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There is an impending crisis in long-term care for people with developmental disabilities. The demand for care will likely outpace the supply for decades to come. Factors, such as limited existing long-term care resources, increased life expectancy for people with developmental disabilities, changing family demographics, legal actions, and competition for resources with the elderly population are driving the crisis. Virtually every domain of social work practice will face challenges in this area. This article argues for an immediate response from the social work community in several areas. The profession needs to provide social workers with expanded training in family-centered approaches to working with people with developmental disabilities, develop new interventions, create new organizational supports, and practice assertive advocacy.

Argues that human service organizations need to unite, to adopt a proactive, rather than reactive, stance toward the political process that produces social policy, and to build advocacy coalitions that influence this process. Suggests ways to form coalitions and conduct lobbying efforts. (Author/ABB)

Lack of consensus in literature of advocacy is demonstrated in the dichotomy between the "best interest" and "pure advocacy" approaches. This lack has resulted in differential interpretations of how practitioners should implement the advocacy role in legal settings and has created ethical problems for practitioners. (Author)

Explains the concept of corporate legal guardianship, which allows a single legal entity to serve as guardian to thousands of clients at one time. Discusses the concept's broad applicability to classes of people other than the developmentally disabled and shows its potential as a unique interdisciplinary approach. (Author/ABB)

Describes the concepts and histories of ombudsmen and of case management. Discusses the advocacy role in social work which includes the dimensions of role specificity, client orientation, problem-solving mode, and resources and constraints. Concludes ombudsmen and case managers augment the advocacy function in the human service system. (ABL)

Describes effects of leukemia diagnosis and treatment for preadolescents and adolescents. Discusses strategies for social workers to assist these cancer patients in participating actively in the day-to-day management of their own care. (ABL)

This article describes how an action research approach was used to involve a community of individuals with mental health issues and their support systems in the development and adoption of a mental health identification (ID) card. The intent of the card was to provide individuals with mental health issues a way to communicate and manage the idiosyncratic nature of their behaviors. A credit card–size ID card was developed that has the individual's picture, address, diagnosis, idiosyncratic behaviors, best approach with the individual when those behaviors are present, medications, allergies, and emergency contact information. Benefits and concerns about the ID system in regard to the cardholder, card recipients, the provision of consent, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act compliance, and the balancing of reducing and increasing stigmas and stereotypes emerged throughout the process. In the end, the ID card has come to be seen as a social justice mechanism that allows for communication and awareness for those with mental health issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduced in 2013 by the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare, the Grand Challenges for Social Work (GCSW) implicitly embrace a public health perspective. However, the lack of a specific overarching conceptual framework creates a challenge for moving the GCSW from concept to practice. In this article, authors propose that public health social work (PHSW) provides a unifying framework for moving the GCSW from concept to practice. Authors undertook a review of the literature, including a review of published literature and all Web sites and other Web materials focused on the GCSW. Three GCSW were selected to illustrate the utility of PHSW and the social work health impact model (SWHIM): (1) stopping family violence, (2) eradicating social isolation, and (3) achieving opportunity and justice. Using a wide-lens PHSW approach, the illustrations focus on actions that can influence populations through strengthened environments and multilevel interventions. The public health field reflects the rigorous science behind the theoretical models, community-based approaches, and attention to effects of social determinants of health at the population level. Because health and inequalities are the focus of many of the GCSW, incorporating both public and population health, together with the SWHIM, can help provide structure to achieve collective goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present global economic crisis raises new concerns for social workers. One of its most visible results is the further socioeconomic decline and marginalization of excluded populations. This article suggests that the current circumstances require a much more engaged, egalitarian, and reflexive practice—a practice, based on social rights, that matches the magnitude of the crisis and its negative impact on traditional social work constituencies. Consequently, the article suggests the concept of inclusive social work practice (ISWP), a conceptual framework whose main principles respond to four processes of social exclusion closely related to the present global crisis: extreme social isolation, growing dependency, multiple deprivation, and internalized oppression. The author describes the impact of the global crisis on patterns of social exclusion and presents the methodological foundations of the ISWP framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this article is to discuss how a community agency based in Washtenaw County, the Washtenaw Interfaith Coalition for Immigration Bights (WICIR), emerged in response to increasing punitive immigration practices and human rights abuses toward the Latino community. The article discusses how WICIR is engaged in advocacy, community education on immigration issues, and political action toward a more humane immigration reform. Detailed examples of human rights abuses and the WICIR activities described in response to the abuses serve as illustrations of social work advocacy, education, and policy formulation that affect the general public, policymakers, and law enforcement officials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the United States, genetic research, as well as policy and practice innovations based on this research, has expanded greatly over the past few decades. This expansion is indicated, for example, by the mapping of the human genome, an expansion of genetic counseling, and other biogenetic research. Also, a disability rights movement that in many ways parallels other "minority" rights campaigns has expanded. The coexistence of these developments poses intriguing challenges for social work that the profession has yet to address in a meaningful way. These issues are especially pertinent for social work professionals in the crucial role as advocates for marginalized populations. This article describes some of the concerns of disability rights activists relative to genetic innovations and goals as well as the instrumental role of the social work community in this important debate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Colleagues, legislative staff, interest groups, administrative agencies, universities and think tanks, the media, and constituents are some of the more commonly recognized sources of information for state legislators. Results of a survey of 507 legislators in 12 U.S. states reveal that ethnic associations, grassroots organizations, the Internet, local branches of national or state organizations, and conferences are also sources of information for state legislators. The relative importance of the various sources is linked to characteristics of the legislators and the districts they represent. This suggests the need for targeted information dissemination strategies to influence state-level public policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because social policy making continues to devolve to the state level, social workers should understand how advocacy and policy making occur at that level. Interest groups active in the human services arena were surveyed and data were used to test a model of interest group effectiveness in four states. The independent variables were amount of resources invested, strategy used, relationships with key actors, use of coalitions, and policy positions taken. Results indicate that the model explains low to middling amounts of the variation in group effectiveness. Results also show that the model fits different states to different degrees, indicating that social workers need to approach advocacy in different ways to achieve maximum effectiveness in altering state policy. Implications for altering state policy are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whether translating research findings for public consumption, or arguing for a policy position that reflects social work values, social workers engaged in cause advocacy need rhetorical skills. The author draws from the disciplines of linguistics, logic, and communications and provides a framework for making arguments in the public arena. The structure and components of arguments are analyzed, and strategies for choosing persuasive empirical evidence and using values to support an argument are described. The use and misuses of language are discussed. Excerpts from published op-ed pieces are used for illustration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social justice is a core value to the mission of social work. Older people are among the most vulnerable populations for whom social workers are called on to advocate. Although Medicare prescription drug coverage has been a top legislative issue over the past few years, such a benefit expansion has yet to be implemented. This article examines the historical context of Medicare and reviews the proposals for prescription drug coverage, identifying the concerns raised. Literature critiquing the justice dimensions of health care for the elderly population is reviewed. Justice claims are identified and refined, and social justice theories are used in the analysis of the proposed policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social workers in all practice areas are affected by interactions with the law and legal systems. Unfortunately, the profession has paid inadequate attention to education, scholarship, and practice in legal environments. This article introduces a new perspective for examining social work and the law called "therapeutic jurisprudence," which emanates from psychology/mental health law. Therapeutic jurisprudence focuses on the therapeutic and antitherapeutic consequences of laws, legal rules, and legal actions. It provides a framework for assessing legal issues, applying social science research to legal questions, and structuring interventions in the legal environment. The authors argue that this perspective has the potential to serve as a lens through which social workers can view the law and, ultimately, use the knowledge gained to achieve better outcomes for clients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, widely heralded as the "end to welfare as we know it," is in its sixth year of implementation. According to many, the welfare debate has been settled, and both legislators and the public have proclaimed the program a success. This article examines the accumulated data on the effect of welfare reform, which shows, contrary to popular opinion, the goal of self-sufficiency remains elusive for many, and poor women and their families are being hurt, not helped, by TANF. It is argued that the booming economy and consequent expanding labor market have led to the perceived success of TANF and that the optimism expressed about dwindling welfare rolls is misplaced. The failure of TANF to adequately address obstacles to self-sufficiency in the workplace threatens to create an even worse welfare problem in the future. During the TANF evaluation period, social workers are urged to take a more active role in urging TANF modifications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]