Social Change Project Paper

Discussion: Analyses of Social Problems in Case Studies-Wk3-6361

Who is defining the problem? In the Petrakis case, Cindy is defining the problem that is affecting Alec’s grandmother. In particular, the grandmother seems to be one of the victims of elder abuse. The abuse is mostly emanating from Alec. This is because Alec stole drugs and money from his grandmother. Thus, Alec is the perpetrator of the elder abuse in this context. Besides, Cindy brings to attention the essence of the Elder Justice Law and how this legislation is meant to protect the elderly who are mostly vulnerable to abuse, including from their care givers. Moreover, from the case study, we learn that there are not many social workers in the area of elder justice and hence elder abuse. This therefore underscores the need to advocate for the protection of the elderly from abuse even as they grow old and as they become increasingly dependent on other people to perform even the simplest of activities (Jansson, 2018).

What values are reflected in this definition of the problem? From the case, it is apparent that the sufferings inflicted on Alec’s grandmother are intentional and hence rightly within the scope of elder abuse. As such, these sufferings are perpetrated by a caregiver, in this case, Alec, who the grandmother should ideally have all the reasons to trust. Perhaps the most significant element of elder abuse suffered by Alec’s grandmother is emotional/psychological abuse (Jansson, 2018).

In the context of Petrakis case, the grandmother suffers from aguish and mental pain as well as distress. This arises from the fact that Alec steals from her and hence she feels disrespected by this. Besides, the verbal and non-verbal threats by Alec towards his grandmother is enough to cause distress to his aging grandmother. Besides, the other form of abuse is financial abuse. Thus, is through Alec’s act of stealing his grandmother’s money for his benefit (Jansson, 2018).

What is being omitted in this definition? The other form of elder abuse that is subtle in Petrakis case is neglect. This is shown by the fact that Helen is incapable of according the grandmother full attention to her needs. As such, one cannot be confident that Alec’s grandmother basic needs such as food, shelter, clothing, hygiene as well as essential medical care are adequately taken care of (Jansson, 2018).

What other problems do you see that are not being acknowledged? In the Petrakis case, assessment and conclusion of Alec’s grandmother abuse is extracted from Alec’s actions. However, the case lacks spotlight on the signs presenting on the grandmother herself. Thus, consideration should be given to the grandmother’s complainants such as Alec threats as well as controlling behavior. Also, she can be assessed for signs of emotional abuse through observation of behavior that mimics, and may be confused for dementia. This includes behaviors such as rocking, or mumbling to herself (Jansson, 2018). Social Change Project Paper

Additionally, the grandmother’s financial situation should be assessed in terms of suspicious withdrawals from her bank account that is over and above the cash stolen by Alec. Also, further investigations should be conducted to investigate the extent of financial abuse suffered by Alec’s grandmother (Jansson, 2018).

Moreover, consideration should be given to the risk factors apparent from Petrakis case that then predispose the grandmother to elder abuse. Such risk factors include substance abuse by Alec and hence misjudgment on his part. Another risk factor includes the potential that the caretaker’s perception that taking care of the grandmother is burdensome (Jansson, 2018).

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.

SOCIAL ADVOCACY 1

SOCIAL ADVOCACY 5

Stephan Bell

 

Social Advocacy Skills and policies for effecting change

Social advocacy relates to social justice. There is great value to the entire society when that society defends and adheres to the rights of individuals in the community who are not accorded the same dignity because of discrimination and being disadvantaged. Social advocacy has different themes that relate to it. These themes are individual rights, civil rights, community building, and awareness. Social advocacy is mainly involved in promoting social inclusion, encouraging social change, and empowering individuals to exercise their rights and influence decisions in society. Promoting justice, equality, and fairness. Social advocacy also liberates people to enhance well-being. There are social organizations mandated with the responsibility of supporting the natural and legal rights of individuals who cannot defend themselves, a way of achieving social justice.

Social justice is fairness in the distribution of wealth, privileges, or opportunities in the

community. Ethos is the guiding principles, ideals, or beliefs that characterize a community or

nation. Social justice focuses more on groups’ just relations within society rather than individual conduct justice. Generally, the social justice concept aims to support equal rights through various initiatives for community members. There may be the existence of different types of social justice initiatives to promote equality or power and status redistribution between groups in areas of health, justice, wealth, privileges, well-being, and economic status. Economically, social justice tends to redistribute economic opportunities, income, or wealth from the privileged groups towards underprivileged groups (Plummer, Makris & Brocksen, 2014). Social justice principles basically refer to values that mainly aim at reducing or eliminating any form of inequity; establishing a conducive environment that is favorable for all; and promoting inclusiveness of diversity. Social justice proponents can use a wide range of peaceful or non-peaceful means to achieve their goals including social campaigns, government programs, violent revolution, and public activism.

The policy of power in the community is not helpful as it seems to be oppressive to those not in power. This policy was enacted long ago by the people chosen to lead the community but later started abusing the power by oppressing other community members by grabbing the community resources and taking them as their own. A community is often thought of in geographical terms like village, town, or city where people live. A person can belong to more than one community which is the areligious community, neighborhood community, and a shared interest community all at the same time. I would introduce the community empowerment policy which can effectively be used in solving the problem of homelessness. Empowerment is giving the much-needed resource to certain marginalized and vulnerable populations like women and youth to enable them to stand on their own and hence cease to be dependable on others. Empowerment can be described as giving power to the vulnerable and marginalized group of society. Empowerment can also be defined as a combination of initiative, personal strengths, and natural systems to bring change (Jansson, 2018). Social Change Project Paper

The problem of homelessness can be solved by equitable sharing of land resources in the community. Individuals with large pieces of land can be asked to share with the landless veterans through discussion with the community leadership. Equitability brings about the allocation of resources according to the individual and population needs with the aim of equality of outcomes. This results in the homeless people getting a place to live and sustain their lives. The homeless veterans getting land will be a long-term impact as they would never depend on others. They will in turn start doing economic activities in the land shared to them thus contributing to the t community development. Enhanced community development would go a long way in decreasing the poverty level if utilized in the best way possible. Social justice should be strictly adhered to for a community to realize significant growth economically. Community development is a great tool that can help improve the living standards of people, particularly the marginalized and vulnerable groups through the initiation of useful projects. For effective community development, there is a need to have thoughtful and committed leadership and experienced practitioners who can share their reflections and help in the development of strategies and programs for positive growth (Midgley & Livermore, 2008).

Social advocacy should always be encouraged in the community as it helps in addressing problems that face the community. More people should be encouraged to take up advocacy roles in the community to fight for the rights of those who are oppressed with no power to fight back. Good advocacy skills can empower individuals to effect change in their community. Often, these skills are created through the formation of social groups with a common agenda. Governments and other organizations should always be on the lookout to identify the marginalized groups and formulate policies that can lead to their sustainability.

 

References

SOCW 6361 Webliography

These websites will be required throughout the semester. Become familiar with these websites, especially when researching your assignments.

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 8, “Placing Policy Proposals in Policy Briefs in the Second, Third, and Fourth Steps of Policy Analysis” (pp. 246-283)

Plummer, S.-B, Makris, S., Brocksen S. (Eds.). (2014). Social work case studies: Concentration year.Baltimore, MD: Laureate International Universities Publishing. [Vital Source e-reader].

“Working with Clients with Addictions: The Case of Jose” (pp. 65–68)

“Working with the Aging: The Case of Iris” (pp. 68–69)

Stuart, P. H. (1999). Linking clients and policy: Social work’s distinctive contribution. Social Work, 44(4), 335–347

Midgley, J., & Livermore, M. M. (Eds.) (2008). The handbook of social policy (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Chapter 6: “The Impact of Social Policy” (pp. 83–100) (PDF)

POLICY ANALYSIS 3

Policy Analysis

Stephan Bell

 

Social advocacy is the active support of the ideas that most impact the individual and organization’s different opinions and decisions. Notably, the advocacy aims to develop a context that creates effective policies that ensure effective decision-making and better implementation (Ruth, Wachman Marshall, 2019). In this case, the articulated policies ensure that the basic necessity of the individual in the community is effectively addressed for better coexistence. However, some various strengths and weaknesses are associated with the Social Advocacy Skills and policies for effecting change in the community that various social organizations in the community try to solve to enhance significant changes. Social Change Project Paper

There are several strengths that the social Advocacy Skills and policies for effecting change pose that enable clear enation and implementation. For instance, clarity of purpose ensures that the approach advocated for having the vision, mission, and clear goals that are fundamental for its performance. In this case, the individual involved in a particular community work develops a substantial focus that facilitates them to have a better route to follow for implementing the project without wasting a lot of time. More so, the social advocacy policy has a substantial safeguard. The situation enables the project to have numerous ways to help the community understand how they can be involved in various community activities. In this case, the individual should be an active partner that ensures that they express their wishes and feelings that support their agenda (Browne, 2019).Furthermore, social advocacy empowers the community. Notably, the program’s strategy focuses on saving and empowering the aims and goals of the community that are substantial for more effective development in society. Social advocacy ensures that the policies that are advocated put the life of the people first. In this case, the people’s interest in the community is given the priority that shapes them to have an effective implementation that will provide better guidance in the future.

However, Social Advocacy Skills and policies for effecting change have various weaknesses in the community. For instance, some individual has been indulged in racial or ethnic prejudice in the community. In this case, the group always feels more neglected in the community as they are denied the identity that safeguards their interest in the community. The policies sometimes advocate for the right of the majority who have the reflective acute in the society. The situation makes the development policies to abandon some substantial development that could have been passed on to the minority.

Various strategies are working, thus enabling the effective implementation of the advocated policies in the community. For instance, policy advocacy follows all the clarity of purpose that gives it the better goal that enables the community to focus on the main list evaluated by the policies. However, sometimes the policies fail to work in the community. For instance, cultural prejudice and ethnicity have tremendously affected the delivery of services in the community.

The changing of the policies can affect the clinical social workers in different ways. For instance, changing the policies mean that the previous mission, vision, and goals that the advocacy policies have advocated are no more. Thus the workers are forced to focus on the other agendas that were initially not their priority. The situation can affect the progress of their duties and the clients that they attend in the community. Social Change Project Paper

The advocacy activities that I proposed on the week six assignment are well stipulated in the community, and they are more effective. Their progress in the community is better, and the policies can bring significant changes to the clinical social workers and the client in the community,

References

Ruth, B., Wachman, M. K., & Marshall, J. (2019). Public health social work. Handbook of Health Social Work, 93-118.

Browne, T. (2019). Social Work Roles and Healthcare Settings. Handbook of health social work, 21-37.

Stephan Bell

Week 9

 

Policy Alternative

There are times when a policy that was implemented for a certain problem is no longer

functioning or meeting the needs of the social problem at hand. This could be due to a number of

reasons such as that the policy only met the needs of a select group of people and neglected the

rest of the groups present in the mix of things. It could also be the result of loopholes within the

policy that allow for persons with hidden agendas the leeway to engage in mannerism that could

be potentially harmful to others.

The health workers’ policy in place has seen numerous and outrageous discrimination of minority groups applying racial prejudices and cultural profiling to determine the services offered. These makes the oppressed group feel left out and experience emotions of anger and resentment to the system and the policy in place.

Social advocacy is the dynamic sustenance of the philosophies that utmost influence the

individual and organization diverse sentiments and choices. Particularly, the advocacy purposes

to develop a context that generates operative policies that ensure effective decision-making and

better application. To curb the issue of changed focus and priority of social health workers due to

policy change, the policy alternative can retain the previous policy’s general vision and mission,

albeit change up a few clauses of the policy.

The policy alternative I have in mind to ensure that even minority groups get to have a fair share

in the services offered by the social health workers is based on certain humanity principles such

as;

The policy should address the economic stature of different groups and key in factors that would

be vital in ensuring that no disparities are found in allocation of health services based on the

economic capabilities of different groups, health services should therefore be affordable for

every individual. This will ensure that even communities at the bottom of the food chain so to

speak the communities that are disadvantaged economically in the society have access to quality

medical cover and services. The disparities cause these communities to feel oppressed as only

the rich are able to access good services when it comes to the medical matters.

 

The policy alternative also ought to address matters of equality in service provision, this

particularly true considering minority groups that are profiled on basis of age, race, religion,

ethnicity and appearance are often neglected when it comes to good service provision, this

should not be the case as these are also citizens with every right to the services as any other

citizen in the majority group. Social Change Project Paper

 

The policy alternatives also have to take into consideration treatment, pay and due appreciation

for the health clinical workers who are employed to offer quality service to the people. If they

feel that the government has their interest in mind, they will have no qualms in treating and

offering service to the different groups in society without prejudice. This group works effortlessly and are almost always on call even at odd hours and have very little family time.

Thus, the respect they should be accorded should also be of the utmost level.

 

The policy alternative will have to be implemented from the local level to the state and even to

the national level, no stone should be left unturned when it comes to the health policy

alternatives. The policy alternative requires for citizens to be considerate and patient,

implementation takes time and there should be vigilant checking in from time to time to ensure

that the policy is adhered to and that the state and especially national government is aware of the

strides being made to ensure that the policy takes root in the society adequately. Legislative

action should also be considered when factoring in implementation of the policy alternatives

changes.

 

Looking at the core values associated with social work, I have to say this policy alternative is in

great harmony with the values. To start things off the policy alternative is strongly advocating for

equal and undeniable service to all groups of the society irrespective of their background or

differences from the major groups in society. It thus is actively offering service as per the values

of the social workers. The alternative is also working effortlessly to curb social injustice and

unfair treatment offered to society, this is in fact the alternative’s main agenda as it looks to curb

unfair treatment and thereby offers the perfect social justice.

The new alternatives also work to emphasize the vitality of human relationships, it works

tirelessly to foster peace, understanding and oneness amongst humans from different ethnicities

and social settings. Thereby eradicating the conundrum of poor relations between different

groups. The dignity and importance of different people that the alternative will look to offer

services to is also not overlooked as the program will ensure that these minority groups get a

voice too. Social Change Project Paper

 

The alternative policy will undoubtedly face some opposition politically from leaders with

different views but eventually it should be able to come through unscathed because the matters

that are addressed in the policy are not just light matters to handle with low regard.

Economically speaking the policy alternatives are feasible since the taxpayers are working day

and night to ensure that the budget caters for them and does not leave them out. Nonetheless, not

much is required in terms of funds since the health equipment and medicine is already available.

In terms of administrative capabilities, a keen eye should be kept on how the policy alternatives

will be implemented lest we find ourselves in the pit of the old policies once again if strong

measures are not taken to ensure that the new policy alternatives are adhered to in a very swift

and serious manner.

Yes, indeed the policy alternatives meets the policy goals of ethics, equality and redistribution of

resources.

The people are for this policy and so are radically thinking politicians and several clinical

workers.

We can engage use of creation of coalitions in order to further advocate for this policy, allies’ in

powerful positions can go a long way in ensuring that this policy is heard and that it is adhered

to.by all states. A robust knowledge of the legislative process is also key, this will be a key

element in following up with the bill even as it goes through congress and when it comes to the

courts we will have and added advantage of realizing when and where to appeal and ensure that

it is not tossed aside.

Clinical social work practice is greatly hindered by the current policy; a health worker takes an

oath to never leave a patient at the mercy of a disease or in pain, but the new policy has put

restraints to the service of health workers to their clients as clearly shown in the introduction

offering treatment on a basis of ethnic and racial profiling. Social Change Project Paper

It is therefore evident that a lot has to be done to ensure that health services are available to

clients of all ages and groups, let’s endeavor to offer equality in all treatment.