SOCW 6361 Week 11 Discussion 2 - Post Responses

Follow this criteria to address Fred Flintstones's post below.

 Respond to Fred Flintstones's Post 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. 

 Fred Flintstones's Post follows:

As a social worker, what is your responsibility to engage in political action?

"The Code of Ethics of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) requires social workers to engage in social and political action that seeks to ensure that all people have equal access to the resources, employment, services, opportunities they require to meet their basic human needs and to develop fully" (Jannson, 2018, p. xvii). As a social worker we cannot fulfill the ethical obligations if we are not knowledgeable about how to shape these policies. We are able to join social reform traditions in society and in the social work profession.

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

I believe there is a need for social work policy advocacy when working with opioid drug users. Many states still do not have needle exchange programs and many people have the misconception that if we have these programs it is just enabling addicts to use drugs. This is not the case. These are people too that need help just as much as the next person. These programs make the community safe, reduce the number of HIV transmission cases, and provide other resources that increase the likelihood of them getting future drug treatment. 

References

Jansson, B. S. (2018). Becoming an effective policy advocate: From policy practice to social justice (8th ed.). Pacific               Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole Cengage Learning Series.

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