The advancement of human rights and social, economic, and environmental justice is the heart of social work practice. As an advanced practitioner, I seek to understand how and where the social issues experienced by marginalized and oppressed populations intersect. In correlation with this, I consistently advocate for social, economic, and environmental justice for the clients I serve at my practicum setting through participation in the research, development, and implementation of social action strategies and policies that ensure access to affordable housing.
3.1: Demonstrate leadership in advocating for human rights, social, economic and environmental justice
Field Evidence: During my time serving clients with the Eviction Prevention Initiative, my eyes were opened to the systemic injustices my clients faced when combatting housing insecurity, as well as the many factors contributing to this vast, prevalent issue. In November, I participated in the City Council meeting and was able to speak during the time when the floor is open to the public to address the council. I demonstrated leadership in advocating for social and economic justice as it pertains to housing instability through sharing my experiences as a social worker on the Eviction Prevention Initiative, as well as the experiences of my clients. The recording of my brief address to the council can be found here. I was also able to meet with my city councilwoman, Carol Berz, following this meeting. The field journal entry I wrote about this meeting can be viewed here.
3.2: Design and implement social action strategies
Course Evidence: In my advanced policy class, my group and I designed an advocacy campaign for SB 0589 to become a state law in Tennessee to ensure restoration of the right to vote to individuals convicted of a crime. We called our campaign “Defend Democracy”. This title reframes the issue of felon voter disenfranchisement as it elicits contemplation of the full concept of democracy; a concept in which voting serves as the foundation. A well-functioning democracy necessitates inclusion and equal representation, two principles that are absent in the enactment of voter disenfranchisement laws. Felon voter disenfranchisement correlates directly with voter suppression, with both posing a serious threat to the democracy of this nation. The social action strategies of our advocacy campaign can be viewed here.
Skills Present: The aforementioned evidences demonstrate effective communication, leadership, and advocacy skills.
Knowledge Present: The knowledge gained from the Advanced Policy course proved very useful in fulfilling the practice behaviors of this competency; my group’s extensive advocacy proposal gave me the opportunity to examine effective advocacy strategies, as well as to gain a deeper understanding of the underlying causes of the social issues our country continues to face today. Additionally, my hands-on experience with clients experiencing housing instability gave me deeper insight into the vast complexity of this issue. I was able to advocate effectively on their behalf through communicating what I’d learned thus far with city officials through a well-informed approach.
Values Present: Advocacy that advances human rights and social justice directly correlates with the social work values of social justice, service, and dignity and worth of the person. Advocating for the clients I served at my practicum agency and designing an advocacy campaign that addressed voter suppression directly reflects each of these values.
Cognitive Processes: For this competency, I was able to recognize (knowledge domain) and validate (evaluation domain) the injustices faced by my clients and by former incarcerated individuals. I was able to formulate (synthesis domain) effective advocacy strategies that address the issues of voter disenfranchisement and housing instability and continually apply (application domain) this knowledge within the scope of social work practice.
Affective Processes: As a social worker, it is my responsibility to utilize the knowledge gained from practice experience and my educational foundation to inform public policy that advances human rights and social justice for those on the margins. I demonstrated the ability to listen (receiving domain) to the experiences of my clients, to actively participate (responding domain) in community discussions regarding the issues they faced, and to persuade (valuing domain) others to advocate for policies that address the issues of voter disenfranchisement and housing instability.
Theoretical Foundation: The theory I’ve found that correlates with this competency is the Theory of Prosocial Behavior. This theory is based on the principle of altruism, citing that the rationale for helping others is often intrinsic motivation. As social workers, we must recognize that we are mandated to continually advocate for human rights and to advance practices that reflect the values of the social work profession. It is crucial that we are able to do so without the expectation of reciprocity but with the hope that the rights of every individual are recognized and upheld.