Advocacy

Abstract

Social work advocacy is “the exclusive and mutual representation of a client(s) or a cause in a forum, attempting to systematically influence decision-making in an unjust or unresponsive system(s).” Advocacy was identified as a professional role as far back as 1887, and social workers consider client advocacy an ethical responsibility. Social workers are increasing the use of electronic advocacy to influence client issues and policy development. As client and societal needs evolve, universities should emphasize advocacy in their curricula, and the National Association of Social Workers should promote electoral and legislative initiatives that reflect an emphasis on social and economic injustices.

School`s out with fever: service provider perspectives of youth with mental health struggles

“…Such resistance is part of a larger debate in Western countries over the concern for an increase among youth diagnosed and medicated and the school as dominated by testing, measuring, and having more of a focus on theoretical than practical skills. The critique against the system that this study underpins can be viewed as a form of what we know from social work and mental health work as advocating for change (Schneider, Lester, & Ochieng, 2013) changes in both the school system and the welfare system in general. As service providers navigating in a field of tensions, daily resistance is not part of the practice.…”

‘Money makes the world go around’: Social workers in parliamentary finance committees in Israel

“…Because of the pivotal role that parliamentary committees play in matters of social welfare and public policy (Olson, 2008) scholars have urged social workers to seek out opportunities to testify before them as expert witnesses (Jansson, 2014; Richan, 2006; Schneider & Lester, 2001). Such appearances enable social workers to be heard by policy makers, bureaucrats, and the general public, to voice their service users’ needs and difficulties, and to utilize their expertise and knowledge to affect the ways policy makers perceive social problems and the solutions to them (Ritter, 2013).…”