1. Social Work & Advocacy
May 2013
Janlee Wong, MSW
Executive Director
NASW California Chapter
www.naswca.org
©2011 National Association of Social Workers. All Rights Reserved. 2

2. Learning Objectives
• Social Work and Policy
• The Policy Debate
• Cutbacks
• Social Work Fights Back
• Title Protection
• Lobby Days Bills
• Resources
©2011 National Association of Social Workers. All Rights Reserved. 2

3. Social Work and Policy
• I want to help with society’s ills, but I have no model
• I have an idea to visit a model program in another
country
• I’m going to try that model in the U.S.
• I learn through trial and error doing good is not the same
as changing society
• I focus on changing society as well as doing good, the
two learn from each other
• Who am I?
©2011 National Association of Social Workers. All Rights Reserved. 2

4. Emotional Intelligence
• Aware of your emotions
– Why did you come into social work?
• Manage your emotions
– I feel sorry for that person
– I’ve been in that person’s shoes
• Focus your emotions
– Is there more to social work than just “doing good”
Steven J. Stein, Ph.D.
©2011 National Association of Social Workers. All Rights Reserved. 2

5. It’s Mine
• Great recession has led to a fear
– I’ll lose my job
– I’ll lose my house
– My taxes are paying for things I don’t want
• Welfare, Immigrants
• Our budget deficit is our greatest problem
– Our children and grandchildren will pay the price
• “We don’t have a revenue problem, we have a spending
problem”
– Fiscal cliff, sequester
©2011 National Association of Social Workers. All Rights Reserved. 2

6. Cutbacks
• Education cuts
• End of Redevelopment
(including affordable
housing set aside)
• End of Adult Day
Healthcare
• Cuts to CalWorks
• Medi-Cal Cuts
©2011 National Association of Social Workers. All Rights Reserved. 2

7. Fight Back
• Resisting Budget Cuts – Political advocacy
• NASW Advocacy for social work jobs in fields
with resources:
– Military, veterans social work
– Healthcare – healthcare reform care homes and
managers
– Corrections (rehabilitation)
– Mental health – Mental Health Services Act (Prop 63)
• NASW alliances and coalitions (labor, other)
©2011 National Association of Social Workers. All Rights Reserved. 2

8. How far can we cut?
What the voters said in November
• Prop 30:
– Increases personal income tax for the wealthy (earners over
$250,000, next 7 years)
– Increases sales and use taxes by ¼ cent for 4 years
– Allocates revenues to education
– Generates $6-9 billion annually
• Prop 39:
– Single sales factor for in and out of state businesses
– Dedicates $550 million annually for five years to fund “clean
energy jobs and projects”
©2011 National Association of Social Workers. All Rights Reserved. 2

9. Compassion to Policy 100 Years
Era Policy
Addams Charitable Organizations
Great Depression FDR and the New Deal (social
security, unemployment)
1960s-70s LBJ, War on Poverty,
Medicare/Medicaid
1980s Reagan Compassionate Conservatism
1990s Clinton Block granting welfare
2000s Bush Faith based
Obama Healthcare Reform
©2011 National Association of Social Workers. All Rights Reserved. 2

10. The Policy Debate: Healthcare Reform
©2011 National Association of Social Workers. All Rights Reserved. 2
Individualism Communalism
Small Government Big Government
Optional Entitlement
Individual choice, many
choices
Government choice, few
choices
Prices vary Fixed price
Blue Cross, Blue Shield,
Kaiser, Sutter, Mercy, UCD
Medicare, Medicaid, VA,
Military
Affordable Care Act ?

11. State Legislature Social Workers
CaucusAssembly Member
Mariko Yamada (D-Davis)
MSW: USC
Assembly Member
Dr. Susan Eggman (D Stockton)
MSW: Stanislaus State
©2011 National Association of Social Workers. All Rights Reserved. 2

12. Outside
• Register to vote:
http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/elections_vr.htm
• Visit your legislator’s office
– Who are your state representatives?
– http://leginfo.ca.gov/yourleg.html
©2011 National Association of Social Workers. All Rights Reserved. 2

13. Social Work Under Attack Too
• Cuts in social work jobs
• Flat salaries, attacks on pension plans
• Tuition increases makes recoupment over 20 years
• Stipend students unable to “payback”
• Few social workers in management, policy positions
• Deprofessionalization, Encroachment, Supervision
issues, no title protection
• Unclear image
©2011 National Association of Social Workers. All Rights Reserved. 2

14. Social Work Title Protection
• What’s wrong with this picture it?
©2011 National Association of Social Workers. All Rights Reserved. 2

15. AB 252 Yamada/Eggman Social Worker Title Protection
• This bill would require anyone using the job title “social
worker” to possess a social work degree from a school
accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of the
Council on Social Work Education (CSWE).
• This measure would not apply to an individual classified
as a social worker prior to January 1, 2014.

16. Title Protection What It Is
• Not an employment act
– Doesn’t require employers to hire MSWs, BSWs
• Not a practice act
– Doesn’t define or license social work practice
• Not a definition of a social worker
– Only identifies the educational credential
• Little or no budget impact
– Doesn’t set salaries
– Doesn’t require reclassification
©2011 National Association of Social Workers. All Rights Reserved. 2

17. The First Hearing
• “I have a MSW and my county training was better than
my university education”
• I know many “social workers” without a MSW or BSW
and they are excellent social workers
• Many “social workers” are better than those with a
degree in social work
• “This bill would prevent MFTs and counselors from
getting social work jobs”
• This bill would reduce the diversity of social workers
©2011 National Association of Social Workers. All Rights Reserved. 2

18. Title Protection Advocacy
• Organize a small group to lobby for title protection
• Visit or Contact:
– State Assembly Member and/or State Senator
– County welfare, social services, children’s services directors
– County Board of Supervisors representative
– County social services advisory board
– Union representatives
• Lobby the Governor if bill is enrolled
©2011 National Association of Social Workers. All Rights Reserved. 2

19. Other Legislation
• SB 61 (Yee) Juvenile Solitary Confinement
– Sets conditions and standards
• AB 663 (Gomez) LGBT Training for Residential Care
Administrators
©2011 National Association of Social Workers. All Rights Reserved. 2

20. California Public Education Program
• Advertising:
– Gallerias, bus stops, billboards, BART, radio (Spanish),
• Public Service Announcements (PSA) www.naswca.org
– Video competition
©2011 National Association of Social Workers. All Rights Reserved. 2

21. ©2011 National Association of Social Workers. All Rights Reserved. 2
National Public Education Campaign

22. NASW Advocacy Resources
• California Lobbyist:
– Rebecca Gonzales, Chapter Director Leg and Political Affairs
– rgonzales@naswca.org or (800) 538-2565 x12
• www.naswca.org
– Title Protection webpage
– Bill tracking
– LEG ALERT: Letter, email, fax, phone campaigns to
legislators
• NASW Federal Advocacy
http://socialworkers.org/advocacy/default.asp
©2011 National Association of Social Workers. All Rights Reserved. 2

23. References
• www.socialworkers.org
• www.naswca.org
• www.cbp.org
• www.helpstartshere.org
• www.bbs.ca.gov
• www.cswe.org
• http://www.bls.gov/home.htm
• http://calswec.berkeley.edu/
©2011 National Association of Social Workers. All Rights Reserved. 2