I need someone to write 7-9 pages in length (typed, double-spaced, 12-point)

Writing & Discussing to Communicate: Interview Paper (120 points)

Each student will conduct a brief (30 minute) interview with a representative from a human service agencies and write a paper based on that interview. The agency selected may be here in Indiana County or from the student’s home area. Please do not interview relatives or friends. Students will conduct the interviews at the agency’s and his/her convenience. The due date for the interview paper is listed on the course schedule that follows. Note: many agencies in Indiana County limit the number of interviews they will provide. This means that you may not get your first choice of agencies. I encourage you to schedule your appointments early, and be prepared with a back-up agency if you do not get your first choice.

Guidelines for Interview

We will develop the interview questions collectively as a class. Additional guidelines for conducting the interview are as follows:

• Due to Covid-19, all interviews will take place over the phone or via Zoom.


• Call well in advance of when you hope to conduct the interview. Human service workers are very busy people. Always inquire politely about dates and times that would be best for them.


• Inquire at the start of your interview about agency confidentiality policies. You must observe all rules about confidentiality and not share any personally identifiable information about any clients you might observe (both with me and other classmates).


• Begin with explaining the purpose of the interview, namely that this is for a class assignment and you are seeking to understand the field of human services better. Proceed with the questions we developed in class. Listen carefully to what the interviewees share and use brief probes to ask the individual to explain his/her answer. Ask clarifying questions about the points you don’t understand. Take brief notes on their comments, but do not try to write down what the interviewee is saying word for word.


• Always thank the staff for their time. I strongly encourage you to follow up with a thank you email after you leave.


• In your thank you email, include the letter from me (forthcoming) verifying that the interview is for our class. Be sure to have the staff or supervisor sign the introductory letter and return it to you. This letter must be included with your paper.


• Immediately after leaving the interview, write down all the details you can remember of what the interviewee said, expanding on the brief notes you took during the interview.

Guidelines for Papers

Please note: This is not a research paper. You are not required to do any library research for this assignment. However, you should refer to assigned class readings and should cite these correctly in the text and in a formal bibliography at the end of the paper. For citations of sources in papers, please use APA formatting. The total paper should be 7-9 pages in length (typed, double-spaced, 12-point font), and include a cover page and reference list. The paper should be organized as follows: (Please note: page ranges serve as guidelines only)

• Provide a summary of your interview including the interviewee’s responses (do not need to be verbatim) to your questions. Describe the services provided by the agency. (30 points) (2 pages)


• Discuss how your interview relates to class readings, lectures, and discussion. In what ways do you see some of the topics we have covered in class highlighted in the interviewee’s comments? This section should be substantial – about half of the content of the paper. (90 points) (3-5 pages)


• Provide a summary of the relationship between the interview you conducted, this course, and your future career plans. How does what you learned through your interview reflect what you have learned in the course? Do you think you would like to work in an agency like the one you visited? Why or why not? (30 points) (2 pages)