SOCIAL WORKERS AS POLICY
ADVOCATES: FUNCTIONS AND
ROLES
Using Power & Influence to Make a Difference
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE REASONS THAT
SOCIAL WORKERS ENGAGE IN POLICY
ADVOCACY?
LETS LOOK AT THE FOLLOWING CASE
STUDY
SOCIAL WORKERS AT THE RAISIN COUNTY
HEALTH CLINIC HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT
THEY WILL BE REQUIRED TO REPORT
UNDOCUMENTED CLIENTS TO IMMIGRATION
(ICE). SOCIAL WORKERS ARE CONCERNED
THAT IF THEY START TO REPORT
UNDOCUMENTED PEOPLE, BOTH
UNDOCUMENTED AN RECENT LEGAL
IMMIGRANTS WILL STOP COMING TO THE
CLINIC. THE SOCIAL WORKERS HAVE BEEN
TOLD THAT IF THEY FAIL TO REPORT
UNDOCUMENTED PEOPLE, THEY COULD BE
FIRED BY THE AGENCY OR ARRESTED BY
THE GOVERNMENT.
ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS
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At what level (organization, federal, state, local
government) have the policies in the previous
scenario been formulated? At what levels have they
been implemented?
Do you agree with these policies? Why or why not?
What are the social worker’s options in terms of the
policies?
How can they change agency policy?
How can they change government policy?
What information would they need before they make
a decision?
Are the people likely to be affected by this policy,
have political power? What sources of power do they
have?
What sources of power do social workers have?
SOCIAL WORKER ROLES
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Implement agency policies.
Advocate for changes in agency policies or new
policies.
Advocating for changes in local, state, and federal
polices.
Proposing Legislation
Lobbying for the Legislation
Supporting candidates for office who will support the
legislation
Protesting Unjust policies
Using the media to inform the public about social
problems or unjust policies; garnering support for
legislative/policy change.
JANSSON IDENTIFIES TASKS RELATED TO
POLICY CHANGE:
Agenda setting
 Problem-analyzing
 Proposal writing
 Enacting a policy (passing the legislation)
 Implementing policy
 Policy-assessing (collect data about how the
policy has been implemented – do staff members
have problems applying the policy; do clients
receive benefits or services as intended)
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TWO VIEWS OF “NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND”
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U.S. Department of Education
http://www.ed.gov/nclb/landing.jhtml
National Education Association:
http://www.nea.org/esea/policy.html
Recent article in Fresno Bee
http://www.fresnobee.com/263/story/336394.html
FRAMEWORKS FOR ACTION
Existing policies
 Previous legislation and judicial decisions
 Ethics (including the NASW Code of Ethics)
 Political ideology
 Personal values
 Positions taken by professional associations
 Public sentiment and support
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ETHICAL MANDATES
NASW Code of Ethics
6.04 Social and Political Action
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(a)
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Social workers should engage in social and political action that seeks to ensure that all people
have equal access to the resources, employment, services, and opportunities they require to meet
their basic human needs and to develop fully. Social workers should be aware of the impact of the
political arena on practice and should advocate for changes in policy and legislation to improve
social conditions in order to meet basic human needs and promote social justice.
Principle of social justice
Involves fairness and equity. Pertains to the
distribution of resources in society.
Distributive justice is the term used to describe
whether all groups in society have equal access
to resources.
What does Rawls say about how a person would
distribute resources in society if he or she does
not know his or her own status?
RESOURCES INCLUDE:
Jobs
 Education
 Money (Income and Wealth)
 Status (Professional; social class, recognition;
immigration)
 Political Power & Influence
 Housing
 Access to the Media (ability to influence;
coverage)
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Do you think everyone has equal access to
resources? Why or why not?
POLITICAL IDEOLOGY AND VALUES
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Individuals and groups have personal values that come
from personal experience, religion, culture, personal
interest, and group membership.
People join groups to promote personal values and selfinterest.
Ideology involves a set of assumptions about how the world
works that is usually untested empirically. Some people
believe, vote, or act in a manner consistent with a rigid
adherence to a specific ideology. In general, political
parties reflect ideologies. Can you think of an ideology or
point of view that is associated with either of the main
political parities? How do the Green Party and Libertarian
approaches differ from Democratic and Republican parties?
Which of the ideologies associated with political parties do
you feel are consistent with the Code of Social Work
Ethics?
ANOTHER CENTRAL COMPONENT OF
POLICY CHANGE IS THE CONCEPT OF
POWER
Power can be defined as: the ability to pressure
or persuade others to do what the power-holder
wants them to do.
 Power can be actual, used to influence change.
 Power also can be potential, not used but
available to those who possess power.
 Power can also be positive (used to persuade
someone to take action) or negative (used to
prevent someone from taking action).
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SOURCES OF POWER
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Authority or Position
Status (social class, professional status, etc.)
Money
Political influence
- elected office
- votes
- campaign donations
Information
Knowledge
Strength in Numbers
Protest
Media
Gender, Race, Social Class or other personal characteristics
such as appearance or charisma
Ability to decide whether someone has access to resources,
services, or benefits
Additional Sources of Power
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Interest Groups (formed to advance the personal or
financial interests of members). NASW is an interest
group. Other powerful interest groups include the National
Association of Manufacturers, the National Rifle
Association, and the American Association of Retired
Persons.
Interest groups have members, money, access to
legislators, and access to the media and use these resources
to gain power.
Interest groups also make campaign donations. Although
Federal law prohibits interest groups from making
donations directly to candidates, their individual members
can make donations. Often they make donations to people
who will advance their interest.
Social Workers & Political Campaigns
The law permits interest groups to set up
separate organizations called political action
committees to make donations.
 PACs solicit donations from their members and
give these donations to candidates. Multiple
donations from individuals give the PACs who
transfer these funds to candidates much power.
 NASW has a PAC called PACE.
 It raises money from social workers and endorses
candidates.
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What types of political candidates do you
think NASW would endorse?
WHAT OTHER SOURCES OF POWER
DO SOCIAL WORKERS POSSESS?
WHAT POWER DO YOU HAVE AS AN
INDIVIDUAL?
WHAT POWER DO YOU HAVE AS A
MEMBER OF A GROUP?