What Options Do We Have? Exploring Routes for Social Workers` Policy Engagement

Abstract

For social workers, engagement in policy processes aimed at furthering social justice is a professional obligation. Nonetheless, the literature on social workers’ policy engagement has yet to clearly explicate the range of options open to social workers seeking to realize this obligation. This article discusses six policy routes through which social workers in democratic societies can affect the policy process: voluntary political participation, holding elected office, policy practice, policy involvement by and through professional organizations, academic policy involvement, and street-level policy involvement. This conceptualization of policy routes can serve as map of options for social workers and as a heuristic tool for students.