This assignment demonstrates the students understanding of those forces and policies that shape human service organizations, and the impact of those forces, policies and agency structure on the ability to effectively serve and advocate for clients at the micro, mezzo and macro levels.
This assignment will begin with classroom exercises using specific worksheets which will help you to self-assess your advocacy/leadership skills used in advocating for change.
This assignment is in three parts:
Worksheet # 1 (classroom exercise): Social Worker as Change Agents and Advocates
Worksheet # 2 (classroom exercise): Advocacy Practice Approach
Written Paper or Presentation: Advocacy Practice in Action
1. Social Worker as Change Agents and Advocates Worksheet
In worksheet # 1 complete each question within the worksheet. On question # 12, the focus is in finding out how you would evaluate yourself within these elements. You can refer to page 48 in Hoefer as an aid.
2. Advocacy Practice Approach Worksheet
In worksheet # 2, Please utilize heading for General Practice and for Advocacy Practice under each stage you will be developing. This is simply to assist in the delineation of the concepts for the reader
3. Advocacy Practice in Action
a. Using Hoefers Understanding the Issue Model (Chapter 4) do an analysis of the issue in a narrative format. This section should contain research, connection to legislation (as applicable depending on change issue you are analyzing), citations and statistical data, as appropriate. Hoefers five-step analysis mode contains these areas:
Define the issues
Decide who Is affected and how they are affected by the issue
Decide what the main causes of the issue are
Generate possible solutions to the issue
Review proposed solutions to determine their impact on social justice
b. Discuss your own personal advocacy goals for the problem/population of interest, and reflect on your own strengths and areas for growth as a leader and advocate.
c. Use the following format to organize your paper:
Section 1 Use steps 1-5 in chapter 4 (Figure 4.1)
Discuss a social problem / social injustice: who is ffected? stakeholders? definitions, historical context, ideology, cultural context, prevalence, statistics, causes and consequences of problem.
Advocate for change; make a persuasive argument for why it is a good idea
Propose solutions on 3 levels: micro (client), mezzo (community), and macro (policy)
Section 2
Reflections on your personal strengths and weaknesses in terms of leadership and communication
Your personal goals surrounding advocacy
General Instructions:
Any sources you utilize to support your answers in the worksheets must be cited.
There should be a title page for the entirety of the assignment (which includes the three areas as stated in the rubric).
APA format must be utilized throughout the assignment, including citations and references.
You should review the rubric (found on the Syllabus to the assignment) and make sure you adhere to the requirements which outline expectations in terms of content (thorough, cohesive, and evidence based), format (that all content was included), organization (outline below), grammar, and APA.
