Clinical Social Workers: Advocates for Social Justice

Anne Marie Mclaughlin

doi:10.18060/209

Abstract

Advocacy activities provide an avenue for all social workers to connect their practice with the profession’s aim of social justice. In fact, it is this social justice connection to the advocacy role that may distinguish social work from other professions. Yet advocacy remains a controversial practice for many clinical social workers. This study reports on one aspect of a larger study (McLaughlin, 2006), which examined how clinical social workers in mental health conceptualized social justice as part of their work. The data revealed a strong relationship exists between clinical social work practice, social justice and advocacy. The concept of advocacy that emerged from the data was multi-dimensional and included strategies that were instrumental, educational, and practical.

Highlights

In the past clinical social workers have been maligned by their own profession in terms of their commitment to social justice (Andrews & Reisch, 2002; Hawkins, Fook & Ryan, 2001; Specht & Courtney, 1994), current practice models tackle social justice issues head on
Advocacy served as a direct example of social justice: “when I am advocating, I am aiming for a target that I think everybody deserves
The goal of advocacy, as the participant explains, is the realization of social justice, “anytime I go to an appeal [with my client], the person that is appealing feels that they were achieving some sort of social justice.”

Summary

Introduction

In the past clinical social workers have been maligned by their own profession in terms of their commitment to social justice (Andrews & Reisch, 2002; Hawkins, Fook & Ryan, 2001; Specht & Courtney, 1994), current practice models tackle social justice issues head on. Such frameworks as anti-oppressive practice, feminist practice, and narrative and constructionist models consider contextual issues such as culture and gender, as well as social, economic and political imbalances (Morley, 2003; Parker, 2003; Swenson, 1998; Vodde & Gallant, 2002). Practice models and frameworks are insufficient and students and practitioners alike wonder exactly what the link between their practice and social justice might be

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion