Advocacy is the corner stones of the social work profession and a vital role for the professions future. Section 6.04 of the NASW Code of Ethics charges "social workers to engage in social and political action that seeks to ensure that all people have equal access to the resources, employment, services, and opportunities they require to meet their basic needs and to develop fully. Social workers should be aware of the impact of the political arena on practice and should advocate for changes in policy and legislation to improve social conditions in order to meet basic human needs and promote social justice."(NASW, Code of Ethics, 1999). Advocacy and political action by social workers has been overshadowed by the shift to clinical social work. This however is due in part to social workers seeking positions with better pay. To some degree, the profession has only its self to blame for not advocating for our clients and ourselves as a profession. In addition, funding sources that workers relied on for salaries have been cut and there has been a shift to a more conservative political view in Wahsington.
             Due to the lack of a better analogy, programs have disappeared while we were sleeping. Like a a thief in the night, social workers had a false since of security in government funding programs. We sat idol while conservative governmental officials came in the unlocked back door and cut programs. Because we have not advocated for policies and have gotten away from out roots, we find ourselves now wondering why we have to obtain master degrees yet expect only $40K at best.
             Because the level of apathy we seemed to have developed, and because of current events such as the War against Iraq, social workers are beginning to see the importance in the role of advocacy and political action. In only 3 1/2 years the current conservative administration has in one way or the other harmed virtually every aspect of American life that a...