Competency 5: Engage in Policy Practice
Social workers identify social policy at the local, state, federal, and global level that affects wellbeing, human rights and justice, service delivery, and access to social services. Social workers recognize the historical, social, racial, cultural, economic, organizational, environmental, and global influences that affect social policy. Social workers understand and critique the history and current structures of social policies and services and the role of policy in service delivery through rights-based, anti-oppressive, and anti-racist lenses. Social workers influence policy formulation, analysis, implementation, and evaluation within their practice settings with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Social workers actively engage in and advocate for anti-racist and anti-oppressive policy practice to effect change in those settings.
Social workers:
- use social justice, anti-racist, and anti-oppressive lenses to assess how social welfare policies affect the delivery of and access to social services; and
- apply critical thinking to analyze, formulate, and advocate for policies that advance human rights and social, racial, economic, and environmental justice.
Continuous involvement in the development, examination, and execution of policies that affect individuals, families, and communities are at the heart of this competency. Social workers should play a crucial role in creating policies that promote social justice and address social issues. Social workers should also understand how these policies affect the specific populations that they are advocating for. This competency challenges me to stay informed on both local and broader societal injustices. This involves staying informed about pressing issues affecting my community and advocating for policies that uphold social justice and equity. To fulfill this commitment, I will present important bills to legislators advocating for policies beneficial to those experiencing domestic violence and sexual assault. I am committed to raising awareness among my peers and community members about the challenges faced by survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. By fostering discussion and encouraging others to speak out against harmful legislation, I aim to amplify the voices of those affected and advocate for meaningful change. Through these actions, I am actively practicing policy and embodying the principles of this competency in my social work practice.
During the school years I engaged in a variety of activities that helped me develop mastery of this competence. I have completed assignments that have helped me in my development of competency five and have practiced competency five in my practicum setting.
School Work: Policy Brief
The policy brief assignment for my Social Work Issues in Policy class gave me an opportunity to develop knowledge and skills related to policy practice. I chose to advocate for bill S.1697, the Real Education and Access for Healthy Youth Act of 2023, which aims to provide comprehensive sexual education for youth. I was able to speak with Senator Flynn and Senator Blackburn and present my policy brief, where I urged them to support it. The brief discussed the strengths and limitations of the bill, as well as recommendations to make it more effective for youth. Developing this policy brief required me to conduct research, analyze implications of the bill, and communicate findings to policymakers. This process allowed me to exercise critical thinking skills and gave me the opportunity to address an important social issue. Experiencing the policy making process firsthand helped me develop competency by engaging in personally meaningful policy advocacy which gave me a new passion for policy. By advocating for comprehensive sexual education, I was able to contribute to improving outcomes for youth.
Field: Policy Presentation
I created a presentation on SB1649/HB1845- an act to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4; Title 38; Title 39 and Title 40, relative to the Tennessee Violence Intervention Program. The presentation highlighted the purpose of the bill, its strengths, limitations, and what we can personally do to help. The stated purpose of the bill is to invest in effective, evidence-based violence reduction initiatives focused on the highest-risk individuals in communities disproportionately impacted by community violence. The bill is helpful to my internship since we work with survivors of violent crimes such as sexual assault and domestic violence. Through creating this presentation, I demonstrated skills in research by reading about the bill and familiarizing myself with it. I also deepened my skills in critically analyzing information when looking at the strengths, limitations, and implications of the bill. I utilized skills in effective communication when presenting to my colleagues in a professional and ethical manner. I believe that this experience has helped develop my skills in analyzing bills and has deepened my passion for policy work in the future.
Other Evidence: Social Work Day on the Hill
I attended Social Work Day on the Hill hosted by the NASW. This event provided me with the opportunity to practice policy with other social workers which deepened my skills in collaboration. We met with legislator Mark Cochran and discussed house bill 2405/senate bill 2134 the Social Work Licensure Compact. This opportunity allowed me to support and advocate for a bill that I was personally passionate about, as well as advocate for other social workers to improve our field. Through this experience I was able to make a personal contribution to the advancement of social work. I researched the presented bill in advance so I could familiarize myself with its content and speak in a knowledgeable way. I also developed skills in critical thinking and the effective communication of ideas to legislators in a respectful and professional manner. Additionally, I was able to see the policy process from a state level, which will help me to utilize state policy as an additional resource in my practice. Through urging legislator Mark Cochran to support this bill, I thoroughly demonstrated competency 5.