Policy-Practice In Social Work

Norman Wyers wrote an article called, "Policy-practice in social work: Models and Issues”. He’s purpose of writing this article was to show his audience what policy-practice in social work is like. He talks about how policy-practice in social work is an approach in which social policy and direct social work practice are combined. In the policy-practice system culture, ethnicity, and beliefs play an important role in efforts to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in the quality of care. To work in policy-practice system or any other institution that stand for others right has to attribute in providing communicate with awareness, having the knowledge advocates disparities, and understanding the sociocultural factors is likely to contribute to success.
Many Individuals disregard social workers as policy expert. “The definition excludes

the social worker as policy expert.

The reason for this exclusion is that policy experts generally are not direct service practitioners and are not trained to provide direct services” (246). In my opinion, if we define policy which is a form of structure that values and guide our choices for us to make a result. That’s one of the skills you have by being able to guide individual and making an outcome of their situation. Advocates and policy-practice have the same skills and goal for their clients, according to wyers you have the ability to turn policy-practice to practice. He states, “The policy-practitioner converts policy to practice and provides antennae for policymakers to verify the impact of policy or the need to change and create policy” (245). This is significant because if you have the power and knowledge of turning policy into practice that helps clients and individuals with their situation and make a change in their life.

Secondly, he deliberate about the service provided for those who are unable to provide themselves services because of different situation. “Among managerial and planning respondents these change roles include policy development within state agencies regarding client eligibility for services, testifying, legislative development work, and educating other service providers about the needs of special populations…. Direct service practitioners not only carry caseloads but are advocates for groups such as the homeless, or others whose needs are not being addressed” (244). This is important because policy-practice and advocates have the entitlement to get involved with people who are unable to address their needs because they might not know how the system works.
In order for the policy-practice and advocate system to succeed they need to learn how to communicate with awareness, have knowledge and policy practice disparities, and understanding the sociocultural factors of individuals. This is significant because if policy provider can’t find a way to understand all the different type of culture barriers they are, the policy system can’t succeed and clients can’t have good quality of care. This is important because everybody should have knowledge to connect with one another. If citizens don’t communicate and speak up for their rights, they will always be left behind and individuals will feel unwelcomed. Communication with awareness is one of the main issues happening within our society today, because language barrier has a huge affect on citizens who speak more than one language and that get’s in the way of wanting or needing something.