Introduction: As a social worker, I understand that human rights and social justice, as well as social welfare and services, are mediated by policy and its implementation at the federal, state, and local levels. I understand the history and current structures of social policies and services, the role of policy in service delivery, and the role of practice in policy development. I also understand that, within my practice setting, that I have a role in policy development at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels. I actively engage in policy practice to effect change within those settings as applicable. I am knowledgeable about policy formulation, analysis, implementation, and evaluation, and will reach out to community partners to make my policy visions a reality. In order to effect changes in policy, I will write letters to my congresspersons, I will visit congresspersons in their offices, will attend city council meetings and present concerns, and will attempt to appeal to lobbyists with my proposed policy changes so that they can better help society realize essential changes.
5.1 Advocated with and Informed Stakeholders to Impact Policy Change
In order to perform social practice in the most ethical manner possible and to advocate for clients by proposing policy changes to replace ineffective or harmful policies, I will advocate with and inform stakeholders of the need for change. Change is not always well received, but I aim to conduct thorough research such that my presentation highlights some of the major flaws in the our policies that stakeholders will be interested to improve in order to better service provision to clients or patients. With a heart born of a desire to better others, my advocacy will be genuine and complete, well-researched, and compelling.
Field Experience: I shared a PowerPoint presentation with the head supervisor over our department regarding some of the challenges facing the newly-rolled out Telemental Health outpatient video visits that was introduced a few months ago. Challenges are being faced by both practitioners seeking to respond to calls in addition to their regular workload and patients seeking a mental health assessment (or more services, if not familiar with what we offer). In order to increase effectiveness of our offerings, additional challenges being experienced need to be addressed. Each of the major areas of challenge were highlighted and the supervisor took notes during my presentation and stopped to confer with another supervisor regarding my presentation and the application of the program for patients and practitioners. We spoke at length, and following my presentation the supervisor and the associate spoke further in private regarding the proposed implementation of policy changes. (Pertained to my Special Project)
Telemental-Health-Outpatient (2)
5.2 Developed and Implemented a Policy and/or Advocacy Plan
I find it a requisite need that responsible social workers’ advocacy include the putting forward and development of policies that can help to better serve underserved populations. In order to advocate effectively, if a policy provides a barrier to effective service provision being provided then the policy needs to change. As a social worker intimately involved in and familiar with the needs of the populations that I am serving it is imperative that I speak out regarding policy inadequacies and propopse a better solution to augment the shortfall. Additionally, I should stay the course in my advocacy for policy change until I am able to realize the implementation of that policy change. I should consider the client or patient’s challenge with the existing policy to be my own, as I am actively engaged in representing their interests in the field of social work.
Field Experience: (Special Project) In order to resolve a few challenges posed by the Telemental Health outpatient program, I developed a policy proposal for Telemental Health. There currently is not a Telemental Health policy in place created by our health system, but rather, there is only a general Telehealth policy that refers to all telehealth services within the healthcare system. The telehealth experiences are principally medical in nature, apart from the Telemental Health offering. The document I created was 3 pages in length and was received by my supervisor and his associate (my field supervisor) for review. It encompassed my review of the plain telehealth policy that was in place and a telemental health inpatient policy that was already in place, relating to our practice with patients in sister hospital campuses. An amalgamation of the two documents is present in the policy that I created for outpatient telehealth services. The supervisors appeared interested in a review of the document and putting it forward to consideration for higher chains of command as commentary from an outside source perspective (since I serve as an unpaid intern without prior knowledge of the system and can provide an unbiased perspective).
Proposed TELEMENTAL HEALTH OUTPATIENT POLICY
Coursework Experience: SOCW-609 we are drafting a policy proposal related to the implementation of a tracking system that would alert the state to prospective adoptive parents who have a high rate of dissolution. This policy will benefit children by preventing the retraumatization of young people who are seeking a forever family, only to be abandoned once again, but this time by an adoptive family. Additionally, this policy will prevent state resources from being diverted to former adoptive parents rather than following the needs of the child.
SOCW 609 Final Paper Policy Issue and Research
Knowledge: The knowledge that I incorporated in this competency includes a knowledge of HOW POLICY IS DEVELOPED, the ability to ANALYZE various ideas before drafting a policy proposal, HOW TO IMPLEMENT a policy once it has received approval, and HOW TO EVALUATE continuously whether the policy is achieving its stated goal or whether there are still other changes that need to be made in the policy in order to continue to IMPROVE on the foundation already laid. I will utilize WRITING and RESEARCH SKILLS, a knowledge of COMPUTER PROGRAMS, and a knowledge of DRAFT PROPOSAL SKETCHES and how they appear.
Values: In order to complete this competency, I had to reflect upon the values of DIGNITY AND WORTH OF PERSONS, COMPETENCY, and INTEGRITY. The policies that I seek to implement are due to the value that I place in people and the idea that they and their challenges are worth my time because of their value. In order to arrive at quality policy revisions or initial drafts, I practice competency and integrity so that superiors can have confidence that the work I do is not based upon ulterior motives but on a pure desire to better my clients’ lives and the work product I present to them will reflect a quality standard that is worth their time in review.
Skills: This competency requires me to ORGANIZE MY THOUGHTS regarding the challenges being faced that necessitate a policy change. Once a direction is arrived at, I will utilize skills in PROFESSIONAL WRITING, SKETCHING OF IDEAS, DRAFTING PROPOSALS, COLLABORATION WITH PEERS regarding their impressions of the document, and EDITING according to the recommendations given. I will also likely employ COMPUTER SKILLS, including work with Microsoft Excell and Microsoft Word.
Cognitive Processes: In the completion of this competency, I had to RECOGNIZE what information was lacking in the current policy, SUGGEST how the policy could be revised in order to be more effective, repeatedly EDIT the content until it represents a SUMMARY that will best address the issue, and ADVOCATE for its implementation so that clients can be benefited. Without the effort to create new policies, best practices will not be in place on behalf of our clients who will not receive the best service provision available.
Affective Processes: This competency required that I UNDERSTAND the problems being faced, NOTICE where the policy could be revised to improve service provision, and SELECT new language and methods in the policy that would more accurately relay the best methods that could be employed for clients.
Theoretical Foundation: The theoretical foundation that was most useful in this competency included the RATIONAL CHOICE THEORY, because the policy changes that I propose will be based upon my understanding the cost-benefit ratio that clients will be considering when we approach them regarding changes that can be implemented for their benefit. Unless this theory is a part of the policy revision process, the outcomes will not be positive. It is important to consider whether clients will look at the cost-benefit ratio and feel that it is worth the effort or the policy proposes a solution or methods that are just not feasible for most people to apply.