Strengthening Social Work at the State Level

I met with lobbyist Tia Orr, who was very helpful and welcoming. She explained the in’s and out’s of what was going to take place so I felt comfortable with the entire process. The Assembly Members were all in agreement with the Bill, but I was able to add a few words about the work that is done and the difficult decisions we have to make as social workers with very limited information. There was some opposition from the ACLU regarding confidentiality and protecting people’s rights to privacy. 
I enjoyed being able to debrief afterwards with the ACLU, Tia Orr, County Counsel, a representative from the Board of Supervisors, and the Children’s Law Center. It was nice to be given the opportunity to speak as the person that would be impacted by the ACLU’s requested changes to the bill. 
I see how important our role is in helping the Lobbyist, Assembly Members, Board of Supervisors, etc. understand how these decisions impact our ability to do our job as social workers. Without our point of view and our firsthand experience to share, things can and have looked very different in terms of laws, policies, and procedures that are put in place.Overall, we are being heard at the state level and I was honored to be a part of this ongoing process to ensure that social workers have access to all the vital information needed to conduct comprehensive investigation of child abuse and neglect.