Certificate in Political Social Work

Preparing social workers and allied professionals to promote social justice through political action

Description

The Certificate in Political Social Work is designed for all social workers, regardless of area of primary practice, to fulfill their ethical obligation to engage in social and political action. Participants of this certificate program will learn how politics impacts the lives of those that they serve on both a micro and macro level, practice skills for advocating to policymakers, gain tools to empower clients to become politically engaged, and explore opportunities for running for office.

Foundations of Political Social Work: This module will include the historical and current role of social workers in the political process as well as knowledge that is core to political social work practice. Topics include: emerging political social work research and theory, political justice, ethics in political social work, and foundational skills in communicating political information.

• 1.1 Political Social Work Theories & Research
• 1.2 Political Justice & Voter Engagement
• 1.3 Ethics in Political Social Work
• 1.4 Bridging Divides
• 1.5 Engaging Elected Officials: An Inside Perspective

Tools for Political Social Work: This module will cover skills and strategies that social workers can apply to their current practice as well as tools to enhance their political engagement. Topics include: identifying and combating fake news, advocacy and activism, and running campaigns.

• 2.1 Identifying the Elected/Appointed Officials in Your Community
• 2.2 Activism and Advocacy
• 2.3 Building and Maintaining Coalitions
• 2.4 Political Social Work in the Workplace
• 2.5 Planning, Organizing, and Funding a Campaign
• 2.6 Identity, Messaging, Voter Contact & Targeting
• 2.7 Branding
• 2.8 Public Discourse
• 2.9 Reaching Your Audience: A Data Visualization Toolkit

Special Knowledge Areas for Political Social Work: This module covers important topic areas social workers should be familiar with when engaging in political social work practice, including organized labor and immigration. This module is intended to be responsive to emerging political topics relevant to social work.

• 3.1 Information Literacy: Combating "Fake News"
• 3.2 Political Parties
• 3.3 Social Work and Immigration
• 3.4 Environmental Justice/Climate Change
• 3.5 Tax Policy
• 3.6 Social Work and Unions

Objectives

1. Describe major political social work theories.
2. Describe research methods and findings in political social work.
3. Define "political justice" and describe its connection to social work practice.
4. Describe the ethical responsibility of social workers to engage in political work.
5. Identify potential ethical dilemmas that social workers encounter while doing political work.
6. Identify strategies and skills to hold and facilitate discussions across political divides.
7. Describe the ethical basis for being involved in resolving division within organizations and communities.
8. Describe how the day-to-day work of being an elected official relates to social work ethics and values.
9. Describe how to identify and advocate to your appointed and elected officials.
10. Describe methods of engaging in political advocacy and activism.
11. Describe the skills needed to successfully campaign for elected office.
12. Describe the skills needed to successfully fundraise for electoral campaigns.
13. Identify the different kinds of political campaigns.
14. Describe methods for targeting voters to support your cause.
15. Identify opportunities for coalition building within communities and organizations.
16. Describe the skills needed to establish and maintain key relationships to ensure coalition success.
17. Apply political social work practice in a workplace setting.
18. Describe acceptable ways to advocate for your agency’s mission and to engage clients in advocating for themselves.
19. Define "fake news" and understand its impact on society.
20. Identify reputable news sources and how to counter fake news.
21. Identify the most effective graphs/charts and design choices to convey your desired message.
22. Describe the foundational skills of working with undocumented and mixed status communities.
23. Identify best practices, legal restrictions, and resources that impact the lives of undocumented immigrants.
24. Describe the importance of tax policy to social work practice.
25. Define "environmental justice" and describe its connection to social work practice.
26. Explain how climate change is an example of environmental injustice.
27. Describe the structure and function of the two major US political parties.
28. Describe the past, present, and potential future relationships between social work and organized labor. Identify mutual interests and opportunities between social work and labor. Describe the role that unions play in the economy, in democracy, and in communities.

Instructors

Contributing Instructors

Continuing Education Offered

• 1 hour ethics asynchronous online
• 26 hours regular asynchronous online
• 1 hour regular live interactive online

CE Approval Statement

The University of Michigan School of Social Work, provider #1212, is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved as ACE providers. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. The University of Michigan School of Social Work maintains responsibility for this course. ACE provider approval period: 5/15/2023-5/15/2026.

Social workers participating in this course will receive 27 general continuing education contact hours and 1 ethics continuing education contact hour.

Please see the CE Policies page for more information about continuing education.