Engage in Policy Practice
Within my personal and professional life as a social worker, I will strive to advocate for the creation, change, and implementation of policies that will best support social justice within my community, state, and country. I will also strive to be an active member of policy change to express my voice for those who are not able to have a voice.
5.1 Advocate with and inform stakeholders to impact policy change.
Course Evidence: As a part of my Advanced Social Policy class, I was able to work with a group to create an advocacy project throughout the semester that would address a need in the Tennessee area. Our group decided to focus on TANF and how the funds from that program are spent and advocate for the funds to be spent more effectively. As a part of this project, my group created a policy brief that gave information about the policy as well as the recommendations to improve the policy. To view the full policy brief, click here.
Field Evidence: As a part of my practicum experience, I got the opportunity to meet with other smaller schools in the Chattanooga area to explain what I am doing at Standifer Gap SDA School and advocate for expanding the program to their schools in the future. I had the opportunity to meet with the principals from Learning Tree in Dalton, Georgia, OAKS in Ooltewah, Tennessee, and Lester Coon Adventist School in Apison, Tennessee. These conversations were productive, and the schools all expressed interest in working towards a system where the mental health needs in their schools can be met. The brochure that was utilized during these meetings will be uploaded soon.
5.2: Develop and implement a policy and/or advocacy plan.
Couse Evidence: As a part of my School Social Work Emphasis II class, I was able to look at an issue within the school system and propose a solution or intervention method to combat the issue. I chose to look at the high school dropout rates among the public school system. This involved doing research on the current state of high school dropout rates and intervention methods that are evidence based and proven to be effective for this population. To view the completed school problem assessment and policy analysis, click here.
Field Evidence: As a part of my practicum, I got the opportunity to create an advocacy plan and proposal to submit to the Georgia Cumberland Conference. This proposal advocates for mental health professionals to be placed in the smaller Seventh-day Adventist schools to address the students’ unmet mental health needs. This proposal is currently being worked on and will be uploaded upon completion.
Skills Used: Throughout the completion of this competency, I was able to use skills of problem solving, organization, communication, engagement, and multitasking.
Knowledge Used: Knowledge from classes taken throughout the master’s classes were used in this competency such as School Social Work Emphasis II and Advanced Social Policy. Additionally, knowledge of the TANF program, homelessness, who currently holds admin positions in smaller Seventh-day Adventist schools in the area, mental health in schools, and high school dropout rates were all useful information when completing this competency.
Values Present: While completing this competency, social justice was very present as I was advocating for change to the TANF program, expanding smaller Seventh-day Adventist schools to have mental health professionals, and working to decrease high school dropout rates. Another value that was present was dignity and worth of a person. For all of these advocacy efforts, the respect, worth, and well-being of each individual impacted is important to consider to ensure that the advocacy efforts for policy change are putting the people first.
Cognitive Processes Used: Throughout this competency, cognitive processes such as identifying and recognizing areas of policy that could be changed to better serve others, restructuring programs such as the TANF program to be more effective, and differentiate current high school dropout rates with what the ideal would be were all used. Additionally, producing a way for change to be possible and considering the impact on each person the change will affect is also used in this competency.
Affective Processes Used: Affective processes such as attending meetings to promote change, believing the change is necessary and impactful, clarifying when needed on the intent of different proposed programs, and concluding how the change will benefit the individuals that it impacts are all important processes that are used throughout this competency.
Theoretical Foundation: Empathy-Altruism Hypothesis: This hypothesis explains that the more we, as humans, feel empathy towards a cause, the more likely we are to help. When working with policy and advocating for policy change, it is important to find something that you are passionate about as this can increase your motivation to advocate for the policy change to happen. With advocating for getting mental health professionals in smaller Seventh-day Adventist schools, this is something that I am passionate about which makes me more likely to continue advocating for this policy change to happen.