Understanding of policy is crucial in social work practice. This may involve studying history of how different communities may have been oppressed. For instance, if a social worker who is working at the macro level wants to help institute change in policy for immigration, the social worker would need to do research on past and current immigration policies and how they have affected those who have wanted to come to America for a better life. Policy plays a role in the lives of clients that social workers often engage with. Another example of how crucial policy is when it comes to social work is that it can have an impact on how specific social services delivered in the community. This can be done where a social worker engages in research about the education system in a specific school district and how specific policies from past school years have affected the academic success of children in the area. One way that I plan to participate in policy practice in my future career as a social worker is by visiting town hall meeting advocate on behalf of clients who may be negatively affected by specific policies. Policy is crucial to social work practice because social work is not only limited to working with individuals and groups but also advocating for people at the macro level which involves communities and organizations.

5A – Advocate with and inform stakeholders to impact policy change.

Course Evidence: Last semester, for my Advanced Social Policy Class, my group and I completed an advocacy project that addresses the physical and sexual abuse of children in the area of Hamilton County and the state of Tennessee. For this project, we implemented the skills that we learned from the class on how to create advocacy campaigns to bring about awareness. Towards the end of the semester, my colleagues and I planned to use the research that we found for our project to discuss with the policymakers within Hamilton county. The social media campaign aspect of the project will also to create awareness of the current weaknesses of the state’s policy on child welfare. 

Advanced Social Policy I paper

Advanced Social Policy Presentation

Values: The values that are being implemented in this competency is dignity and worth of the person. The way that this value matches this competency is that the campaign acknowledges that children deserve to be in safer homes where they are cared and loved for. 

Knowledge: The knowledge that was used for this competency is from the Advanced Social Policy class where we learned about how to create better advocacy campaigns to help bring about change. 

Affective Process: For this competency, my group and I were required to examine the current policies by the state of Tennessee and DCS on how cases of children who are being physically and sexually abused are being handled. Afterwards, we created an advocacy plan and campaign which addresses this specific issue.

5B – Develop and implement a policy and/or advocacy plan.

Field Evidence: One of my responsibilities as an intern at Signal Centers is to conduct research on specific policies that affect the effectiveness and delivery of services to those with developmental disabilities within the state of Tennessee. After doing this research, my task supervisor and I attend meetings with stakeholders about the financial progress of the agency and discuss how to continue the financial support.

Skills: The skills being used with this competency is research and evaluation which are highly crucial in social work practice. 

Cognitive Process: The cognitive skill that I used for this competency is evaluation which involved me having to assemble and create documents that will help to monitor the financial progress of the agency. 

Theoretical foundation: The theoretical foundation being used to address this competency is Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is a psychological motivational theory that describes the human needs on a pyramid. These needs are categorized as self-actualization, esteem, love and belonging, safety, and physiological needs. For my project in Advanced Social Policy and my field placement at Signal Centers, the needs that are being addressed in the competency are mainly safety needs which involve personal security, employment, resources, health, and property.