provide a holistic range of services for their clients. Tiffani has been
provided room and board in the residential treatment facility and will meet with a social
worker to address her multiple needs and concerns.
Tiffani has been arrested three times for prostitution in the last 2 years. Right before her
most recent charge, a new state policy was enacted to protect youth 16 years and
younger from prosecution and jail time for prostitution. The Safe Harbor for Exploited
Children Act allows the state to define Tiffani as a sexually exploited youth and
therefore not imprison her. She was mandated to services at the agency, unlike her
prior arrests when she had been sent to detention.
Tiffani had been living with a man named Donald since she was 14 years old. She had
had limited contact with her family members and had not been attending school. She
described Donald as her “husband” (although they were not married) and her only
friend.
During intake, it was noted that Tiffani had multiple bruises and burn marks on her legs
and arms. She reported that Donald had slapped her and burned her with cigarettes
when he felt she did not behave. Tiffani has been treated for several sexually
transmitted infections (STIs) at local clinics and is currently on an antibiotic for a kidney
infection. It appears that over the last 2 years, Tiffani has had neither outside support
nor interactions with anyone beyond Donald and some other young women also being
trafficked.
Childhood and Early Adolescence
During social work sessions, Tiffani gave a rather in-depth description of her childhood.
At first, Tiffani provided a family history that was filled with only happy memories. She
remembered her life up to age 8 as filled with moments of joy. She remembered going
to school, playing with her sister, and her mother and father getting along.
As the social worker and Tiffani continued to meet, Tiffani shared what she remembered
as a gradual but definitive change in the family dynamics around the time when she
turned 8 years old. She remembered being awakened by music and laughter in the
early hours of the morning. When she went downstairs to investigate, she saw her
parents along with her uncle Nate passing a pipe back and forth between them. She
remembered asking them what they were doing and her mother saying, “adult things,”
and putting her back in bed.
© 2022 Walden University, LLC. Adapted from Plummer, S. -B., Makris, S., & Brocksen, S. M. (Eds.). (2014).
Sessions: Case histories. Laureate International Universities Publishing.
2
Tiffani remembered being woken up by noise several times after that and seeing her
father and her uncle passing the pipe between them. Sometimes her mother was there,
and sometimes she was not. Often when her mother was not there, Nate would see her
and ask her to come over. Her father would ask her to show them the dance that she
had learned at school. When Tiffani danced, her father and Nate would laugh and offer
her pocket change. Sometimes they were joined by their friend Jimmy.
For years, the music and noise downstairs continued, later accompanied by screams
and shouting and sounds of people fighting. One morning, Shondra yelled at Robert to
“get up and go to work.” Tiffani and Diana saw Robert come out of the bedroom and
slap Shondra so hard she was knocked down. Robert then went back into the bedroom.
Tiffani also noticed significant changes in her home’s appearance. The home, which
was never fancy, was almost always neat and tidy. Tiffani noticed that dust would
gather around the house, dishes would pile up in the sink, dirt would remain on the floor,
and clothes would go for long periods of time without being washed. Tiffani remembered
cleaning her own clothes and making meals for herself and her sister during this period.
Sometimes Tiffani and her sister would come downstairs in the morning to find empty
beer cans and liquor bottles on the kitchen table along with the pipe. Her parents would
be in the bedroom, and Tiffani and her sister would leave the house and go to school by
themselves. Tiffani was unclear if her parents were working or how the bills were paid.
Often there was not enough food to feed everyone, and she would go to bed hungry.
During one session, Tiffani described an incident of sexual abuse. One night she was
awoken by her uncle Nate and his friend Jimmy in her room. Her parents were
apparently out, and they were the only adults in the home. They asked her if she
wanted to come downstairs and show them the new dances she learned at school.
Once downstairs, Nate and Jimmy put some music on and started to dance. They
asked Tiffani to start dancing with them, which she did. While they were dancing, Jimmy
spilled some beer on her. Nate said she had to go to the bathroom to clean up. Nate,
Jimmy, and Tiffani all went to the bathroom. Nate asked Tiffani to take her clothes off so
she could get in the bath. Tiffani hesitated to do this, but Nate insisted it was okay since
he and Jimmy were family. Tiffani eventually relented and began to wash up. Nate
would tell her that she missed a spot and would scrub the area with his hands. After this
incident, others occurred, with increasing levels of molestation each time. Tiffani felt
very bad about this but had difficulty explaining why, even to herself. She was very
afraid of everyone in her family except her sister, Diana. She was also afraid that Diana
might be subjected to the same thing.
The last time it happened, when Tiffani was 14, she pretended to be willing to dance for
them, but when she got downstairs, she ran out the front door of the house. Tiffani ran
down the block, intending to go to her school because it was one of the few places she
felt safe. She said she was barefoot and in her pajamas, and it was very cold. About
halfway to her school, a car stopped, and a man inside asked her where she was going.
When Tiffani replied that she was going to school, the man said that it was the middle of
© 2022 Walden University, LLC. Adapted from Plummer, S. -B., Makris, S., & Brocksen, S. M. (Eds.). (2014).
Sessions: Case histories. Laureate International Universities Publishing.
3
the night. Tiffani did not want to tell him the whole story, so she told him that there was
trouble at home and she just wanted to go to school early.
Donald
The man introduced himself as Donald and asked her why she did not go to her
boyfriend’s house. When Tiffani said she did not have a boyfriend, Donald replied that if
she had a boyfriend, she would have somebody to take care of her and keep her safe
when these things happened. He then offered to be her boyfriend. Tiffani did not say
anything, but when Donald said he’d give her a ride, she agreed and got in the car.
Donald took Tiffani to his apartment, explaining that the school would be closed for
hours. When they got to his apartment, Donald fed Tiffani and gave her beer, explaining
that it would help keep her warm. Tiffani did not like the taste of the beer, but at
Donald’s insistence, she drank it. When Tiffani was drunk, Donald began kissing her,
and they had sex. Tiffani knew about sex from school and some of her girlfriends, but
she had never had it with anyone before. She was grateful to Donald because he had
helped her get away from Nate and Jimmy. Donald had also told her that he loved her
and they would be together forever. Tiffani was afraid that if she did not have sex,
Donald would not let her stay—and she had nowhere else to go.
For the next 3 days, Donald brought her food and beer and had sex with her several
more times. Donald told Tiffani that she was not allowed to do anything without his
permission. This included watching TV, going to the bathroom, taking a shower, and
eating and drinking. Donald bought Tiffani a dress, explaining to her that she was going
to “find a date” and get men to pay her to have sex with her. When Tiffani said she did
not want to do that, Donald hit her several times. Donald explained that if she didn’t do
it, he would get her sister, Diana, and make her do it instead. Out of fear for her sister,
Tiffani relented and did what Donald told her to do.
Tiffani and the social worker talked often about her continued desire to be reunited with
Donald. They discussed what Donald represented for Tiffani and why he was such an
important part of her life. She often described him as the person who “saved” her and
felt she owed much to him. She vividly remembered the fear she felt the nights Nate
and Jimmy touched her, and she was convinced they would have raped her that last
night if she hadn’t left.
© 2022 Walden University, LLC. Adapted from Plummer, S. -B., Makris, S., & Brocksen, S. M. (Eds.). (2014).
Sessions: Case histories. Laureate International Universities Publishing.
Assignment: Creating a Single-Subject Design Study
The steps at the heart of single-subject research are part of the everyday practice of social
work. Each day social workers implement interventions to meet clients’ needs and monitor
results. However, conducting proper single-subject research entails far more than these
simple day-to-day practices. Proper single-system research requires a high degree of
knowledge and commitment. Social workers must fully understand the purpose and
variations of the design. They must develop a hypothesis based upon research and select
the right design for testing it. They must ensure the reliability and validity of the data to be
collected and know how to properly analyze and evaluate that data.
In this Assignment, you devise a plan to evaluate the evidence-based intervention that you
are applying with your chosen client. In particular, you must prepare to monitor progress
using measures that can be evaluated in a single-subject research design. You must also
draw from the research literature to set the context and need for the study.
To Prepare
• Review the work you have done thus far in Weeks 1, 2, and 3 with your chosen
client, namely the identified issue, evidence-based intervention, and single-subject
design. You will use this work to develop a research plan for a single-subject design
study on your client.
• Scan through the provided single-subject design studies in the Learning Resources
again to understand the typical structure.
• Download the Single-Subject Design Template from the Learning Resources
and use it to complete this Assignment. (attached)
Submit a 4-page proposal/research plan for single-subject evaluation for your work with
Tiffani. Identify the problem that you will target, the outcomes that you will measure, the
evidence-based intervention, and the evaluation design. Include the following sections:
•
•
•
•
•
Introduction
Literature Review
Methodology
Setting and Intervention
Expected Results
Use the Learning Resources and peer-reviewed scholarly journal articles to support your paper. Make
sure to include appropriate APA citations and a reference list.
Walden University
SOCW 6311: Social Work Practice Research II
September 4, 2022
Accessing Information About Evidence-Based Practices
Tiffani is identified as a 16-year-old Caucasian female of German descent. She and her
family reside in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Walden University LLC, 2022). Tiffani has one
sister; both she and her sister were raised by their father and mother. According to Walden
University LLC (2022), Tiffani is now living at Teens First, a residential treatment facility for
court-mandated teens who have been sexually exploited and human trafficked. At Teens First,
Tiffani will be receiving counseling to address the trauma.
Describe two issues in your chosen case that would be important for intervention.
Per the case study, Tiffani was sexually assaulted by close family members when she was
about 14 years old. This matter is vital for intervention as it may help Tiffani heal and manage
the trauma she experienced. Intervention may also delay and prevent further victimization. An
intervention provides personal support and various resources for Tiffani to feel safe and
protected. As a result, development of a healthy sense of self-worth and the establishment of
healthier relationships may occur.
At age 16, Tiffani reports she was arrested on three separate occasions for prostitution.
These offenses indicate she is engaging in high-risk behaviors and has developed underlying
issues that require treatment services and support. Tiffani is at risk of further exploitation,
violence, and other adverse outcomes. Intervention would address the root causes of her
involvement with prostitution and resources to remain protected and stable enough to eliminate
the cycle of exploitation.
Identify one evidence-based intervention for each issue & summarize the main information
about the intervention.
This systematic review sought to identify effective interventions in fostering healing
among sexually exploited children and adolescents. The authors searched for quantitative and
qualitative studies published in English from 1990 to 2016 (Moynihan & Saewyc, 2018). A total
of 34 studies met the inclusion criteria and were analyzed. The findings showed that
interventions that focus on individual, relational, and community levels effectively foster healing
among sexually exploited children and adolescents. Specifically, interventions that address
individual needs, such as providing individual counseling and therapy, are effective in helping
these individuals heal. Interventions that focus on the relationships between the sexually
exploited individual and their families, such as family counseling and therapy, are also effective
(Moynihan & Saewyc, 2018). As a result, interventions that focus on the community, such as
public education campaigns, effectively reduce the demand for sexually exploited children and
adolescents and foster healing within the community.
The interventions that focus on individual needs, such as individual counseling and
therapy, are most likely to be effective in helping Tiffani heal from the sexual exploitation she
endured. These interventions can help to address the trauma she experienced and to develop
healthy coping mechanisms. The interventions focusing on the relationships between Tiffani and
her family, such as family counseling and therapy, are also likely to be effective. These
interventions can help repair the damaged relationships and develop a support system that can
prevent her from being exploited. Thus, interventions that focus on the community, such as
public education campaigns, effectively reduce the demand for sexually exploited children and
adolescents and foster healing within the community. These interventions can help to raise
awareness of the problem of sexual exploitation and to change the social norms that contribute to
the demand for exploited individuals.
References:
Moynihan, M., Pitcher, C., & Saewyc, E. (2018). A systematic review of interventions that foster
healing among sexually exploited children and adolescents. Journal of child sexual abuse,
27(4), 403-423.
Walden University, LLC. (2022). Social work case studies [Interactive media].
https://class.waldenu.edu