SOCW 6361 Week 10 – Post Responses

  

Provide a Discussion Post response to colleagues by offering your thoughts on how multiple factors contribute to the failure of people to implement specific policies. In your opinion, do you think frontline social workers are perceived as people who cause specific policies to not be implemented?

Must contain at least 2 references with 1 being from Jansson.

Provide a Discussion Post response to colleagues by offering your thoughts on how multiple factors contribute to the failure of people to implement specific policies. In your opinion, do you think frontline social workers are perceived as people who cause specific policies to not be implemented?

Danielle Steinway 

Discussion – Week 10

COLLAPSE

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Post your thoughts on whether social workers might try to undermine the implementation of specific policies.

I believe social workers may try to undermine the implementation of specific policies but only for the reason of their duty to protect the well-being of their client. Jansson (2018) state the policy advocates do not violate existing policy but take advantage of ambiguities in it that do allow for exceptions. A social worker may have to modify their personal values to be in accordance with an agencies policy practices. Also a social worker may feel as though they need to make a decision between prioritizing the agencies policies and the support necessary for their client.

What ethical issues might they confront?

Some examples of ethical issues are: 1) You have a client wanting an abortion. Although you do not believe in abortion you must give her a referral to an abortion clinic. 2) You have a client begging you not to report abuse that they informed you of but you are obligated as a mandated reporter. 3) You have to deny a single mother daycare assistance because she is in graduate school and not undergraduate school.

Discuss how social workers can implement policies that they feel may be against their social work values.

A social worker may have to resign and work against the policy as a policy advocate from the outside. They can also attempt to discuss their concern with the proper administrators to resolve any problematic policies. If this is unsuccessful they can formally take it to a supervisor or even a higher up. “Social workers should promote conditions that encourage respect for cultural and social diversity within the United States and globally. Social workers should promote policies and practices that demonstrate respect for difference, support the expansion of cultural knowledge and resources, advocate for programs and institutions that demonstrate cultural competence, and promote policies that safeguard the rights of and confirm equity and social justice for all people” (NASW, 2017).

Discuss a specific policy’s impact that you would try to mitigate in the implementation phase.

When TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) was initiated in 1996 it was very flawed. It was supposed to allow for low-income single mothers to have adequate resources and help obtaining employment but it did not have a sufficient amount of funds for childcare. “So harsh was TANF that many single women ended up on the streets during the Great Recession of 2007-2009 or resorted to selling blood to make ends meet” (Jansson, 2018, p. 468). I would try to mitigate here in the implementation phase by making sure those funds for childcare were put into place immediately.

Provide an experience you have had with a policy you had difficulty implementing or a policy you are aware of that you would have serious qualms about implementing.

In all honestly, the mask mandate law that is in place right now in Minnesota where I live. I understand that people are supposed to wear masks to reduce the chances of spreading the virus. I do not believe that someone should be fined or even arrested for not complying with wearing a mask. There are men and women who may be traumatized from a victimization by wearing a mask. There may be someone who has breathing issues and a mask causes further breathing problems for them. There are many other instances of why someone may not be wearing a mask. I know there is a lot of debate on this situation right now and I will not tell one person or another that they are wrong. I think there is a matter of opinion in this debate.

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.

· Chapter 13, “Troubleshooting the Implementation of Policies in Task 7” (pp. 460-487)

National Association of Social Workers. (2017). Code of Ethics. Retrieved from

             https://www.socialworkers.org/About/Ethics/Code-of-Ethics/Code-of-Ethics-English

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Katherine Petersuken 

RE: Discussion – Week 10

COLLAPSE

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Post your thoughts on whether social workers might try to undermine the implementation of specific policies. What ethical issues might they confront?

Stanford CDDRL (2016) defines policy implementation as the “decisions and activities required once the basic structure of a program has been made established to put it into effect and keep it operating at an acceptable level as most policies are not self-implementing. Lane and Humphreys (2011) point out that research suggests that “changing the cast of characters in politics affects the policies that are implemented” (p. 225). Therefore, dependent on one’s profession and/or personal background it can play a role in impacting the resulting policies. Political activity is specifically promoted amongst social workers in the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics, found in section 6.04, where social workers are charged with social and political action that seeks to ensure that all people have equal access to resources (National Association of Social Workers, 2017). In today’s sociopolitical environment, there may be several social policies that social workers disagree with and therefore might try to undermine the implementation of the policy or work towards having the policy amended or revoked. Social workers are bound by ethics to follow applicable laws and statutes; social workers are also bound to resolve the dilemma in congruence with the values, principles, and standards expressed in the NASW Code of Ethics (National Association of Social Workers, 2017). This here in itself creates a type of ethical issue or dilemma in which social workers face between trying to ensure that all people have equal access to resources but also trying to abide by following applicable laws and statutes and at times the two very well may not go hand in hand with one another (Jansson, 2018). Jansson (2018) also mentions that when it comes to implementing policy at the organizational, community, and even higher levels, social workers might face dilemmas in honoring client self-determination and honoring privacy and confidentiality.

Discuss how social workers can implement policies that they feel may be against their social work values.

Jansson (2018) mentions that the “context of implementation powerfully shapes how specific policies are implemented and the implementation of many policies is closely linked to ideology and partisan politics” (p. 462). The beliefs, interpretation, and mind-sets of those directly involved in the implementation shape its evolution, which includes high and intermediate authority figures, firing-line staff, and consumers (Jansson, 2018). Depending on which level or category a particular social worker falls within there are different ways in which they can address policies that they feel may be against their social work values. For example, if a high-authority social work figure felt implementing a particular policy may be against their social work values they can instead of supporting a policy with verbal, financial, and time resources, can instead ignore a policy, neglect to address it, choose to not enforce some of its goals or provisions that are unwise of intrusive or actively oppose it (Jansson, 2018). Looking at supervisors and administrative staff, which fall in the realm of intermediate-authority figures and are critical participants in implementation as a mid-level position between executives and line staff and if they dislike an innovation or believe it is against their professional work values they can sabotage it by opposing it or by failing to address implementation barriers (Jansson, 2018). Due to the frequent autonomy of firing-line staff it grants considerable latitude, which can be used to implement or to ignore a specific policy directive in certain instances (Jansson, 2018).

As policy advocates social workers have several options when they want to improve implementation as well as there are several reform options advocates can take part in when policies don’t align with their social work values, such as: amending the policy innovation; modifying policies of oversight agencies; modifying the choice of primary implementing organizations; intervening in implementing processes; intervening in interorganizational processes; modifying the context; influencing the evaluation of a policy’s outcomes, working for enhanced funding; and whistleblowing (Jansson, 2018, p. 479).

Reamer (2007) also brings to light that social workers sometimes find their ethical instincts conflict with agency policies and regulations and as a matter of principle, social workers have an obligation to ensure that employers are familiar with ethical standards in social work. And according to the NASW Code of Ethics “social workers should take reasonable steps to ensure that employers are aware of social workers’ ethical obligations for social work practice” (standard 3.09[c]). Reamer (2007) also suggests that social workers are able to address unethical policies and regulations in various ways, such as addressing the issue informally through discussing their concerns with the appropriate colleagues and administrators and although often times informal efforts can be successful, at times it may require more formal efforts such as bringing concerns to the attention of supervisors and administrators via memoranda or other means that require a formal response.

Discuss a specific policy’s impact that you would try to mitigate in the implementation phase.

One specific policy’s impact that I would have tried to mitigate would be the “Travel Ban Policy”, which began in January of 2017 and imposed strict travel restrictions and indefinitely suspended the issuance of immigrant and non-immigrant visas to applicants from seven Muslim-majority countries. According to the National Council on Family Relations (2019), empirical evidence suggests that this policy may exacerbate Islamophobia in the United States, such as negative attitudes and emotions directed to the Islamic religion or individuals who identify as Muslim and increase the risks of poor mental health among Muslim populations in the United States. Also, research demonstrates that the policy initiative adds to the complexities of healthy development and exacerbates maladjustment among immigrant adolescents and young adults and can have severe implications for mental health, educational and career opportunities and achievement and economic advancement at the local, state, and federal levels (National Council on Family Relations, 2019).

Provide an experience you have had with a policy you had difficulty implementing or a policy you are aware of that you would have serious qualms about implementing.

Although I don’t have personal experience with this particular scenario, I can imagine a policy that might be difficult to implement would be the limited time constraints through the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act’s federally funded Basic Center Programs in which runaway and homeless youth under the age of 18 are only granted a maximum of 21 day stay at the shelter before either being reunited with family or placed in the foster care system of care.

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.

Lane, S., & Humphreys, N. (2011). Social Workers in Politics: A National Survey of Social Work Candidates and Elected Officials. Journal of Policy Practice, 10(3), 225–244.

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

National Council on Family Relations. (2019). Immigrant Families Across the Life Course: Policy Impacts on Physical and Mental Health: National Council on Family Relations. Retrieved from https://www.ncfr.org/resources/research-and-policy-briefs/immigrant-families-across-life-course-policy-impacts-physical-and-mental-health?gclid=CjwKCAjwsan5BRAOEiwALzomX5iWm1AkGBfi5XImDMTewu7fIexfu-Qkk_xZ8rzHckxswV_2wvuymBoCLFIQAvD_BwE

Reamer, F. (2007). Challenging Unethical Agency Policies. Retrieved from https://www.socialworktoday.com/archive/EoEMayJun07.shtml

Stanford CDDRL (Producer). (2016). Kent Weaver: Challenges of Policy Implementation (Part 1) [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8jYN4AqdI

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