Chapter 14 Intervention Expanding Opportunities

Expanding Opportunities: Keys to Empowerment Promote client self-sufficiency Create social, economic, educational, and political change Activate groups and communities as vehicles for empowerment and change © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Resource Expansion Identify gaps and barriers Issues –Fragmentation of services –Agency turf –Bureaucratic disentitlement –Social triage; Privatization –Accessibility of service © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Mobilizing Resources Fill gaps/overcome service delivery barrier Mobilization tasks –Bring together diverse constituencies –Open lines of communication –Develop common agenda –Clarify direction of goals –Outline strategies for action © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Educating the Public Social workers disseminate information through community education Promotes usage of social services Raises community consciousness about issues © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Writing Grant Proposals Source of funds for expanding resources Typical components –Statement of problem –Measurable goals and objectives –Program activities –Evaluation plan –Budget © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Purposes of Community Practice Improve quality of life Extend human rights; Advocacy Social and economic development Planning and integrating programs and services Political action Promote social justice © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Community Organizing Bring together people with common interests to address social problems –Through collective action Promote the interpersonal and political development of constituency groups Facilitate change at the neighborhood, community, and societal levels © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Community Development Focuses on the internal functioning of a community Strengthens community's internal resources Increases involvement of citizens Empowerment strategies promote participation © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Social Work: A Political Profession By nature political Use political strategies to promote social justice –Consensus building –Compromise –Negotiation –Conflict © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Varieties of Political Viewpoints Liberal Neoliberal Conservative Neoconservative Radical © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Awareness of Political Views Political views influence –Perception of problems as personal or public –Assignment of blame and responsibility –Ideas for strategies to create solutions No one political ideology represents the social work position © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Policy Development Policy integral to professional practice Policy analysts –Examine social, economic, and political variables in process of formulating policies –Study the values and preferences that policies reflect –Analyze policy, legalities, costs, and benefits © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Consumer Participation in Policy Development Safeguards clients’ rights Secures programs and service relevancy Holds agencies accountable to their constituencies © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Social Activism Historically –Address social problem; initiate social change Recent trend toward privatization –Provokes the question of whether activism remains central to social work Commitment to social justice –Continues to prompt social activism © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Advocacy & Activities in the Policy Arena Client advocacy Cause advocacy Expands opportunities by protecting clients' interests Legislative analysis Lobbying Legislative testimony © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Legislative Analysis Framework Analyze substantive issues Know legislative committee Understand fiscal requirements Evaluate the bill’s political status Determine relative support and opposition © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Lobbying Assess strengths and limitations Set action agendas Identify target policy makers Gather and evaluate evidence Prepare the case © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Legislative Testimony Express opinions at public hearings Share written or oral statements about experiences and expertise Have clients speak in their own voice Provide written testimony based on facts and logic © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.