Importance of Participating in Advocacy and Legislative Action as a Social Worker

Policy affects practice
The NASW said it best, the social work profession was founded in social change. Social workers are there for those who need it. They are the public's biggest advocates in times of need. They also see the effects of law every day in practice, and those who endorse the laws can be moved by the important stories social workers have to tell. 
Why is law important to know? 
Social workers help all kinds of people. They assist in adoption, therapy, poverty, addiction, unemployment, disability, abuse, discrimination, and so much more. All these things that they help with, have laws that are attached. 
Being involved with legislative action keeps social workers up to date on current issues and issues to come. Being engaged in legislative action also prepares them to better serve their clients. They can help shape policy and help constituents by working with federal, state and local agencies to get individual appropriate assistance. For social workers to help change law, it is important for them to stay current on laws. 
If social workers want to create new policies, it is best to first understand why existing policies were developed. They can then be able to identify problems in these policies, find ways policies could be improved, and design solid proposals to help move towards change. In the end, these changes can help all people and improve humanity. 

How do social workers advocate for policy change?
Social workers can interact with their communities to learn more about the challenges they face. They can then raise awareness about those issues by educating everyone, from the lawmakers to nonprofit groups and empower community members to advocate for policy change. Social workers can also go to their elected officials and working within their agency to make a change.

To get policy updates, go to:
http://www.socialworkers.org/Advocacy/Policy-Updates 
To see policy issues, go to:
https://www.socialworkers.org/Advocacy/Policy-Issues 
To stay informed, act, or to get legislative alerts from the NASW to:
https://www.socialworkers.org/Advocacy/Legislative-Alerts 

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