The Portfolio Project is due at the end of this week.  Please review the criteria and the grading rubric completely prior to submitting your final work.

In a 8 page policy paper, fully answer the following questions:

• How does a community (i.e., the state of Los Angeles) fail to meet the needs of clients with mental health issues after they complete probation or time in prison?
• What solutions can you provide to improve the situation?

You are strongly encouraged to talk with members of the mental health and criminal justice communities to get a better sense as to the needs in your community.

A policy paper (or whitepaper) is one that proposes a specific answer or solution to a policy-relevant question or issue with the majority of its focus and analysis on the answers, rather than on the history or statement of the problem. Policy papers are presented to those who make decisions (e.g., a state senator, top government official, CEO, or the governor); therefore, you can presume your reader has some working knowledge of the problem to be aIDressed. Your resources are to be scholarly and supported by research, rather than textbooks, dictionaries, or common, run-of-the-mill newspapers or online websites.

Your paper should include discussion and citations from at least 5 credible sources other than (or in aIDition to) the course textbook. Document formatting and source citations should be in conformity with apa format.

In aIDition to all APA guidelines, the policy paper for this course should include the following:

• A brief (2 page) history of the nationwide problem to be aIDressed;
• A brief (2-3 paragraphs) statement of the local problem to be aIDressed;
• A short answer (2-3 paragraphs) that summarizes the in-depth analysis conducted later in the paper; and

An analysis section, which is, in essence, the rest of your paper (6 pages). This should be a detailed analysis of your solutions, supported by facts, data and other reliable, relevant resources. Please see the grading rubric’s “Content and Analysis” section for details on the expectations regarding the analysis section.

Dont include title and reference pages in page count, the essay only should be 8 pages.