First, define your policy and identify the policy realm you are concerned with. Next, you will have a chance to engage others in the community to learn how policy directly affects vulnerable clients, for better or for worse. The final product is a 3-5 page paper. In this paper, you will provide a persuasive argument either for or against a local or state-level policy that has an impact on the delivery of mental health services in the community. The following aspects of the assignments all are required in order to obtain full credit for this assignment:
1. Identify one organization working on your policy and describe and reflect on that organization’s position, key arguments, and strategies for advancing their position. Examples of organizations include: NAMI, MHA, MACH, P&A, NASW-SC.
2. Talk to and learn something about the perspective of the following stakeholders:
a. Someone who will be impacted by the policy
b. An individual from a social work/human services organization who
has an interest in this policy
Following those steps, apply policy analysis model(s) to describe and critically assess a current policy.
3. The analysis will include attention to the broader socio-political and economic contexts surrounding the policy, as well as the specific policy goals, benefits, and outcomes.
