Social Work Advocacy in Tough Times

1
Social Work Advocacy in Tough Times

• How you can integrate effective advocacy into
  your social work practice, to strengthen your
  organization and better serve your clients

2
Who said this? And when?

• We are all being told that we have to be
  pragmatic and recognize that this is not a good
  year for social issues, especially if they cost
  money. That implies that there may yet be a good
  year for social issues, if only we have patience.
  But no Congress has ever come to Washington
  vowing to make things right for the poor, the
  vulnerable, for workers, or for the environment.
  In that sense, this year is different only in
  degree.

3
You CAN do Advocacy

• Advocacy that does NOT include a call to action
  (including most community practice) is NOT
  lobbying and is, therefore, unlimited!
• Educating community, tracking bills, leadership
  development, nonpartisan voter registration
• Nonprofit 501(c)3 organizations are allowed to
  lobby.
• For non-electing organizations, lobbying must
  be no substantial part of a charitys
  activities.
• This includes expenditures, time and energy
  devoted by staff and volunteers, and success in
  achieving advocacy goals.
• The 501(h) election allows nonprofit
  organizations to lobby with greater clarity and
  less worry.
• By filling out a simple 501(h) form, 501(c)3
  organizations can be judged instead by specific
  dollar limits set on lobbying.
• Can turn into the IRS at any time keep a copy
  for your records
• These nonprofits have no limits on their free
  (volunteer) lobbying activities and can spend up
  to 20 of the first 500,000 of their annual
  organizations budget on lobbying (although no
  more than 25 of this can be spent on grassroots
  lobbying).

4
Heres what we can and cant do

• Safe Activities
• Public education about policy issues (with a
  call to action, it counts as lobbying)
• Nonpartisan voter registration drives
• Candidate surveys (with guidance)
• Lobbying within legal limits
• Policy analysis without a call to action

• Unsafe Activities
• Candidate endorsements
• Campaign contributions
• Candidate pledges
• Partisan GOTV
• Exceeding lobbying limits, or failing to keep
  track of lobbying activities
• Failing to distinguish between grassroots and
  direct lobbying

5
You SHOULD Do Advocacy

• The NASW Code of Ethics includes some specific
  mandates to engage in advocacy
• challenge social injustice, advocate within
  and outside their agencies for adequate resources
  to meet clients needs (3.07a)
• advocate for living conditions conducive to the
  fulfillment of basic human needs and should
  promote social, economic, political, and cultural
  values and institutions that are compatible with
  the realization of social justice (6.01)
• engage in social and political action that seeks
  to ensure that all people have equal access to
  the resources, employment, services, and
  opportunities they require to meet their basic
  human needs and to develop fully (6.04a).
• There are also implicit requirements to engage in
  advocacy, as it is necessary in order to promote
  the well-being of their clients (1.01), and to
  fulfill the social work mission statement (given
  that the status quo creates and perpetuates
  social problems and human need).
• None of these requirements are conditioned on
  availability of resources (including time, staff,
  or money).

6
Why now?

• Times are tight, and everything is on the
  chopping block
• For FY2009, Kansas had a 186 million gap and
  Missouri a 542 million gap in general funds
• For FY2010, Kansas faces a gap of 22 of the
  general fund Missouri of more than 10
• Across the country, states are closing these gaps
  by cutting education, services to elderly and
  disabled, state workforce, and other social
  welfare functions.
• Nationally, despite a more progressive
  administration, we have a long way to go
• All non-defense discretionary spending accounts
  for only 18 of the federal budget (divided up
  among all of our social welfare work, plus
  transportation and environment and lots more)
• U.S. has lower rate of social welfare investment
  than most other developed countries, and it
  showsfamilies more vulnerable, communities more
  strained

7
But its so bad, we cant expect much

• The Great Depression brought us Social Security,
  the cornerstone of our social insurance system,
  single-handedly responsible for lifting millions
  of children and seniors out of poverty
• The late 1960s, in the middle of an ugly war in
  Vietnam, Congress passed Food Stamps, Medicaid,
  Medicare, and milestone civil rights legislation
• We have real opportunities, even in these budget
  times
• Public opinion more amenable to investments,
  because pain is shared
• Some sympathetic members of Congress looking to
  retain seats
• Greater technical expertise has shown us what
  works and allowed us to prove it
• Strengths-based social workers what else?

8
Okay, but how?
9
From clients to constituents to leaders

• Engaging those you serve as full partners not
  only practices empowerment and leads towards
  their actualization, but it also reduces the
  demands on professional staff
• Requires a mental shift from staff using new
  language, renegotiating boundaries
• Expect some time to adjust and
• some role confusion initially
• Introduce social action into your
• practice

10
Legislative Advocacy

• WHAT DOESNT
• Emails or other mass communication from those
  outside of their districts
• Threats related to their elections
• Solely emotional appeals (or solely intellectual
  ones)will only firm up your existing support
• Relying on allies to carry your message for you
  (especially paid lobbyists, who have connections
  but not your passion)
• Using the exact same message/strategy for all
  policymakers
• Ignoring the staff to focus only on lawmakers

• WHAT WORKS
• RELATIONSHIPS!
• Appeal to interests
• Requires getting to know what they care about,
  getting affected individuals in front of them,
  and meeting in person whenever possible
• Present accurate, compelling information
• In accessible format, that makes them look
  informed
• Make an electoral case
• How it will affect them in direct votes or
  overall electability
• Use media and public pressure
• Minimize controversy by controlling the debate

11
Low-Investment Strategies that Work

• Federal legislative advocacyyou dont have to go
  to Washington, DC!
• In-district delegations
• Teleconference to DC staffers
• Legislative open house at your agency
• Use media to reach
• Letters and phone calls still matter
• State legislative advocacy
• Call on your issues
• Visit on Fridays, off-session
• Target committees and work with your networks

12
Dont forget local government!

• Cities and counties control disbursement of many
  state and federal funds, zoning and other local
  regulations that affect NPOs, and direct
  provision of core services
• Local scale facilitates relationship-building
• Attend hearings (with clients)
• Meet directly with council people
• Work with staff on technical solutions
• Ask local officials to intervene on state and
  federal issues, too

13
Get inspiredsuccess stories!

• MASW and tax credit for Individual Development
  Accounts
• KAC and booster seat law
• KIDS accounts in Learning Quest
• Instate tuition in Kansas
• UCS, Kansas Catholic Conference and KS EITC

14
Regulatory Advocacy

• Many of the details that give policies their
  teeth are found in regulations, not legislation
• Monitoring this implementation can expose
  potential problems and opportunities, but
  intentional intervention is needed
• Work with agency staff in advance of drafting,
  submit formal comments, use media to spur
  change/increase compliance

15
How to win with regulations

• Play defense against restrictive eligibility
  rules, inadequate staffing ratios, inaccurate
  definitions, conflicting rules, erosion of your
  legislative victories
• Win what you couldnt win legislatively more
  expansive eligibility, larger program mandate,
  stronger appeal/civil rights protections

16
Get inspiredsuccess stories!

• REAL ID Actstalled in the regulations phase, put
  more pressure on Congress for concessions
• Safe food advocates have used rule-making to
  improve safety standards for meat in school,
  pasteurized milk, and other products
• Environmental advocates work through regulations
  to strengthen protections in clean air/water,
  endangered species, and other critical
  environmental legislation

17
Judicial Advocacy

• Judiciarys role especially important when
  legislatures and executives constrained by budget
  concerns
• Make policy without regard to fiscal implications
• Can intervene with injunctions, oversight,
  contempt of court
• Advocates use courts to obtain information, seek
  redress, force negotiation, inform public

18
Why would I want to go to court?And do I have to
be a lawyer?

• Heightened exposurepeople pay attention to
  lawsuits
• Possibility of dramatic, even expensive, changes
• Can recoup legal costs if successful
• Create new legal rights for clientsfoundation
  for future advocacy

• Can recruit plaintiffs or intervenors
• Author amicus curiae briefs (or just sign)
• Conduct background research
• Fundraise to defray costs or recruit pro bono
  representation
• Provide media support

19
Get inspiredsuccess stories!

• Goldberg v. Kelley (property right to receive
  welfare, 1970)
• King v. Smith (ended man-in-the-house and other
  discriminatory welfare rules, 1968)
• Brown v. BOE (1954)and much of civil rights
  movement
• Olmstead v. L.C. Ex Rel. Zimring (unwarranted
  institutionalization is a form of discrimination,
  1999)
• Bradley v. Haley (2000, mental health care for
  incarcerated)
• Several SPLC cases against hate groups (1980s,
  1990s,see www.splc.org)
• Penny Doe v. Richardson (1998, homeless
  childrens right to education)

20
Agency Advocacy

• Sometimes, it is our own social work agency whose
  policies are contrary to our clients (and our)
  interests
• Turning our advocacy inward can have dramatic
  impact on client well-being, since this is a
  point of direct contact
• Program goals what is success?
• Evaluation techniques and outcomes measures
• Staffing levels and requirements
• Controlling access (one of our most powerful
  tools)
• Eligibility rules
• Incentives and sanctions
• Accessibility (hours, locations, language)
• Processes (appeals, notice of budget decisions)
• Access to power (Board, transparency)
• Implementation decisions

21
How to do this without (hopefully) losing your
job?

• Understand the organizational imperatives driving
  your agency, and appeal to those
• Advocate for change consistent with
  organizational cultureroot in core values
• Build a coalition for change
• Document the problem, your proposed solution,
  steps youre taking, responses

22
Get inspiredsuccess stories!

• Clients change a mental health centers policy on
  no-shows for transportation service
• Staff change hours of service to accommodate
  client schedules
• Agency adds clients to Board and
• provides simultaneous translation

23
Media Advocacy

• Editorials
• Meetings with editorial boards, prepare materials
  
• specific to their communities, have a hook
• Letters to the editor
• Draft letters to be submitted by allies
• Earned media
• Press advisories, relationships with reporters
  who cover statehouse/Congress/local government,
  organization of events to generate coverage,
  prepare multiple responses as contingencies for
  votes/actions
• Paid advertising (only buy what you cant get
  otherwise)
• Collecting information from reporters
• Sharing media coverage with policymakers
• In packets, for visits, with staff

24
Even if you have to be on TV, its worth it!

• Increased exposureincluding to potential donors
• Ability to set the tone/parameters of debate on
  your issues
• Relationships with media professionals
• Practice telling your storyan essential part of
  fundraising
• Social medianot just conveying content but
  making connections

25
Get InspiredSuccess Stories!

• A. in the Kansas City Star
• Invisible Kansans (YouTube, billboard)
• Susan Wagle and the Wichita Eagle editorial
• Piedmont Peace Project
• We are Marie campaign

26
Get StartedEasy Ways to Begin

• Write letters, call, send emails to elected
  officials
• Everybody does this after one staff meeting (5
  minutes)
• Make the connections between cases and causes
  with staff, clients, and community
• Committee to discuss common concerns, or
  electronic way of tracking systemic problems
  (meet 4x/year)
• Watch for news coverage of political or policy
  issues
• Commitment to respond with a press release or
  letter to the editor 2x/year
• Engage your clients
• Voter registration at intake, invitations to
  participate
• Comment on regulations
• Sign up for alerts from like-minded organizations
• Join a coalition in the community, designate a
  staff member to forward pertinent alerts, use
  social media to connect with relevant
  organizations/causes

27
Once you get hooked

• Sponsor a Lobby Day for your organization or
  issue
• Set up visits for Board members, a group of
  clients, and some staff
• Host a public forum with candidates or elected
  officials
• Collaborate with other organizations/coalitions
• Organize a campaign to generate calls to
  legislators
• Use your donor files (people enjoy being asked
  for something besides !)
• Publish a regular community newsletter
• Feature your organizations achievements as well
  as key policy/community concerns
• Testify at committee hearings with clients
• Work with legislators to draft and move bills
• Follow up with your clients for GOTV
• Get students or volunteers to make phone calls 2
  weeks before Election Day

28
Measuring Impact and Claiming Victory

• Have a clear theory of change
• Convert the process goals
• we commonly use in advocacy to outcome
  indicators.
• Balance realistic and aspirational goals as we
  set our benchmarks.
• Push back somewhat on the drive towards
  quantification of results

29
Making the Case Advocacy and the Agency Bottom
Line

• Approach your leadership as you would any
  advocacy targetyour aim is to convince and
  compel
• There are absolutely risks, but organizations
  that engage in advocacy often see
• Enhanced visibility and reputation
• Greater aura of expertise
• Enhanced client loyalty/commitment
• Greater staff creativity and passion, lower
  turnover
• Greater stabilitypower helps to weather storms

30
Resources to Help

• Handouts provided
• Web resources
• Lobbying tips
• How to write letters to the editor
• Media tips
• State legislative overviews
• Tips on working with media
• melindaklewis.com blog on social work advocacy
  and organizing