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The Importance of Advocacy in Social Work

Date
December 5, 2024
Image
A social worker speaks with a group of people seated in a circle.

The role of social work is becoming more critical as the world confronts new and growing challenges. As a 2022 report by the International Federation of Social Workers noted, society faces an unprecedented host of crises in everything from the environment to health care and income inequality. These issues will require greater engagement by social workers in a variety of areas.

Empowering individual clients at the micro level may be the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about social workers. But social workers also have responsibilities at the broader, macro level. Social workers are active in addressing systemic issues that can affect whole communities and even the entire world.

Advocacy in social work has long been a pillar of the profession. From joining coalitions and advancing social movements to promoting policy changes, social workers are at the forefront of advocating for progress on issues that affect their clients, communities, and the world.

Exploring resources related to social work advocacy can inform anyone’s understanding of the profession’s obligation to advocate for vulnerable populations.

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Defining Social Work Advocacy

The National Association of Social Workers’ (NASW) code of ethics requires social workers to advocate to:

In terms of specific actions social workers can take to fulfill their obligations in advocacy, NASW’s code of ethics specifies that social workers should:

The variety of settings where social workers work provides them with extensive opportunities to act on their obligation to advocate. While engaging in social work practice in settings such as schools, social services agencies, or health care organizations, these professionals gain valuable experience and expertise that can inform their advocacy.

Opportunities for social work advocacy are only growing. For example, a 2021 article in the Journal of Human Rights and Social Work discussed social workers’ responsibility to help eliminate the digital divide and advocate for communities that have no access to high-speed internet and other technology.

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Why Is Advocacy Important in Social Work?

Advocacy in social work practice can advance some of the most fundamental principles of human rights. Examining how social workers promote equity, inclusion, and accessibility demonstrates why advocacy is important in social work.

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Advocating for Equity

Social workers’ responsibility to advocate for equity is woven into their training and education. For example, the accreditation standards of the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) require social work educational programs to integrate equity approaches into their curricula.

Social workers advocate for and promote equity in many ways, including by:

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Advocating for Inclusion

According to NASW, an inclusive environment:

Social work advocacy to advance inclusion can take many forms. For example:

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Advocating for Accessibility

According to NASW, the ethical principles that underpin social work practice require social workers to ensure that people have access to the services, information, and resources that they need.

Advocating for accessibility can include a variety of actions. For example:

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Types of Advocacy in Social Work

Social workers can engage in advocacy at every level of social work. They also can advocate for specific issues in which they have an interest. Given the many types of advocacy in social work and the number of issues that can benefit from social work advocacy, social workers have endless opportunities to advocate for those in need.

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Advocacy at All Levels of Social Work

The types of advocacy that social workers can conduct parallel the three categories of social work practice, which NASW describes as:

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Social Work Advocacy to Address Specific Issues

From poverty and homelessness to climate change, social workers know there is no shortage of issues that can benefit from their advocacy efforts.

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Climate Change

According to the United Nations, restricting the global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius could help the planet avoid the most catastrophic effects of climate change; however, current policies could result in a 2.8 degrees Celsius increase in temperature by the close of this century. Climate change has the potential to negatively affect communities’ ability to grow food, protect health, provide sufficient housing, and offer stable employment.

Social work advocacy to address the effects of climate change can encompass many activities. For example, social workers can collaborate with public health officials and engineers to to help vulnerable people who are already experiencing the effects of climate change. They can also advocate for renewable energy policies and policies that reduce dependence on fossil fuels.

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Elder Care

The World Health Organization has reported that, from 2015 to 2050, the proportion of the global population aged 60 or older will almost double — from 12% to 22%. In addition, 80% of older people will be living in low- and middle-income countries by 2050.

A 2022 report explained that social workers can advocate for seniors on the micro and macro levels by providing individual or family therapy for cognitive issues, organizing volunteers to assist older adults, coordinating health care for elderly people, or advocating for legislation to protect the elderly from abuse or neglect.

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Racial Equity

In a 2022 article, Human Rights Watch reported that progress in addressing racial inequity is still elusive. Issues such as discrimination in the legal system, law enforcement’s use of force, and disparities in terms of economic opportunity continue to persist.

In a 2022 report on social work and racism, NASW set forth a number of recommendations for social workers’ advocacy to promote racial equity. For example, they can:

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Health Equity

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, racial and ethnic minorities in the U.S. face higher rates of poor health and disease compared with white Americans.

Social workers can take a number of actions to advocate for health equity, such as:

A 2021 report in JAMA Health Forum also stressed the importance of integrating social workers into health care delivery teams to improve health equity.

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Human Rights

The United Nations describes the right to life and liberty, freedom from torture and slavery, freedom of expression, and the right to education as among some of the most fundamental human rights.

A 2021 report in The British Journal of Social Work described social work as a human rights profession. As such, the practice of social work is guided by a framework of human rights that involves advocacy efforts such as:

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Immigration

According to a 2020 Pew Research Center report on U.S. immigration:

In light of these statistics, immigration advocacy in social work is crucial. Social work advocacy efforts for immigrants can include activities such as:

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Poverty

The U.S. Census Bureau reported that the poverty rate in 2021 was 11.6%; this translated to 37.9 million people in the U.S. living in poverty. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, experiencing poverty can have significant negative consequences on physical and mental health, housing, education, or employment.

Nonprofit organization Casey Family Programs has noted that many financial assistance programs provide for basic needs, but only on a one-time, emergency basis. It suggests longer-term advocacy efforts to help alleviate poverty such as:

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Homelessness

According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, point-in-time homelessness counts conducted on a single night in 2022 determined that:

A 2021 study in Campbell Systematic Reviews analyzed interventions for homelessness and identified those that were most effective. For example, social workers can advocate for:

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Additional Resources for Advocacy in Social Work

The following resources offer additional information on social work advocacy:

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Workplace Advocacy

Advocacy in social work can also encompass the social work profession itself. For example, social workers can advocate for:

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Additional Resources on Advocacy for the Social Work Profession

The following resources offer additional information on advocating on behalf of the social work profession:

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Effect Social Change Through Social Work

Advocacy is a key component of social work practice. Through their advocacy efforts on an array of issues, social workers can improve the quality of life for individuals, communities, and all of society. The many forms of advocacy in social work are vital to helping vulnerable populations and advancing the cause of human rights across the globe.