NASW Outlines Its Public Policy Priorities for Congress
By Paul R. Pace
NASW has released its Blueprint of Public Policy Priorities for the 119th Congress, which aims to elevate social work while addressing national challenges. The document outlines federal policy advancements to support social workers, protect vulnerable communities, and promote equity and justice.
The blueprint has two primary sections: investing in the social work profession and investing in children and families, said NASW Chief of Programs Barbara Bedney, PhD, MSW.
“The document outlines federal policy priorities that advance the social work profession and the health and well-being of children and families, and promote partnership and engagement in the public policy arena,” she said.
The blueprint also is a way to let people know what the association is advocating for, Bedney said, and to invite people to participate with NASW with suggested action items.
The five priorities for investing in social work are:
- Advocating for equitable reimbursement
- Leveraging and protecting the workforce from artificial intelligence (AI)
- Protecting social worker safety
- Safeguarding student loan debt relief
- Supporting women- and minority-owned private practices.
The investing in children and families section covers:
- Ensuring access to affordable child care
- Expanding access to tax credits
- Improving access to telemental health services
- Strengthening child welfare services
- Supporting paid leave.
“We do have a third section on protecting Medicaid,” Bedney said. “It’s a huge issue right now considering the budget cuts that are pending out there.”
The document also includes sections on regulatory advocacy, how to engage with the executive branch, and monitoring and accountability, she said, adding that each of the priorities have action steps.
The public policy team at NASW took time to draft the Blueprint for good reason, Bedney said. “We wanted to understand and look at the public policy arena to see what might be addressed in this Congress.”
“We asked chapters what they think of the public policy priorities,” she added. “It took time because we went through a number of reiterations. We wanted to make sure we had it right. We wanted to make sure it was easily accessible so that we could use it for awareness-raising as well as for our advocacy efforts.”
Learn more about NASW’s policy agenda and visit NASW’s advocacy page.