Advocacy Week: A Model to Prepare Clinical Social Workers for Lobby Day

Abstract

Legislative advocacy is an important and long-standing skill in social work. However, this role cannot be left solely to social workers who specialize in macro and policy practice. Rather, clinical social workers who assist clients as they face “private” troubles (Mills, 1959) also need to face the structural barriers that contribute to these concerns. The effect of proposed bills on the practice and welfare of clients is another reason for clinical social workers to advocate within the legislative process. This article proposes the Advocacy Week model, which prepares clinical students for the National Association of Social Workers-sponsored Advocacy Day, an event that represents a statewide collaboration of policy and clinical faculty members and National Association of Social Workers-Illinois staff members.