Critical analyses of policies that significantly affect African-American families and communities!

African-American Social Workers and Social Policy is the first book of its kind to combine the voices of African-American social work professionals on social policy in one volume. You’ll learn about the impact of health, child welfare, and aging, the implications of welfare reform, and the harsh statistics about race and imprisonment from respected practitioners in the field. Each chapter ends with recommendations for policy advocacy, giving you the tools you need to help reform the system.

The issues addressed in African-American Social Workers and Social Policy include:

how proposed Social Security reforms can help or hinder efforts to bridge the wealth gap

the role of grandparents as caregivers

the implications of child welfare policies, including the Multi-Ethnic Placement Act of 1994

the effects of race, class, and gender discrimination on African-American women’s health

the significance of the Human Genome Project

how social workers can stand up to the biases of the criminal justice system

African-American Social Workers and Social Policy also presents an eye-opening review of the history of mental health policies for African Americans and an action agenda focused on knowledge and empowerment as a solution to pervasive institutional racism. This book is a welcome forum for policy educators, advocates, and those committed to social justice.

You will value African-American Social Workers and Social Policy for its clear identification of issues, thorough analysis of the social policy arena and its impact, and comprehensive description of new goals, directions, and possibilities. This book will help you better understand vital social policies that affect African Americans today.