Social workers and politics may make strange bedfellows at first, but look closer and you’ll see an opportunity to improve the current political landscape. Social workers are expertly trained to work with communities, craft effective public policy and use their people skills to champion legislation. When social workers enter politics, they have the opportunity to not only develop policy which improve lives, but also to change the very image of politics by building trust, bridging differences and refocusing on the common good.
The National Association of Social Workers’ Code of Ethics specifically calls on social workers to engage in political action, and to advocate for changes in policy and legislation that promotes social justice. Social workers who become politicians uphold these principles as candidates and officials, bringing altruism and trustworthiness to government.
After a divisive election season, what better way to rebuild trust in our political institutions than an infusion of social workers, who bring practical skills, community buy-in, a commitment to ethics and a passion for creating a more just society? To support potential candidates, the School of Social Work has developed a groundbreaking program to train social workers to go into politics.
For a century, the School has been training practitioners, researchers and educators to be leaders in the field. With the introduction of the new Policy & Political Social Work curricular pathway, the School has created a program that trains MSWs to become effective leaders in the field of politics. The pathway’s curriculum provides students with a deep understanding of both policy and political issues from a social justice perspective. Designed and led by Clinical Assistant Professor Justin Hodge and Associate Professor Kristin Seefeldt, the pathway is one of the first programs in the country that provides social workers with political training as part of their MSW.
“I think social workers are the bestequipped people to engage in policy and political work, and be elected officials,” says Hodge. “If you look at all of the different areas that social work students learn about — interpersonal practice, community organizing, management, program evaluation, all of that — those are all essential skills that I would want any competent elected official to have.” Hodge speaks from personal experience: he was recently elected a Washtenaw County Commissioner.
Seefeldt’s background is in public policy — in addition to her role at the School, she is associate director at U-M’s Poverty Solutions. Social workers, she says, have a different way of looking at problems, specifically in politics.
“Our voice and our perspective are missing at the table,” adds Seefeldt. “There’s a focus on outcomes — for example, how can we move people off public programs and into work, instead of thinking about how we can make sure families are supported and are able to find jobs which will support them. Social workers have a different way of looking at issues and a different way of framing problems. And I think our voice needs to be louder, particularly as we have increasing inequality on so many fronts.”
Hodge and Seefeldt have designed a curriculum that builds on the strengths of an MSW degree.
Like each of the new pathways, the Policy & Political Social Work curriculum begins with foundational social work courses, followed by a pathway-specific curriculum. They build skills by creating policy documents — briefs, memos, testimonies — which they share with stakeholders in the community.
Emily Anderson, MSW ’20, recently completed a yearlong field placement in the office of Detroit City Council Member Raquel Castañeda-López. “As a policy team intern, I actively used the analysis skills we learned in class to support the council member with the standing committees she was a part of. I also feel confident that the skills I learned in Political Social Work classes will prove to be invaluable as a Presidential Management Fellow.” Anderson hopes to work as a policy analyst for either a governmental agency or for an elected official and will begin her career as a Presidential Management Fellow, the prestigious government leadership development program.
“I have learned how to conduct policy analysis, and understand the language that comes with it,” adds Kaelyn Lewis, MSW ’20. “My coursework prepared me to be a qualified candidate for a host of policy jobs because of the hard skills I’ve been able to develop.”
The pathway, says Seefeldt, provides students with the knowledge and skills to land jobs in think tanks and as policy analysts — the same sort of jobs that, right now, are predominantly held by those with a Master of Public Policy. “There’s a lot of ways to be involved in the political sphere — you don’t have to be the person in front — you can be behind the scenes and there’s a really important role to be played on the advisory side as well.”
In addition, the rigorous coursework provides social work students with the foundation they need to take policy classes through other graduate schools and units on campus.
After he received his MSW from the School in 2013, Hodge initially worked in clinical settings while serving in a series of community and government advisory roles. “When I was practicing clinical social work, I was also serving on a civil rights board, where we would advise the city council on social policy issues and civil rights issues. That’s a space that’s usually dominated by lawyers and businesspeople,” said Hodge. “As a social worker, I was able to provide a very different — and valuable — perspective.”
The ability to make an impact particularly resonated for MSW Student Rikki Morrow-Spitzer. “The Political Social Work course encouraged each of us to make changes in our own communities, in a range of ways that would feel meaningful to us. It was empowering to see how each member of the class took a different approach.”
“Public policy really comes out of economics, and economics has a very particular lens through which it looks at issues. MSWs put people first. When you know that decisions have real consequences for individuals and families, that makes a huge difference in approach,” Seefeldt explains.
“Our students really want to make change,” adds Seefeldt. “They look around, see all sorts of problems and feel a real sense of urgency. It’s not just about getting a job: they have a commitment to making a different world. That gives me a lot of optimism and hope.”
“I always encourage my students and other social workers to run for office,” says Hodge. “I know that’s not the right thing for everybody. But there’s a place to engage in politics for every social worker, whether it’s doing voter empowerment work and getting communities to understand their own political power, or getting appointed to different boards and commissions, where you can gain handson policy experience working with other elected officials.”