Week 5: Policy Context

Important Note: Please use the media player below to hear an audio course introduction that will give you more background information about the course topic. Also provided is a transcript for you to download and print out.

Laureate Education. (Producer). (2013). Policy context [Audio file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu

Note:  The approximate length of this media piece is 1 minute.

Accessible player –Downloads–Download AudioDownload Transcript

Learning Objectives

Students will:

• Analyze policy context in field education experience

Learning Resources

Note: To access this week’s required library resources, please click on the link to the Course Readings List, found in the Course Materials section of your Syllabus.

Required Readings

Garthwait, C. L. (2017). The social work practicum: A guide and workbook for students (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
Chapter 9, “The Social Policy Context of Practice” (pp. 97-108)

Libal, K., Mapp, S. C., Ihrig, E., & Ron, A. (2011). The United Nations convention on the rights of the child: Children can wait no longer for their rights. Social Work, 56(4), 367–370.
Note: Retrieved from Walden Library databases.

Required Media

Laureate Education. (Producer). (2013). Policy context [Audio file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu

Note:  This audio introduction is located in the “Introduction and Objectives” section. The approximate length of this media piece is 1 minute.

Optional Resources

Click the following link to access the MSW home page, which provides resources for your social work program.

MSW home page

Assignment 1: Week 5 Blog

Refer to the topics covered in this week’s resources and incorporate them into your blog.

By Day 3

Post a blog post that includes:

• An explanation of the policy context in your field education experience

By Day 4

Respond to the blog post of three colleagues in one or more of the following ways:

• Expand on your colleague’s posting.
• Share an insight from having read your colleague’s post.

Be sure to support your blog posts with specific references to this week’s resources and provide full APA citations for your references. For more information about posting your blog assignment, click on the Field Education Blogs link on the course navigation menu.

Submission and Grading Information

Grading Criteria

To access your rubric:
Week 5 Assignment 1 Rubric

Post by Day 3 and Respond by Day 4

To participate in this Assignment:
Week 5 Assignment 1

Assignment 2: Policy Identification

According to the Council on Social Work Education, Competency 5: Engage in Policy Practice:

Social workers understand that human rights and social justice, as well as social welfare and services, are mediated by policy and its implementation at the federal, state, and local levels. Social workers understand the history and current structures of social policies and services, the role of policy in service delivery, and the role of practice in policy development. Social workers understand their role in policy development and implementation within their practice settings at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels and they actively engage in policy practice to effect change within those settings. Social workers recognize and understand the historical, social, cultural, economic, organizational, environmental, and global influences that affect social policy. They are also knowledgeable about policy formulation, analysis, implementation, and evaluation. Social workers:

• Identify social policy at the local, state, and federal level that impacts well-being, service delivery, and access to social services;
• Assess how social welfare and economic policies impact the delivery of and access to social services;
• Apply critical thinking to analyze, formulate, and advocate for policies that advance human rights and social, economic, and environmental justice.

This assignment is intended to help students demonstrate the behavioral components of this competency in their field education.

To prepare: Working with your field instructor, identify, evaluate, and discuss policies established by the local, state, and federal government (within the last five years) that affect the day to day operations of the field placement agency.

The Assignment (1-2 pages):

• Describe the policies and their impact on the field agency.
• Propose specific recommendations regarding how you, as a social work intern, and the agency can advocate for policies pertaining to advancing social justice for the agency and the clients it serves.

Note: You are expected to present and discuss this assignment with your agency Field Instructor. Your field instructor will be evaluating your ability to demonstrate this competency in their field evaluation. In addition, you will submit this assignment for classroom credit. The Field Liaison will grade the assignment “PASS/FAIL,” see rubric for passing criteria.

Responses

 Allison Stewart  at Monday, September 23, 2019 9:04:21 PM

•                                                             An explanation of the policy context in your field education experience.

It is the policy of the Salvation Army to suit its programs to varying needs of people throughout the world. The Salvation Army Employee Manual that is listed as 1.5 quotes” It is the policy of the Salvation Army that it will provide equal opportunity for employment on the basis enumerated in federal, state, and local laws applicable to it, except where a prohibition on discrimination is inconsistent with the religious principles of the Salvation Army. Such equal opportunity for employment will apply to recruitment and hiring, training, promotion, salaries and other compensation, transfer and layoff or termination.”

In our studies, Garth wait, C. L. (2017). Chapter 9 (P.102)” Depending on your practicum setting, you will need to become familiar with a range of social policies that most directly influence the operations of your agency, its own agency policies, your role and its clients or consumers”.

 As an intern at the Salvation Army, a set of policies of reporting, responding, and procedures has been furnished for me to read over as to   what the Boys & Girls Club customary of order to accommodating the Youth while at the Boys & Girls Club.  I am still getting familiarizes with the policy each day.

Reference

Garthwait, C. L. (2017). The social work practicum: A guide and workbook for students (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. Chapter 9, “The Social Policy Context of Practice” (pp. 97-108).

Response 2

 Noelia Antonio  at Tuesday, September 24, 2019 1:44:46 PM

Social policy designates laws and regulations focused on the social wellbeing of individuals, families, groups and communities (Garthwait, 2017). However, although policies are made to promote wellbeing, not all policies provide the intended results. This could be due to a lack of information or incorrect information (Garthwait, 2017). It is also important to know that policies ultimately have a ripple effect on areas in which the policy was not intended to influence, such as social policies affecting healthcare (Osypuk, Joshi, Geronimo & Acevedo-Garcia, 2014). 

Within my field education experience, the types of social policies that affect it are social and financial support policies and protection policies. Garthwait (2017) states that “Policies of social and financial support are those intended to help or encourage people to carry out their roles and responsibilities and meet their basic needs for food, shelter, and so on” (p. 102). My agency assists individuals in rental assistance, utility assistance, locating and referring for housing and providing resources to food banks. 

“Policies of protection are those that seek to protect people from harm and exploitation, especially those who are most vulnerable.” (Garthwait, 2017, p. 102). My field education agency focuses on cases of child abuse and/or neglect. It focuses on ensuring the protection of children whether in their homes or in placement. These children are the vulnerable populations in which policies at the agency are enacted for. The financial support policies help maintain children in their homes or maintains their placement.

References:

Garthwait, C. L. (2017). The social work practicum: A guide and workbook for students (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

 Surnita Warner  at Monday, September 23, 2019 11:08:06 PM

As Garthwait(2017) references, social policy is defined as a decision made by public or governmental authorities regarding the assignment and allocation of resources, rights, and responsibilities and expressed in laws and governmental regulations(p.98).” In the state of Maryland, the Maryland Department of Health is a governmental authority that has decided to prevent suicide by creating the Maryland Suicide Prevention Program. The Suicide Prevention Program aims to prevent suicide by “collaborating with the Governor’s Commission on Suicide Prevention as well as various state departments, community agencies, providers, and members to increase awareness of suicide and improve preparedness to identify individuals at-risk, intervene, and provide support to promote healing and improved quality of life.” (Maryland Department of Health, n.d., p.1) In which, the field placement I work acts as a community agency and initiates the goal of this policy.

In regard to the field education experience I’ve chosen, the policy context is based on social policy. Garthwait (2017) references that “social policies are directly related to social problems and are intended to address them in a way that will hopefully prevent or reduce the extent of these problems (p. 98).”  Within the field, the social problems I work with the most is suicide, while communicating with callers on the crisis hotline. In comparison to the Maryland Suicide Prevention Program, the field experience focus on addresses the well-being of individuals. However, the field experience implements the policy within the community through providing individuals with a trained specialist to listen 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. It also provides resources for indivduals with thoughts of suicide, such as a hotline specialist to provide coping strategies. 

References

Garthwait, C. L. (2017). The social work practicum: A guide and workbook for students (7th ed.)pp. 41-50. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

Maryland Department of Health. (n.d.). Maryland Suicide Prevention Program. 

Retrieved from https://health.maryland.gov/suicideprevention/Pages/home.aspx

Response one

•    An explanation of the policy context in your field education experience.

It is the policy of the Salvation Army to suit its programs to varying needs of people throughout the world. The Salvation Army Employee Manual that is listed as 1.5 quotes” It is the policy of the Salvation Army that it will provide equal opportunity for employment on the basis enumerated in federal, state, and local laws applicable to it, except where a prohibition on discrimination is inconsistent with the religious principles of the Salvation Army. Such equal opportunity for employment will apply to recruitment and hiring, training, promotion, salaries and other compensation, transfer and layoff or termination.”

In our studies, Garth wait, C. L. (2017). Chapter 9 (P.102)” Depending on your practicum setting, you will need to become familiar with a range of social policies that most directly influence the operations of your agency, its own agency policies, your role and its clients or consumers”.

 As an intern at the Salvation Army, a set of policies of reporting, responding, and procedures has been furnished for me to read over as to   what the Boys & Girls Club customary of order to accommodating the Youth while at the Boys & Girls Club.  I am still getting familiarizes with the policy each day.

Reference

Garthwait, C. L. (2017). The social work practicum: A guide and workbook for students (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. Chapter 9, “The Social Policy Context of Practice” (pp. 97-108).

Response two

 Alysia Barkster  at Thursday, September 26, 2019 10:14:01 PM

Policy plays in an important role as it is set to protect the consumer and provider. According to (Garthwait, 2017), protection policies are to protect the people from any harm and exploitation, particularly people who most susceptible. Policy provides laws and regulations geared to the individuals, families, and groups and their well-being. Policy should not cause a burden for the consumer or client but be as an assistance to ensure they are treated in the highest regard and reduce the likelihood of being taken advantage of or exposed involuntarily. As these policies are intended to be for the people, policies have been able to do just the opposite.

Within my field placement, I intern at a mental health agency. As I am handling personal and sensitive information, policies within the agency hold me accountable to ensure the client’s information is received and sent accordingly to policies such as HIPPA. HIPPA, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act entails four main purposes including privacy of health information, security of electronic records, administrative simplification, and insurance portability to ensure there are proper strategies for handling and protecting the client’s person health information. This agency provides the means including caseworkers to assist and implementing social policy to ensure the client is able to utilize skills and obtain responsibility to improve their well being and enhance basic living skills. This agency has the ability to assist clientele with identifying and utilizing resources focused on the individual, family, or group as mentioned.

Reference:

Garthwait, C. L. (2017). The social work practicum: A guide and workbook for students (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson

Response three.

 Chastidy Boutin  at Monday, September 30, 2019 9:06:39 AM

The agency In am placed with for intern has many different procedures they follow to effectively run. Because my agency is primarily ministry and community based, along with being a new agency, the policies they have adopted have been limited more than some other larger run agencies that I have seen. This is where I come into play as an intern for the agency along with a senior social worker. We are developing policies for the agency every day. According to Garthwait, C.L. (2017), there are many different categories of social policies that include social or financial support. protection, rehabilitation, and remediation, prevention and punishment and correction (Garthwait, C.L, 2017). One of the effective policies that the agency has established is the protocol for dealing with confidentiality with client records. This policy is self- adapted with the agency but is also a requirement on higher levels. Maintaining client records by taking client intake sheets and putting them in a locking file cabinet helps to eliminate a breach of information and protection.

One of the programs our agency runs is a community clothing assistance program. Clients are able to come into the building and get assistance with clothing 3 times a year. They are allowed 6 pieces of clothing per family member and 6 household items per member as well. We keep track of the number of visits and follow policy that requires every client to be treated the same and not allowed more visits than the three. Also if the client is getting clothing for a family member not present, they must bring a voucher from a  source showing they do live in the household. According to Libel, et al., (2011), social workers hold a high responsibility of bringing forth information about education and advocacy (Libel et. al, 2011). As mentioned before, as a social worker, I hope to bring for new policy procedures to assist with the foundation of my agency and the bettering of client experiences.

References

Garthwait, C. L. (2017). The social work practicum: A guide and workbook for students (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

• Chapter 9, “The Social Policy Context of Practice” (pp. 97-108)

  Libal, K., Mapp, S. C., Ihrig, E., & Ron, A. (2011). The United Nations convention on the rights of the child: Children can wait no longer for their rights. Social Work, 56(4), 367–370.