Human Rights

Competency 3: Advance Human Rights and Social, Economic, and Environmental Justice

What sets Social Work apart from other helping professions is its emphasis on advocating for others. Part of this profession is taking action to actively participate in activities that improve social, environmental and economic justice. Competency three emphasizes the importance of observing and understanding social injustices first and then acting upon them. I think that this competency ties in with the NASW value of dignity and worth of a person. Because of the belief that all people are worthy of certain rights, it is so important to do the best in practice to make sure that these rights are ensured for vulnerable populations.

Practice Behaviors

  • Apply their understanding of social, economic, and environmental justice to advocate for human rights at the individual and system levels
  • Engage in practices that advance social, economic , and environmental justice.
Evidence

Field

Ombudsman, the title of my practicum program means advocate in Swedish. The main goal of this program to advocate for the rights of residents living in Long-Term Care facilities. One way that I have advocated was by conducting “Quarterly Visits”. In these visits I would arrive at a facility and talk to residents about their experiences. I would ask them about any concerns they had with their care and would ensure that their rights were being respected. Attached is a pamphlet that I would give to residents to explain my role as an Ombudsman, their rights as residents, and how we can assist them. I have also included a journal entry recounting a quarterly visit experience.

Ombudsman Brochure 

Weekly Field Placement Journal

Academic

One of the projects I completed during Social Welfare Issues and Policies was a written/oral debate project. In this project we were assigned a social justice issue to advocate for. Our topic was healthcare and we were assigned to advocate for low income individuals to have access to health care.

Debate- Health Care