Handbook of Policy Practice

All social work practice, from intervention to how payments or reimbursements are made, is regulated by social policies. Professionals, however, cannot arbitrarily select which policy to follow in any circumstance; knowing what comprises a given policy is essential, but equally important is understanding how to amend a policy by applying unique skills that reflect the social work profession's shared values and beliefs. Recognizing that a series of interdependent social policies govern every aspect of social work in both nonprofit and public organizations, this practice-specific textbook focuses on influencing social policies in an agency setting or through formal governmental processes. The Handbook for Policy Practice explores a wide range of topics that are critical tools in every social worker's policy practice repertoire: · Recognizing the various social justice theories and their role in social policy. · Understanding critical thinking as a practice skill. · Social media as a practice tool. · Preparing and presenting testimony to a legislative committee or group of people. · Formulating a clear, well-focused written policy brief for a Board of Directors or legislative committee. · Organizing policy specific advocacy activities including a public forum, social work day at the legislature, and voter registration projects. · The "30-second elevator speech." · Writing newspaper "op-eds" and "letters to the editor." Purposefully, the Handbook also relies on information comes from the digital world. Using the web as a primary source builds on the social work profession's long-held belief to begin where the client is. Using the links to the various data and citation sources, readers will learn to identify and discern the features of a valid web site. As a whole, this book is an essential resource for all BSW and MSW students.