human
Write a summary about a study on the cost benefit analysis of a program that aims at eliminating homelessness among adolescents and young adults.
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The essay discusses a study on the cost benefit analysis of a program that aims at eliminating homelessness among adolescents and young adults. The study found that the program is cost-effective in terms of the money needed for developing and distributing educational materials and money for keeping the participants in shelters and providing education at schools.
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Provide an essay based on the summary above.
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#Anti-Homelessness Program’s Cost Benefit Analysis Research Paper
Although the program aimed at eliminating homelessness among adolescents and young adults seems rather relevant, it is necessary to compare its advantages with other interventions. The suggested CBA will analyze the costs needed for three projects and expected benefits offered by each of them. The rationale behind choosing one of the programs will be given.
Comparison of Programs for CBA
Program                                                                                  Costs                                                                                       Benefits                                                                                      Do Benefits Outweigh Costs?                           
                                                                                       * Financial support: money for developing and distributing educational materials, money for keeping the participants in shelters and providing education at schools ($20,000);                                                                                                                                    
                                                                                       * Human resources: social workers, psychologists, therapists, career counselors, charity organization leaders (salary: $10,000);                                                                                                                                                           
1. The program focused on eliminating homelessness among adolescents and young adults based on ensuring education and employment opportunities of community-based support  * Equipment: computers, printers, basic medical equipment for physical and psychological examinations, educational materials ($5,000);                     Reducing the number of homeless adolescents and young adults that will lead to the reduced cases of suicide, teenage pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, and substance abuse Yes, the final achievement is a healthier future for young people        
                                                                                       * Community support: collaboration with shelters and schools and colleges ($500 on correspondence and visits);                                                                                                                                                                    
                                                                                       * Healthcare support: specialists of the agency will satisfy the necessary healthcare needs.                                                                                                                                                                             
                                                                                       * Total cost: $35,500                                                                                                                                                                                                                
                                                                                       * Financial support: money for research and analysis, money for preparing and distributing educational materials ($5,000);                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                       * Human resources: psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers (salary: $10,000);                                                                                                                                                                                  
2. The program aimed at preventing suicide attempts among adolescents and young adults                                            * Equipment: computers, programs for analyzing research results ($10,000);                                                   Reducing the rates of suicide attempts and depression                                                                No, since it is not possible to guarantee the positive effect of the intervention
                                                                                       * Community support: collaboration with schools and families ($1,000 on correspondence and transportation);                                                                                                                                                                     
                                                                                       * Healthcare support: mental health specialists needed (salary: $15,000).                                                                                                                                                                                      
                                                                                       * Total cost: $41,000                                                                                                                                                                                                                
                                                                                       * Financial support: money for research and analysis, money for preparing and distributing educational materials ($6,000);                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                       * Human resources: social workers, psychologists (salary: $12,000);                                                                                                                                                                                         
3. The program concentrated on reducing the rates of substance use and abuse among adolescents and young adults                               * Equipment: computers, transport (to monitor city in the evening and at nighttime) ($4,500 plus $2,000 on drivers’ salary);                          Reducing the rates of substance use and abuse among the youths                                                           No, since it is not possible to guarantee the positive effect of the intervention
                                                                                       * Community support: collaboration with schools and families ($1,000 on correspondence and transportation);                                                                                                                                                                     
                                                                                       * Healthcare support: the need for the thorough examination to find evidence of substance abuse (salary: $15,000 plus tests and analyses: $5,000).                                                                                                                                                  
                                                                                       * Total cost: $45,500                                                                                                                                                                                                                
CBA Rationale
The selection of benefits used for comparison is associated with the ultimate positive goals that are expected to be achieved with the help of the intervention. For the first program, the major benefit is the reduction of homelessness among adolescents and young adults as one of the most serious current social problems (Haskett, Armstrong, & Tisdale, 2016; Koh & O’Connell, 2016). Other advantages of this program are the reduction of such adverse social issues as teenage pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, suicide attempts, and substance abuse. Since these problems are usually spread among homeless individuals, it is expected that by decreasing the number of homeless adolescents, it will be possible to eliminate the rates of other negative social factors. The main benefits listed for the second program are the reduction of suicide attempts and the decreased rates of depression among adolescents. These issues are rather significant since the rates of such attempts are high among the US youths (Jacobson, Batejan, Kleinman, & Gould, 2013). It is noted that social support is likely to help disadvantaged adolescents cope with their depressive moods that are most common causes of suicides (Farrell, Bolland, & Cockerham, 2015). Finally, the third program’s benefit is the reduction of substance use and abuse. Scholars remark that the prevalence of this issue is high (Bertrand et al., 2013; Tanner-Smith, Wilson, & Lipsey, 2013). Thus, it is necessary to eliminate the spread of substance use and abuse among adolescents and young adults since such practice may cause significant harm to health.
Costs associated with the comparison include financial support, human resources, equipment, community support, and healthcare support. What is more, the second and third programs require additional psychological research since they require a thorough analysis of the causes and prevalence of suicide attempts and substance abuse respectively. What concerns human resources and healthcare support, they are approximately the same in each program. However, for the first program, there is a team of specialists in the agency whereas for the other two interventions, it will be necessary to assemble new teams that will include more psychiatrists and social workers. Also, the second and third programs will necessitate the close collaboration with families and schools, which may require additional time and costs. Equipment is similar for every project: computers and printers will be needed to prepare educational materials and distribute them as well as to analyze the obtained data.
As a result of cost benefit analysis, the most relevant program is the first one. The main reason for choosing it is that this intervention has more benefits than two others while all of them require similar costs. The primary advantage of the first program is eliminating the number of homeless adolescents and young adults. If this goal is reached, it will have a positive impact on other negative social issues such as suicide attempts, substance abuse, sexually transmitted diseases, and teenage pregnancy. Providing the youths with an opportunity to receive education will enhance their chances of finding a job and leaving the status of homeless individuals. Costs needed for this intervention are somewhat smaller than for other projects (the first one does not require much research, analysis, or observation). Thus, comparing costs and benefits makes it possible to conclude that the first proposed campaign is the most promising, and its implementation will help to manage other social problems.