Respond to at least two colleagues with a thoughtful question, comment, or suggestion. APA Reference:
1ER- I’m in a rural part of northeast Indiana. I currently work as a skills coach in a mental health agency. In the past year, a lot of my clients have dealt with Medicaid changes that have seriously affected their lives. We refer to the policy as Covid Medicaid. Sure, this has happened in other states where many people were receiving Medicaid, they had no redetermination parameters since about mid 2020. That was unclear though, because the state still had been requesting documents each year for redetermination. People assumed they were rightfully redetermined. It was a confusing announcement when they said it would end and it left a lot of people with no insurance. Not only did this leave them without health care, it left them, their therapist or myself, their skills, coach, to help them navigate the system. Then recently, they had a round of letters that went out as a clerical error, telling people that the Medicaid was discontinued, but it was an error. There was a lot of panicking and following up on those letters. Then also, another problem we have in the state with Medicaid is the differences between the local level and the state level. You might get different answers, one might have your case, one might not. It’s just such a hard system for people who really need it to navigate. Insurance availability is an aspect of society I would like to influence, but in my community I would also like to improve homelessness. We have a shortage of low income and even any affordable housing. Many of my clients are on waiting lists for housing for months to years. They live in motels or stay with friends and family. The motels have things like bed bugs and drug activity. When they stay with family and friends, they get overcrowded, they start to cause conflict with their natural supports. I can see the needs in my community as I work alongside my clients. However, I’m unsure how to make a difference besides supporting them on a micro level. What I do now, I’m looking forward to learning how to initiate positive change from this course and actually find out how to make tangible differences in my community. Thank you.
2HE-
I am joining you from rural Appalachia, specifically in southern West Virginia.
One policy that has significantly shaped my practice is the Justice Reinvestment Act. In 2013, West Virginia passed a bill that requires the state to budget money to state organizations to help fund rehabilitation services to reduce recidivism. This sounds great on paper, but throughout my professional journey, I’ve come to understand that policy is not merely a set of rules; it’s a catalyst for the social change we aspire to achieve. The Legislature and the WV Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation should evaluate the effectiveness of the Justice Reinvestment Act and identify ways that it could be improved. We need to identify ways to ensure the efficacy of the individual programs and ensure substance use treatment and education are accessible and offered at a low cost to all returning citizens who need it.
In my work, I’ve seen firsthand how policy intersects with practice—whether it’s adhering to a specific procedure, utilizing a detailed form, or contributing to program evaluations. These experiences underscore the real-world implications of policy and its pivotal role in shaping our approach to social welfare.
My goal as a social worker is to be a change-maker, particularly in criminal justice reform. I aim to create a society where individuals transitioning from incarceration and battling with substance use disorder are given the support they need to succeed, which in turn reduces the rates of recidivism and relapse.
As we delve into the history of social welfare and trace the lineage of policies governing our practice, let’s not forget the inspiration that brought us here. Recovery and reentry are close to my heart. Let’s harness our collective passion for change and use our role as social workers to influence and improve policy, ensuring it serves as a gateway to justice and a better future for those we serve.
Thank you for joining me on this journey. I am excited to connect with each of you as we forge ahead in our shared commitment to sociaL.
