Reference no: EM132464255

Social Policy and Advocacy Skills

• The focus of Week 2 is on policy advocacy skills and the impact of social policy on the practice of social work. You will identify an agency or organization, examine one of its policies, and describe that policy as well as the social problem it addresses. You will also work in small groups this week, discussing the responsibilities and obligations of the social worker to the community and society affected by social policy.

Learning Objectives
Students will:

1. Analyze agency or organizational policy
2. Apply policy advocacy skills
3. Evaluate impact of policy on social work practice
4. Generate Social Change Project ideas

Policies and Social Problems

Question 1: Why is it important for social workers to understand policy? When you think of policies, you may tend to think of the federal policies that support services such as Medicare and state policies that support education and welfare services. However, sometimes the policies that have the greatest impact on clients are the policies of agencies and organizations.

Note: An "agency or organizational policy" is a policy. For example, it might be part of a county welfare agency that requires an administrator at a juvenile correction facility to report any individual that is an illegal immigrant that comes to that facility.
In this Discussion, you will identify a policy at an agency or organization with which you are familiar. It can be a public agency, a for-profit human service provider, or a not-for-profit community agency. Describe the organization, the policy, and the social problem it addresses.

Question 2: Post the policy at an agency or organization with which you are familiar. Describe the organization, the policy, and the social problem it addresses.

Respond to a colleague in all of the following ways:

Respond 1: What changes would you make to the policy described by your colleague? Explain. Describe the specific policy advocacy skills you will use.

Respond 2: How, as a professional social worker, will you work to ensure policies adequately represent the needs of oppressed and marginalized populations? Describe the specific policy advocacy skills you will use.

Respond 3: What is your ethical responsibility as a social worker to engage in policy practice within your own practice or agency?
Small Group Discussion: Social Change Projects

Respond 4: What does policy have to do with clinical social work? Connecting policy to direct practice can be a challenge for some micro social workers. However, policies affect the lives of each and every client who walks through your door. Policies affect clients ability to access and pay for services. Policies also affect environmental conditions that influence individual experience.

• For this week's small group discussion, you discuss ideas for your individual Social Change project. The Project will be completed individually; however, you discuss your Project in this week's small group discussion to help you develop your idea based on peer feedback.

Post your responses to the following question presented for the Group Discussion:

Discussion 1: Explain what area you are interested in engaging in advocacy.

Discussion 2: Briefly, identify the related social problem and types of policies that may impact the social problem.

Discussion 3: Identify 2-3 ideas you are considering for your Social Change Project.

Discussion 4: Explain how the project may impact clients in a clinical social work setting.