Policy
Competency #5: Engage in Policy Practice
Social workers 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. Social workers 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. Social workers understand their role in policy development and implementation within their practice settings at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels and they actively engage in policy practice to effect change within those settings. Social workers recognize and understand the historical, social, cultural, economic, organizational, environmental, and global influences that affect social policy. They are also knowledgeable about policy formulation, analysis, implementation, and evaluation. Social workers:
Practice Behavior 1: Advocate with and inform stakeholders to impact policy change
Practice Behavior 2: Develop and implement a policy and/or advocacy plan
Competency 5 in Practice
Competency 5 holds me accountable for my life and political affiliations outside of my work as well as with my work. It asks me to fight for justice with the policies that I vote and advocate for. I also believe that it is a call for action through me to raise awareness for policies that may affect my clients. It makes it my job to tell clients about policies that may help or hinder them. It also teaches me that social work is not in an office from 9:00-5:00. It is in everything I do in life.
Evidence for Practice Behavior 1: For my Social Policy course, I created a fact sheet for the proposed marijuana policy. Some facts include it is designed to be read by voters, politicians, state legislators, coalition members in the hopes that they would support our proposed policy change.
Evidence for Practice Behavior 2: As a part of my Social Policy course, I, along with my group members created an advocacy plan for a proposed policy to legalize marijuana for medicinal and recreational use. To see this policy and the literature review that was done on the potential efficacy of the said policy, please click here.
I relied on information presented in my Policy courses to engage in this competency through research, interviews and active listening. This Competency allowed me to integrate my social work value of advocacy. There are injustices that I had to delve into in this competency and advocate for policy change. I had to use listening, empathy, communication and research for this Competency. For these tasks, I had to distinguish, process and classify information. For these tasks, I had to organize information and listen to others. Transpersonal theory informed this competency. I had to strive to look beyond myself and my clients to help people outside of my daily life.