| Course | MSW 546 Social Work Practice - Evaluation |
|---|---|
| Week | 3 |
| Paper type | Baseline and follow-up chart |
| Length | About 520 words, 5 pages |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Chamberlain University |
| Program | Master of Social Work (MSW) |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for MSW 546 Week 3
Baseline and Follow-Up Chart of V.'s Mornings Walking the Child to the Bus: Both Axes Carrying Units, Two Baseline Weeks, the Mark Where the Work Began, a Caption That Stops at Its Last Data Point and the Decision Underneath
Student Name
Chamberlain University
MSW 546: Social Work Practice - Evaluation
Instructor Name
Month Day, Year
Baseline and Follow-Up Chart of V.'s Mornings Walking the Child to the Bus: Both Axes Carrying Units, Two Baseline Weeks, the Mark Where the Work Began, a Caption That Stops at Its Last Data Point and the Decision Underneath
The Chart, as Data
Table 1
Mornings Walked to the Bus per Week
| Week | Phase | Mornings walked of 3 scheduled |
|---|---|---|
| Feb 15 | Baseline | 0 |
| Feb 22 | Baseline | 0 |
| Mar 1 | Intervention begins | 1 |
| Mar 8 | Intervention | 2 |
| Mar 15 | Intervention | 2 |
| Mar 22 | Intervention | 3 |
| Mar 29 | Intervention | 2 |
| Apr 5 | Intervention | 3 |
| Apr 12 | Intervention | 1 |
| Apr 19 | Intervention | 1 |
| Apr 26 | Intervention | 2 |
| May 3 | Intervention | 3 |
| May 10 | Intervention | 3 |
| May 17 | Intervention | 3 |
| May 24 | Intervention | 3 |
Note. Note. The plotted figure uses the same values: weeks on the horizontal axis, mornings walked from 0 to 3 on the vertical, with a vertical line between February 22 and March 1 marking the start of behavioral activation. Source: V.'s activity log.
Reading It
Baseline: two weeks at zero. That is short, and a two-point baseline cannot show a trend. After the start, walks rose within two weeks and held at 2 or 3. The dip to 1 in mid-April matches the custody filing and V.'s PHQ-9 rise to 19. The return to 3 from May 3 matches the step-down. Single-case designs of this kind can show a change at the point of intervention but cannot rule out other causes (Bloom et al., 2009).
The baseline is the weakest part of the chart. Two weeks was all we had because V. was ready to start, and delaying the work to collect more data would have put the measure ahead of the client. I note the short baseline in every place the chart is used.
The Caption
"Mornings V. walked the child to the bus, February 15 to May 24, 2027. Behavioral activation began March 1." The caption stops at May 24, the last week with data, and makes no claim about June.
A caption that ran into June would invite readers to assume the pattern held. It may have, but there is no data for June, so the caption ends where the log ends. V.'s June PHQ-9 is reported elsewhere and is not drawn onto this chart.
The Decision Underneath
Because walks held at 3 for four weeks after the dip, the plan moved to the relapse prevention phase on May 27. If walks had stayed at 1, the plan would have shifted to the filed alternative, cognitive behavioral therapy.
What It Cannot Show
Whether the walks improved V.'s mood or whether better mood made the walks possible. V.'s PHQ-9 moved in the same direction (Kroenke et al., 2001), but direction is not cause.
References
Bloom, M., Fischer, J., & Orme, J. G. (2009). Evaluating practice: Guidelines for the accountable professional (6th ed.). Pearson.
Kroenke, K., Spitzer, R. L., & Williams, J. B. W. (2001). The PHQ-9: Validity of a brief depression severity measure. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 16(9), 606-613. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1525-1497.2001.016009606.x
The Chamberlain MSW 546 Week 3 instructions
The baseline and follow-up chart shows one target behavior over time, before and after the work began. Label both axes with units and mark the point where the intervention started. Give the data in a table as well, so the chart can be checked. Read the chart in prose: the baseline, the change, any dips and what was happening in the client's life at each. Write a caption that ends at the last week with data and claims nothing beyond it. Say what decision the chart supported in practice. Then name what the chart cannot show, such as the direction of cause. A baseline of at least three points is better; if yours is shorter, say so.
How the MSW 546 Week 3 example is put together
A table lists fifteen weeks from February 15 to May 24 with the phase and mornings walked out of three. The note describes the plotted figure, with weeks across, mornings walked up and a line at March 1. The reading section notes two zero weeks, a rise within two weeks, a dip to one in the custody weeks and a return to three from May 3, citing Bloom et al. (2009) on single-case designs. A further paragraph explains why the baseline was short. The caption ends at May 24. The decision section moves the plan to relapse prevention on May 27. The last section says the chart cannot show whether walks lifted mood, citing Kroenke et al. (2001).
MSW 546 Week 3 rubric: what full points look like
Faculty grade whether the chart can be read without the paper. A chart with unlabeled axes or no mark for the start of the work loses the most. Credit goes to units on both axes, a table of the data, a reading that ties changes to dated events and a caption limited to the data. The decision the chart supported shows it was used. Limits should be specific, such as a short baseline or no comparison. Sources on single-case evaluation should be cited accurately in APA. Claims about cause are penalized when the design cannot support them. Including the reason for a short baseline, rather than hiding it, is treated as a strength.
Common MSW 546 Week 3 mistakes, and how to avoid them
Charts most often lose points with a caption that says the intervention was effective. Another common gap is a missing baseline, which leaves nothing to compare against. Some papers plot several measures on one chart with different scales, which confuses the reader. Others extend a trend line past the last data point. If your baseline is short because the client needed help right away, explain that choice. A chart that a supervisor could read in ten seconds, with a caption that claims only what was counted, shows evaluation done carefully. Draw the line marking the start of the work before you plot the follow-up points, so the chart cannot be adjusted to flatter the result.
Get a MSW-546 Week 3 example written to your instructions
Send the Week 3 instructions with your readings, however few of them there are, and a custom chart with its caption comes back inside 24 to 48 hours, the first one free. If your section names a particular program for the plot, say which and the figures arrive in a form you can rebuild there.
More MSW 546 papers and MSW samples
- MSW 546 Week 1: Work Versus Change Post
- MSW 546 Week 2: Goal Attainment Scaling for V.
- MSW 546 Week 4: Practice Effectiveness Memo
- MSW 546 Week 5: Client Feedback Review
- MSW 546 Week 6: No-change Explanation
- MSW 546 Week 7: Termination Summary
- MSW 546 Week 8: Practice Evaluation Portfolio
- MSW 545 Week 3: Client Goal Contract With V.
- MSW 544 Week 3: Genogram Narrative for V.
- MSW 543 Week 3: Opening Session Transcript
- MSW 542 Week 3: Memo to a Mandated Client
MSW 546 Week 3 questions, answered
How many readings do I need before the change?
Enough to see a direction, and your assignment sets a floor where it names one. Three is thin and common, five is comfortable, and one is not a starting position at all. Where the case gave you only one, say so in the caption and keep the claim small; sections mark the honesty and penalize the silence.
Can I draw the chart by hand?
Many sections allow it and some require a spreadsheet, so check what yours says. A clean hand drawing on graph paper with labeled axes reads better than a default template with no units, and the marks sit in the labeling rather than the software. Whichever you use, the figures behind it belong in the document too.
What if the count went the wrong way?
Plot it and say so. A rising line is a finding and it is graded as one, provided the caption reads it without excuses and the closing decision responds to what the chart actually shows. Papers that leave a worsening stretch off the plot lose far more than papers that show it and explain what they did next.
Where can I find a free MSW 546 Week 3 sample paper?
The MSW 546 Week 3 chart of mornings walked, with its data table, caption and the decision it supported, is reproduced in full further down.
What decision did the chart support in the MSW 546 Week 3 sample?
Moving to the relapse prevention phase on May 27, because walks held at three of three for four weeks after the April dip.