I’m trying to learn for my Social Science class and I’m stuck. Can you help?

Discussion 2: Becoming a Lifelong Advocate

It is not enough to be compassionate. You must act.
—Tenzin Gyatso

As this course comes to a close, consider and reflect on how you can become a lifelong advocate for social change in your future social work practice. As a motivated policy advocate and social worker, your actions in your chosen profession will reflect your motivation to help relatively powerless, disenfranchised groups of people improve their resources, their opportunities, and their quality of life.

In this Discussion, you reflect upon your responsibility as a social worker, politically and professionally.

By Day 4

Post your thoughts on this question: As a social worker, what is your responsibility to engage in political action? Identify an area of social welfare where social work policy advocacy is needed.

By Day 6

Respond to a colleague with suggestions on how he or she can put his or her policy advocacy into action. Discuss which policy advocacy skills you can use as a social worker in all levels of practice.

Colleague: Tamara

The NASW Code of Ethics sets forth values, principles, and standards to guide social workers’ conduct (NASW, 2017). In my opinion, adhering to the values, principles, and standards are mandatory, not optional. As a social worker, it is my ethical duty to engage in political action with the purpose of seeking social justice for vulnerable populations; this is one of the NASW Code of Ethics’ core values. I am responsible for upholding these values and will do so with pride and joy.

Identify an area of social welfare where social work policy advocacy is needed.

One area of social welfare that will always require social work policy advocacy is child welfare. Child Protective Services social workers have always been referred to as “baby snatchers.” Within the last few years there have been changes in the North Carolina Child Welfare Policy that focus on reunifying the child(ren) with their parent(s). However, it has been inadequate. There has always been an issue with the process of removing and returning children back to the home. One of the biggest challenges child welfare workers face is the issue of time constraints due to large caseloads and state mand-dated time frames; this could partially explain why workers prefer to remove the child, place the child in foster care, and continue on to the next case. It’s unacceptable. Children are considered a vulnerable population. Therefore, social work policy advocacy is needed to address issues within the child welfare system to ensure the children’s best interests/needs are being met.

Reference:

Code of Ethics of the National Association of Social Workers (2017). Retrieved from https://www.socialworkers.org/About/Ethics/Code-of…