Course Description
The application of approaches to effective design, marketing and evaluation of rehabilitation services, and writing program development plans.
Intended Learners
This course is designed for health professionals who work in the public or private sector and want to acquire the knowledge and skills to develop more effective rehabilitation programs. Learners may be managers who have some or no experience in developing programs for new or significantly improved services but want to refine their knowledge and skills in program development, or other practitioners who believe that such knowledge and skills would be an asset in supporting their practice.
Course Objectives
Upon successful completion of this course learners should be able to:
- Evaluate the usefulness of needs assessment, program planning, marketing and evaluation approaches and strategies in developing or re-developing rehabilitation programs.
- Search e-databases, e-journals and other resources for data that can inform the development of rehabilitation programs.
- Develop programs that meet the needs of target groups.
- Discuss potential sources of funding for rehabilitation programs.
- Critique rehabilitation program proposals.
- Suggest ways in which social, cultural, economic, institutional and political factors influence the development, design and implementation of rehabilitation programs
Course Overview
The course guides learners through all phases of developing effective programs from the analysis of planning contexts and approaches to the application of principles of program design, evaluation and promotion. A few of the questions explored in this course include:
- What does program development involve?
- What is the value of different approaches to planning rehabilitation programs?
- In what ways do planning contexts influence program development decisions?
- What is the relationship between Sackett’s levels of evidence and needs assessment?
- How are rehabilitation programs funded?
- What value does the Program Logic Model have in formulating evaluation plans?
- How might challenges in revising or developing new programs be overcome?
- What strategies facilitate the development of effective rehabilitation programs?
Assignments
There are three course assignments related to the development of rehabilitation program in an area of practice chosen by each learner. Collectively, these assignments help learners to apply program development concepts and principles and obtain feedback while developing a program plans that meets the rehabilitation needs of a target population.
Course Readings
The course readings consist of the textbook below as well as journal articles and resources that are available through the course website once the course opens. The textbook can be purchased through online distributors/booksellers such as Chapters-Indigo.
Required Textbook
Kettner, P. M., Moroney, R. M., & Martin, L. L. (2016). Designing and managing programs: An effectiveness-based approach (5th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.