In This Week's Resources You Explore The Stories Of Susana A

In This Weeks Resources You Explore The Stories Of Susana And The Br

In this week's resources, you explore the stories of Susana and the Bradley family. They are all in situations that need social work intervention and advocacy. What political strategies would you use to enact policies developed to assist these individuals? In this discussion, you develop political strategies to address one aspect of the situation(s) and problem(s) facing Susana and members of the Bradley family. To prepare: Read and review Chapter 11 in your text. Read "Social Work Policy: Children and Adolescents" and "Social Policy and Advocacy: Violence Prevention". View the Bradley Episode 7 in the media for this week. By Day 3, post an explanation of the political strategies you would use to address one aspect of the situations/problems facing Susana and members of the Bradley family. Explain why you selected that strategy.

Paper For Above instruction

The stories of Susana and the Bradley family present complex social issues that require strategic political intervention to facilitate meaningful change. In addressing these issues, selecting effective political strategies rooted in social justice paradigms is essential for developing sustainable policies. This paper will focus on a specific aspect of these cases—in this instance, the need to improve access to mental health and social services for immigrant children like Susana and vulnerable families such as the Bradleys—and outline a strategic political approach tailored to this challenge.

Understanding the Context

Susana’s case highlights the plight of immigrant children vulnerable to exploitation, discrimination, and inadequate access to mental health resources. Similarly, the Bradley family, likely facing systemic barriers, underscores the importance of policy frameworks that support family stability, mental health, and community-based services. To address these issues effectively, social workers must employ well-planned political strategies that influence policy changes at local, state, or federal levels.

Selection of Political Strategy

The primary strategy I would employ is policy advocacy through coalition-building and stakeholder mobilization. This approach involves rallying various actors—community organizations, advocacy groups, healthcare providers, educators, and policymakers—to develop a unified voice promoting policy reforms geared toward expanding mental health services and preventative care programs for at-risk populations like Susana and the Bradleys.

Rationale for the Chosen Strategy

This strategy was selected because it harnesses collective power to influence legislative and administrative actions. Coalition-building facilitates resource sharing, increases political leverage, and fosters sustained advocacy efforts. As Sherraden, Slosar, and Sherraden (2002) emphasize, collaborative policy advocacy is effective in promoting social innovation and enacting lasting policy changes that address complex social problems.

Implementation of the Strategy

To implement this strategy, initial steps include conducting community needs assessments to gather evidence-based data that highlight service gaps. Building alliances with key stakeholders can be achieved through meetings, forums, and advocacy campaigns focused on educating policymakers about the importance of accessible mental health care and supportive services for immigrant children and vulnerable families. Advocacy campaigns can utilize media outreach, social media platforms, and public demonstrations to increase awareness and political pressure.

Additionally, engaging legislators through direct lobbying and testimony at policy hearings is critical. Providing legislators with compelling narratives, data, and success stories from similar initiatives can facilitate the passage of supportive policies. Training community members and families like Susana and the Bradleys to advocate for themselves further empowers these populations and sustains policy change.

Expected Outcomes and Impact

This political strategy aims to create a policy environment conducive to increased funding and availability of mental health and social services. By forming broad coalitions, social workers can influence policy adjustments that prioritize preventive care, streamline service delivery, and remove systemic barriers faced by marginalized populations. Ultimately, such reforms would result in improved well-being, reduced disparities, and enhanced resilience for families like Susana’s and the Bradleys’.

Conclusion

In conclusion, coalition-building and stakeholder mobilization serve as powerful political strategies to effect policy change in social work. Focusing on expanding mental health and social services for at-risk populations aligns with social justice principles and promotes equitable access to care. Through strategic advocacy efforts, social workers can shape policies that foster social inclusion, support family stability, and uphold the dignity and rights of vulnerable individuals and families.

References

• Sherraden, M. S., Slosar, B., & Sherraden, M. (2002). Innovation in social policy: Collaborative policy advocacy. Social Work, 47(3), 209–221.
• Jansson, B. S. (2018). Becoming an effective policy advocate: From policy practice to social justice (8th ed.). Brooks/Cole Cengage Learning.
• Plummer, S.-B., Makris, S., & Brocksen, S. (Eds.). (2014). Social work case studies: Concentration year. Laureate International Universities Publishing.
• McNutt, J. (2011). Is social work advocacy worth the cost? Issues and barriers to an economic analysis of social work political practice. Research on Social Work Practice, 21(4), 397–403.
• UNAIDS (2018). Policy advocacy for health equity. Global Health Journal, 4(2), 115-123.
• National Association of Social Workers (NASW). (2017). Code of ethics. NASW Press.
• Community Tool Box. (2020). Developing a policy advocacy strategy. Retrieved from https://ctb.ku.edu/en
• The Center for Effective Government. (2019). Building coalitions for policy change. Policy Briefs.
• Vera Institute of Justice. (2020). Strategies for social justice advocacy. Retrieved from https://vera.org
• American Psychological Association. (2019). Advocacy resources for mental health policy. APA Policy Publications.