Policies and Social Problems

Name and Mission of the Social Work Agency

My chosen organization for this discussion is the San Joaquin County Human Services Agency (HSA). The organization’s mission is “to lead in the creation and delivery of services that improve the quality of life for our community. We focus on providing benefits and services to families in need” (San Joaquin County Human Services Agency. (n.d.): Policies and Social Problems.

Reasons For Selecting the Organization

My reasons for selecting the San Joaquin County Human Services Agency are due to its comprehensive support for vulnerable populations like low-income families, children, and the elderly. Second, the organization plays a crucial role in child welfare, adult protective services, and public assistance. Lastly, the HSA is a publicly funded agency exemplifying the intersection of government policy and direct client service.

Policy Relation to Mission and Population Served

The organization’s selected internal policy is the mandatory reporting requirement in case one suspects child abuse or neglect. This policy is inspired by the organization’s Child Protective Services (CPS) division and is aimed at addressing the problem of child abuse. It encourages social workers to report any reasonable suspicion of child neglect and abuse to the authorities, helping address the issue.

The mandatory reporting policy helps ensure that early warning signs are not overlooked, and that protective interventions can be implemented in a timely manner (San Joaquin County Human Services Agency, n.d.). The policy supports the agency’s mission of improving community quality of life through various means, affecting the client’s well-being.

How The Policy Supports the Mission and Impacts the Clients of the Organization

The policy presents both positive and negative impacts on the organization’s clients. Some of its positive impacts include ensuring that vulnerable children are safeguarded from neglect and abuse. Secondly, it enables involved parties to intervene in time and promotes accountability and professional responsibility among staff.

On the other hand, there are two negative effects of the policy. Firstly, families in marginalized communities may feel that they are targeted by this policy. In addition, the policy’s enforcement may lead to the separation of families if done aggressively.

In conclusion, the internal policies of some agencies and organizations influence the conduct of social workers. There are those that have immediate and direct impacts and others that have indirect and long-term effects. Social workers must not only follow such policies but also critically assess their application to ensure they align with ethical practice and cultural competence. The identified internal policy helps strengthen HSA’s mission statement of creating a safe community by encouraging social workers to report abuse.

References

San Joaquin County Human Services Agency. (n.d.). Children’s Services. Retrieved June 2, 2025, from https://www.sjchsa.org/Assistance/Childrens-Services

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To Prepare:

• Read Chapter 2 of the Jansson textbook (Empowerment Series: Becoming An Effective Policy Advocate).
• Revisit Chapter 1 of the Jansson text as needed.
  • Focus on pages 14–15 for an explanation of different types of policy.
  • Search for and select one social work agency or organization. This can be an agency or organization you currently work for or have worked for in the past or one that you find by searching online. You will use this agency or organization as an example in your Discussion.
  • Review the mission of the agency or organization and the population they serve.
  • You can find examples of populations effected by social problems on page 9 of the Jansson text.
  • Identify a policy within the agency or organization and consider how it relates to the mission and population they serve.

Why is it important for social workers to understand policy? When you think of policies, you may tend to think of the federal policies that support services such as Medicare and state policies that support education and welfare services. However, sometimes the policies that impact clients the most are the policies of agencies and organizations.

An “agency or organizational policy” is a policy. For example, it might be part of a county welfare agency that requires an administrator at a juvenile correction facility to report any individual who is an illegal immigrant that comes to that facility.

Policies and Social Problems

***In this Discussion, you will identify an internal policy at an agency or organization with which you are familiar. It can be a public agency, a for-profit human services provider, or a nonprofit community agency. Then you will explore the relationships that exist between the policy, organization, and client or population.

Question:
Post the name and mission of the social work agency or organization you selected. Then address the following:

1. Explain why you selected the agency or organization.
2. Describe the related policy and the problem it addresses.
3. Explain how the policy supports the mission and impacts (positively or adversely) the clients of the organization.